Thread: formatting a western digital HD

ok im sort of putting togethor an old computer just for fun. im pretty much finished but the hard drive im using was in anohter computer i just took it out and plopped it in this one. it has windows on it but everything on it is messed up mainly cause the hardware i have is not what it has drivers for and isntead of going through all this crap to make windows start correctly i decided it would be best to format it

i tried westerndigital.com i couldnt find a format tool. anyone know how i can get a hold of one that i can run off a disk?

if i use a magnet it wont like damage it will it? hehe

and is fdisk a dos console command right?

alright it has 95 on it how can i start it so i can type in dos commands? and work in the console i tried holding f5 i tried holding lots of stuff

western digital does have a hard drive tool that you boot from a floppy, you can download it at their website;


The downside is that the tool uses Caldera DR DOS; and we all know how much everybody wants to show their support for SCO

i looked thru the site i couldnt find it.... maybe some help?

i had all this $$$$ actually from building this computer i had it on disks for times i needed it yadah i put it in the back my closet and it never returned! and caledra dos is a utility i liked to use but i cant seem to find it anywhere :\ but i havent messed with none this crap for atleast a year or 2 ive actually stopped programming to my copmuter mind has gone stupid

try here ,,

saw it in a earlier post www.bootdisk.com

or else start the win 95 os and make a startup win 95 3.5" disk,
copy fdisk and format.com onto this system disk.

Restart , leave 3.5" disk in drive and this should get you to a dos prompt ( If bios is set correctly)

type format c: /s at the command prompt.

thats it i think !!

i really just need a copy of caldrea dr dos that i can run on a regular floppy disk. i been looking aruond like crazy for a download. does anyone have it or know where i can get it. its apparetnyl not on the site anymore

Originally posted by Klinerr1
i really just need a copy of caldrea dr dos that i can run on a regular floppy disk. i been looking aruond like crazy for a download. does anyone have it or know where i can get it. its apparetnyl not on the site anymore

I would advise against affiliating yourself with SCO or using their products in any way.

well i just know that caledra dr dos works ive used it before to delete and create partitions. i find it fairly easy. im just after doing the same routines i did before when working with this computer originally over the summer.

Originally posted by Brian
Most operating system installers are capable of formatting a hard disk (any version of windows after 95, I believe, freebsd and many linux distros), and considering a blank disk isn't very useful, you might as well use an operating system installer.

Failing that, use fdisk, or a large magnet.

i used fdisk, i deleted the old partition on it htat had windows on it. so i made a new primary partition in its place. but i cant figure out how you assign it to be a fat32 partition... i left the other small dos partition on it. (of course)