Thread: How to format my Pc?

Pretty simple really. If you have format.exe, you can format, but you need to be in an environment where you can run it.

You will need a windows 98 start disk which is a bootable disk with some tools. (you can also use the Ultimate Boot Disk that Justin talked about in DavidP's thread on computer problems).

You put in the boot disk. Start the computer. Type the command that runs the executable (which is the executable name) format and the drive C:....

so

format C:

and enter.

That is pretty much it. Your drive will be formatted.

Make sure you have;

1. Windows CD & Serial Key

2. Hardware drivers

3. Bootdisk - this can be created by windows, or bare minimum; put a disk in the floppy drive and type "sys a:". this copies boot files and a command interpretor. Then find "format.exe" or it might be "format.com" and put that on the disk. Find your CDRom driver. With windows98, there is a file called "oakcdrom.sys". Put that on the disk. Also copy a file called "MSCDEX.exe". Open edit and type the following;

Code:

MSCDEX /d:MSCD001

And save on the floppy as "Autoexec.bat". Open a new file and type;

Code:

device=oakcdrom.sys /d:MSCD001

Save that file as "config.sys". Put the disk in the drive and boot. You should have a command prompt and be able to go to your CD Drive by typing say "D:". (the drive letter will be revealed for the CDRom when it laods the drive, so read the screen). If you can read the CDRom by typing "dir" you are laughing.

Now to format, go back to the a: and type "format C: /s". This will cleard the drive, reformat and allow it to boot. Then reboot and go to the CDRom and type "Setup". You should be prompted on what to do.

I think all of the above is correct, but I am doing it from memory and reinstallations often go wrong.

step by step instructions for formatting a win98 machine

1)make sure you have the windows 98 cd and serial number
2)make sure you have the driver discs for your graphics cards, tv cards, sound cards, modem, ethernet cards - everything

_the above may be integrated onto a 'recovery disc' - these are useless and you may find you will be unable to do a proper reinstall

3)backup all files you wish to keep - nothing survives after a format

4)make a win98 boot disk

5)reboot into dos , go into setup and tell the machine to boot from the floppy drive first

6) at dos type

FORMAT C:

agree to all messages

allow format, restart with boot disk in the drive
select boot with cd enabled from the menu

after the boot disk installs the drivers, put the win cd in the drive
and run setup.

reinstall drivers as normal and reinstall software

**make sure you have all drivers first**

STOP

Don't do anything without a real person who knows this stuff at your side. While all of the people above are helpful, good intentioned and right in what they say, this won't help you once you did the first step.

Get a real person to help you, get a person you trust, get someone who is there even when your computer is no longer running, because this is when you need him the most.

Over the net, it's too easy to misunderstand each other, and once you did the first step, there is no way back, no way to ask what the other one meant with this remark or that instruction.

I can't tell you what to do, but my serious advice is get a real person.

on second thoughts

echo nvoigt

Though nv is probably right (big suprise), it really isn't that difficult.

Some questions though. Do you have another computer that you can use to access the web while you are fixing the one in question?

On formatting and installing...

Before you format anything, see if your cdrom is boot capable. Put your windows 98 disk in the cdrom drive and start your computer. If you get the option to boot from hard-drive or cdrom, then you can boot the windows 98 cd to install your OS. If it doesn't boot, you will need to make sure that the windows 98 boot disk has the appropriate driver for your cdrom. Put the 98 boot disk in and boot your computer with cdrom support. A virtual drive will be created that will have tools in it and that will probably be your d: drive. (The d: drive is non-existant physically... it is only a virtual drive held in ram) This would make the E: drive your cdrom. Type e: and do a directory (dir) to see if your cdrom spins and if you have setup.exe and all of the windows cap files. If either is the case, then you are pretty safe for the install.

To recap... if your cdrom boots by itself, then you can just put the cdrom in and install the os. If not, you will definitely need the boot disk and you have to make sure that it will install your cdrom drivers.

Formatting the drive may not be necessary. You may just be able to put the win98 disk in and let it run setup and install the os. The advantage to this is that you do not lose all of your files outside of the windows directory.

If you do need to format, then determine how you are you going to get access to your cdrom from above.

format c: /s

will put your system files on C: so that you can boot into a dos prompt on your hard-drive. Windows will be gone.

Installing windows happens on its own once you can either boot from the cdrom and run setup or boot from a boot disk and run setup in the cdrom directory. It will run scandisk automatically by default and then install your os. It is all point and click.

A lot of your drivers will be installed automatically but you will have some missing. Right clicking on my computer after windows is all done and up and selecting devices will show you what isn't installed. If your modem took, you can get online and get a lot of your drivers most likely. If you have a system disk (manufacturers disk) all of your drivers will be on that, but it would be better to let windows search for the drivers on the disk from there.

On second thought... follow nvoigt's response. It is much safer to get somebody locally that knows what they are doing... unless you are feeling lucky...