How do I format outside of windows?

2008-01-03 05:41:48

#1

Lucien: Fantasma Parastasie; +1,451|7131

My new motherboard is finally arriving today, so I'm starting anew with my windows setup. At the moment, I have a single physical harddrive that I use for windows, which is divided into 3 partitions: one for XP, one for vista, and one semi-hidden 3gb partition that was originally the XP recovery/install disk. (this hdd is the only remaining part of the retail PC I bought 3 years ago) I want to format the entire hdd and remove the partitions, so including the 3gb xp partition that has a tendency to fuck things up. How do I do this outside of windows?

I'm guessing USB-stick/CD + dos-boot + fdisk, but I don't know exactly how to do that.

help is much appreciated.

P.S: I know you have some formatting options when installing windows, but it doesn't recognize the 3gb recovery partition, and if I don't get rid of that I can't dual-boot xp and vista.

2008-01-03 05:46:42

#2

AussieReaper: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°); +5,761|6631|what

Insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive, or insert the first Windows XP Setup boot disk into the floppy disk drive if you are starting from Setup boot disks, and then restart the computer.

NOTE: To start your computer from the Windows XP CD-ROM or from the Setup boot disk, your computer must be configured to start from the CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive or the floppy disk drive.

In some cases, you may have to modify your computer's BIOS settings to do this.

(If you are starting from the Windows Setup boot disks, insert each of the additional disks when you are prompted, and then press ENTER to continue after inserting each disk.)

At the Welcome to Setup page, press ENTER to continue.

Press F8 to accept the Windows XP Licensing Agreement.

If an existing Windows XP installation is detected, you are prompted to repair it. Press ESC (do not repair).

All existing partitions and unpartitioned spaces are listed for each physical hard disk. Use the arrow keys to select the partition or space where you want to create a new partition, and then press D to delete an existing partition or press C to create a new partition using unpartitioned space.

2008-01-03 05:48:38

#3

AussieReaper: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°); +5,761|6631|what

I'm still looking around for help wth an unrecognised partition during the reformat stage, but have been unsuccessful. Is there a possibility this partition or HDD is damaged?

2008-01-03 05:50:33

#4

Cheez: Herman is a warmaphrodite; +1,027|6917|King Of The Islands

Is it visible within Windows?
(Disk Management)

Last edited by Cheez (2008-01-03 05:50:57)

My state was founded by Batman. Your opinion is invalid.

2008-01-03 05:53:23

#5

Lucien: Fantasma Parastasie; +1,451|7131

Cheez wrote:
Is it visible within Windows?
(Disk Management)

sort-of.. at first it wasn't. I tried a bunch of different programs to remove it but was never succesful because it turned out vista decided to put its MBR on it, at which point I thought "fuck it, Ill wait till I format". However, somewhere along the line of my fucking about with it, it became visible within windows.

2008-01-03 05:56:12

#6

ReTox: Member; +100|6977|State of RETOXification

If the HD is SATA there is a chance your MoBo is not configured correctly to use it as an IDE drive but even more likely that your windows setup disc doesn't have the SATA drivers for your chipset.

There is a tool called nLite (http://www.nliteos.com/) which allows you to add drivers and slipstream service packs/hotfixes into your windows install CD. You'll need to know your chipset and get the text mode driver for adding into the windows install CD driver cache. nLite creates an ISO image that you can easily burn onto a blank CD.

I've done this literally a hundred times and it works great. The best part is that you can use the burned CD from then on thus saving your original windows disc from possible damage.

2008-01-03 05:57:01

#7

TheEternalPessimist: Wibble; +412|7098|Mhz

http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

No-one should be without it

EDIT: There's a lot on there so I'll tell you now, you're probably best using Ranish, if not try some of the HDD nuking stuff on there to start from scratch

Last edited by TheEternalPessimist (2008-01-03 05:58:53)

2008-01-03 05:59:59

#8

Dragonclaw: Member; +186|6783|Florida

Get a program called WipeDrive Pro or a similar program. Completely erases the hard drive so you can start from scratch. Works like a charm for me, cant do without it.

http://www.whitecanyon.com/wipedrive-er … -drive.php

2008-01-03 06:16:12

#9

jsnipy: ...; +3,277|7000|...

another ... http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/ ... it allows you to make a bootable windows xp cd.

2008-01-03 06:20:26

#10

Cheez: Herman is a warmaphrodite; +1,027|6917|King Of The Islands

jsnipy wrote:
another ... http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/ ... it allows you to make a bootable windows xp cd.

^ I use this.

My state was founded by Batman. Your opinion is invalid.

2008-01-03 06:37:34

#11

Lucien: Fantasma Parastasie; +1,451|7131

TheEternalPessimist wrote:
http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

No-one should be without it

EDIT: There's a lot on there so I'll tell you now, you're probably best using Ranish, if not try some of the HDD nuking stuff on there to start from scratch

got it working

thanks for your help, everyone.

2008-01-03 06:43:48

#12

TheEternalPessimist: Wibble; +412|7098|Mhz

You're very welcome

BF2S Forums How do I format outside of windows?

Cheez wrote:

jsnipy wrote:

TheEternalPessimist wrote:

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