Best way to format a hard drive?

[Gilthanaz]

.I'm sure this has been asked before, but my search returned pages of threads that i really didnt feel like scouring for the right information so forgive me. Anyway, I'm going to help my friend format her hard drive. The times I've formatted my own machine I've used the utility that came with the drive, but she doesn't have any software like this. Would the best and cleanest way be to use FORMAT and FDISK dos commands? I would appreciate any suggestions of easier or more effective metods. Shes running win98, she didn't know the brand or model of hard drive (shes not too good with computers ).

[Bill in SD, CA]

Go to BootDisks - PC Support and download for her OS and you're good to go.

Bill

back up all her mp3's, word docs, emails, pictures, addresses, bookmarks and etc.


what os do you want to install?

if its win98 and above, you have two choices.


get a boot disk.

www.bootdisk.com and boot to that.

http://www.techrescue.net/guides/prepdrv7.asp

or insert your os cd and boot to that (change the boot priority to cd rom) and follow the instructions.

[Bill in SD, CA]

Oh, I forgot ....... Microsoft's Windows 98 SE Install step by step

Bill

[John Prophet]

Does the drive already have stuff on it? If so you just boot to a boot floppy and go "format c: /q"...if it doesnt have stuff on it, like if its brand new etc...then it needs to be partitioned with fdisk and then formatted...format /q wont work so just do format.

If its a second hard drive in a system etc, you just go to it in "my computer" and right click it and choose format

I have never used any of the seagate or WD or maxtor stuff so I have no clue..I have always used fdisk and format.

If you are putting XP on it then you dont need to do anything, just boot off the cd and itll partition and format for you, just choose to format the drive.

[John Prophet]

If she is just getting a new drive as a second drive...then she can just slap the drive in, boot to windows..run fdisk in a dos window to give the new drive a partition..reboot..then go to my computer and right click and format the new drive in windows....much faster to do it in windows anyway.

Her main issue will be getting the jumpers right

[Dj-Icer]

I have an XP. The easiest way I format a partition is through Windows Explorer. There was no problem at all. I have 3 hard disks running in two towers..sorry, one tower

[Gilthanaz]

No, there is only one drive. And yes theres stuff on it, windows is just serverely screwed up and needs a clean install. Thanks for the links, i was wonedering where i could get a boot disk for an OS i dont use.

[sweeper2]

I am going to post here so i don't have to start a new thread, I have a 13 gig maxter hard drive, almost filled up, only 24% free space left. Here is my prob. I want to get another hard drive, found one i want, 40 gig, 133 , 7200 rpm etc., but i have to much on the 13 gig to try and back up on cd's etc., this hard drive is old, think it is a IDE 66, want to run off the 133 new 40 gig but can't figure how to take what i have and put it on that drive and leave the 13 gig for games etc. Any suggestions? or would i just have to suck it up and take off what i need and put windows xp on the 40 gig and reformat the 13 gig.????

Athlon xp 2500@FSB 11x200=Athlon XP 3200
9600 radeon pro 128
13 gig maxter ide 66 7200 rpm
K7N2 Delta L nforce 2 400 edition MSI mobo
512 DDR pc2700 running DC at 1:1 with cpu 400
soundblaster live
cd/rw and cd-rom
450 watt Thermaltake PS

[noprob]

Sweeper2 why not just install a new operating system on the new drive you plan to purchase.
Then copy/move whatever you desire from the 13GB drive installed as a secondary(politically correct) to the newly installed operating system?
just my $0.02