VERY URGENT need to format

**futuretech** · August 12th, 2006, 12:23 AM

http://www.nerdlabs.org/bootdisks/

This is a link to download bootdisks that comes from a link inside the link given by
GeeksRus (if that makes any sense)

**MorseLady** · August 12th, 2006, 04:57 AM

Not having the right boot disk makes sense as the ones I tried were all made on previous XP xomputers and one is the W98 CD ROM support boot floppy. I tried everything from Boot Magic discs to Norton rescue discs but as I said non of them have been made for our Evesham computers.

I put my husband's computer in the garage last night because it was getting me down and I am using my own at the moment. I am a bit stressed at the moment and have a migraine so will leave it until after Wednesday(visit by his sister who I dislike) then I will get it out and take on board all the good advice on here. In the meantime I will make those new floppies.

Thanks everyone.

**MorseLady** · August 13th, 2006, 07:23 PM

I had another go today and the specific problem is that whatever boot disc I use and I made a new one today and I did make sure it has the format command but if I type FORMAT C: it always comes back with INVALID DRIVE SPECIFICATION. I tried it on my own XP Pro machine and got exactly the same message yet I did this many times on other machines with XP ie HP and Advent/EI and these machines were partitioned too.
Before we go any further SPECIFIC QUESTION Why can't I get FORMAT C: ? Is it the AMI BIOS ?

**Ferrit** · August 13th, 2006, 07:28 PM

OK Moreselady
This is what I see happening. The computers giving that error are NTFS file system.
Computers up to windows had Fat32 which the format command worked on
Now in both windows 2000 and windows XP there was an option to use Fat32 so likely the ones you did this on had Fat32 partitions On this bootdisk you have you can use fdisk and remove the partitions.
That is one option but if you have a XP cd and the computer is set to boot to the cd and does then the options to remove partitions will be there as well as the option to format using Fat32 and NTFS

**MorseLady** · August 14th, 2006, 04:19 AM

Thanks Ferrit but what I don't understand is that on two other computers where I am running a partition with XP Home on NTFS I was always able to insert almost any boot floppy, type FORMAT C: and get to format - hey I wonder do I have to change to C drive first by using the CD command? My old computers, one with XP as system OS and one with ME as system OS and XP dualo boot, both have recovery discs but Evesham, only supply the bog standard OEM Windows disc with separate discs for MBD, Video card, sound card, another disc with other drivers and discs for Works and applications.

I have borrowed a DOS book from the library because I have forgotten all I did know and still cannot understand but such was the extent of this near breakdown I had as a result of moving after 32 years in the same house I have lost a lot of knowledge and this includes my ability to paint or play music not just IT.

**Archer** · August 14th, 2006, 06:00 AM

Originally Posted by MorseLady

Thanks Ferrit but what I don't understand is that on two other computers where I am running a partition with XP Home on NTFS I was always able to insert almost any boot floppy, type FORMAT C: and get to format - .

Be cautious here these systems may have a fat/fat32 partition on them i.e. for a recovery partition so this being the only one visable as DOS applications like FORMAT cant see NTFS partitions,would be nominated as "C" by the format command.To read/write to an NTFS partition in DOS you would need a third party application such as NTFSDOS or use a tool such as Partition Magic.

I cannot get anywhere. The machine will not let me format anyway and I have tried 3 XP discs all the same go straight into instal no options

Part of the install process is the making and/or deletion of partitions are you not getting this far into the install or does it simply not show up?

**MorseLady** · August 14th, 2006, 06:36 AM

The disc supplied by Evesham goes straight into install without asking me what I want whether I boot from it or start it from Windows and so far it has put another very corrupted copy of Windows on drive C alongside but hidden from the original instal and also a part instal ie when I boot I get a boot screen to choose between two versions of windows XP or the part instal all on drive C.

The more agitated my husband is getting over it (he is slightly senile due to illness two cardiac arrests and medication) the more I cannot get on with it and get agitated myself. I feel like throwing it on the skip! will be driving past there later too!

There is a hardware problem now too it seems because it won't boot unless I pick it up and put it down a few times. When you switch it on it starts up with a dreadful hum(been noisy for ages but my husband is deaf and could not hear it)closes down, starts up again all on its own etc etc etc until I pick it up a few times and shake it gently or put it down firmly. It is still under warranty but this does not cover the hard drive I suspect is faulty and I am not going to open it up. Also it has a trojan which Norton cannot get rid of.

Any clues there?

Off out shopping CUL and thanks.

**NooNoo** · August 14th, 2006, 07:15 AM

I have a sneaking suspicion you have Go Back on that drive... can you check?

**jitBob** · August 14th, 2006, 09:58 AM

You probably have a hidden partition. Have you tried booting from the hard drive's manufacturer's utility disk and doing a zero out of the disk? I suspect that you will get nowhere until you remove that hidden partition.

**Archer** · August 14th, 2006, 02:01 PM

Despite the corruption problems Id suggest you get the hardware looked at if its under warrenty it does sound like this is compunding the matter somewhat and making life harder for you to do the reinstall.

If it is the harddrive you can test for this using the drive manufacturers diagnostic tool supplied as freeware on their website that runs from a floppy disk.
The site below has links to the major players
http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287

**CCT** · August 14th, 2006, 02:32 PM

This is a great article - read through it and save the URL - it will refresh your memory on many issues.

http://www.techrescue.net/guides/prepdrv8.asp

**MorseLady** · August 14th, 2006, 02:39 PM

DONE IT!

Thank you Atodini for the email and setting out step by step what I needed to do and as soon as I started I saw where I went wrong before and then it all came back and it was a doddle from then on. I chose the slow NTFS format as you advised and listened to Mozart.

I have yet to instal the drivers and BTW I found the chipset drivers on a floppy and the rest are on CDs but I will leave that till later as I have an MCP exam at 2pm and it's now 2.30am. I connected the computer to my wireless router so I could use the broadband to post this.

Funny thing I think doing this has helped me focus on my MCP exam which is the XP Pro one.

Thanks Atodini and everyone!

Angie

**MorseLady** · August 15th, 2006, 11:13 AM

No wonder I had problems with formatting and reinstalling Windows on my husband's computer because I failed my MCP exam miserably ie similar mark as before 474 but my worst section was Installing with only about 125 percent right and my best was the hardware and driver bit about 80 percent, surprise as I thought this was my weak point.

I never went to any XP courses and now wish I had done the Server 2003 exam as I did go on the course two years ago but run out of voucher entitlement now so that's it unless the College allow me to join a course in September when I get more vouchers.

I am a dunce let's face it and without you folk helping me I would not have got my husband's computer up and running again.

Well at leasst I did do the City and Guilds Level three Server 2000 a few years ago and got a certificate but it's not MCP is it.

**Atodini** · August 15th, 2006, 02:11 PM

Angie,

Commiserations....

Don't be too hard on yourself - at least you're going for it, unlike most people!

Just bear in mind the old Frank Sinatra song....

Once there was a silly old ram,
Thought he'd punch a hole in a dam,
No one could make that ram, scram,
He kept buttin that dam.

Cause he had high hopes, he had high hopes,
He had high apple pie, in the sky hopes.

So any time your feelin' bad,
'stead of feelin sad,
Just remember that ram.
Oops there goes a billion kilowatt dam!

You'll get there, honest.

Back to your husband's machine, I think that the floppy you have might be for a RAID or similar driver rather than the actual chipset driver as these are normally supplied on the driver CD. Won't do any harm to install it though.

John