xp pro cannot format c drive HELP!!!

[21up]

Hi all
need to install xp pro again ,have 2 of 4 gig h drives as mobo will not take a bigger h/d.
Both are partitioned 2.5 for c 1.5 for d f & g 2 gig each,
but i need to delete partitions and reformat and use 4 gig for c and 4 gig for d.
But i have tried all sorts and it will only let me delete f and g but i cannot clear c or format c . I want to lose everything and start again but dont know best way to clear everything.

Is it possible to fdisk with a win 98 fdisk floppy.
Looking on the forums i find you cannot delete partitions in xp pro.
Please any and as many suggestions.
thank you Peter
hope i have given enough info

[greffov]

Originally posted by 21up
Hi all
need to install xp pro again ,have 2 of 4 gig h drives as mobo will not take a bigger h/d.

then most probably XP is not suitable for your PC. What MHz and RAM you've got?

[berks]

I have deleted partitions in XP pro before. XP has it's own partition software but i usually use partition magic to do it. You should be able to select clean install as an option when you insert the CD.

[21up]

Thanks for your reply lads.
I have had xp pro on for 18 months now ,hd just got full
300 ram 400 processor
Been doing ok just will not let me delete can install over top but still leaves no space .
If i could format i would have enough space for another 18 months.
cheers Peter

[Cirga]

Yes you can use a win98 boot floppy and use the Fdisk utility.. but that doesnt support NTFS.. so your paritions will be FAT32.. but with 4 gig har drives.. thats fine.

It will only be a problem if you ever get a large harddrive above 40 gigs.

[21up]

Hi Cirga
thanks for the help ,never had this prob with win 98.
Its my grandaughters comp am trying to find her one ,with a bit more h/d and a bigger cpu this mobo will only take 8 gig so i have 2 @4 gig drives in it for her.
Never had as much hassle as i have trying to clear both h/drives as i have with this xp.
cheers and thanks m8
Peter

[the hunter]

One of the other members might remember this a lot better than me, but when I was running my old 133, i had to use a program to get the machine to accept the new 40 gig. This may be a solution to your problem. I cant for the life of me remember what it was called at the moment.

[the hunter]

I cant find the floppy, but as I recall it was called Fujitsu disk manager, although if this a viable cure for your problem, it would be best to use a disk manager made to suit what ever make of hard drive you would like to install. Now for some feedback from the others.

[21up]

Thanks Hunter
all help is appreciated i have to try everything,been reading a few tutorials on the web IE fdisk and others to delete all partitions.
Win xp mag says that xp saves all the hassle of formatting and not half as hard aswhat it was in win 98.
But not in my opinion i spent 4 hours on friday trying to do this i could have done it dead easy with win 98.
Its a possibility i might go back to 98 as i often finish up with a lot of rubbish on .

And generally reformat after a few month,but as i say this one is for grandaughter and she wants xp to stay on.

But mine is ready for formating soon but the way this is going i am not looking forward to it.

Thanks anyhow for your help Peter

[greffov]

Clearing the disks is quite simple. I assume you have a bootable XP cdrom, so you can completely erase the harddisks.

According to http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/p...on/sysreqs.asp 4 Gigs should do for windows, although I doubt if you come far with it, since windows 2000 already eats up 5 Gig when fully installed.

Have you tried installing exactly like this url?
http://www.blackviper.com/Articles/O...tallxppro1.htm

[LPDad]

Follow the installation directions (kindly provided by greffov) on the blackviper site.
Doing a NEW install will give you the option of Deleting the partitions on drive C, then Creating a partition on drive C, before it proceeds to actual installation of WinXP.

Works very well and is very easy.

Alternatively, another easy way to Reformat is to use the drive utilities provided by the manufacterer of the drive you want to reformat. (maxblast for maxtor, Disktools for Seagate, etc)-- just go to the drive mnfr site to download the tools. Just create a bootable floppy with the appropriate disktools on it , then boot with the floppy and allow the disk tools to run...you should then be able to format the drive easily.

Doing the format of C during the install of WinXP is really easy though---just make sure you do the full format (as opposed to the Quick format--although either will work)

[renegadeandy]

You could however use a magentic strip and wipe the disk that way and then reformat it completly using that way thus scrubs every single sector in itand thus a complete new drive as such , apatr from any scratched parts thus bad sectors.

[21up]

Hi
Greffov/Lpdad/Renegadeandy.
Started at 11 oclock am. Fdisk will nwork (wrong ms dos version)
got it from fdisk on net last night,the one i had was 98 still no good.
Tried partition manager some movement not alltogether right,went back on net got Acronis os selector.

Now it was only a demo and the delete option was x out and i had to delete the partitions ,i kept trying and eventualy it deleted them got one 4 gig deleted and formated .

It would not do other hd so i put win xp on the formated one when i looked in my comp (obviously )only one hd will not see the other one ie not formatted.

So i had to go through it all again and by this time 7 oclock pm
formatted wrong drive went back to bios set to boot from cd again rebooted came up with not ready reading drive a
abort retry or fail .

Now 8 oclock pm gave up for now try again tomorrow.
win xp decided at the last minute to let me format the drive to load it but how do you format other drive or partions if you have them.

Sorry for asking but i have 2 40 gig h/d in this comp of mine and 2 pats! in each but cant remember how i did it.

By the way the mobo on g/daughters only takes 8 gig if i put 40 gig in with a 8 gig partition for xp wil;l it still read the others if i split it into 8 gig partitions.
At least she wont fill it up so quick.

sorry about all this and thanks Peter

[LPDad]

After you get windows up and running, go into "my computer", right click on the Other drives (which are not formatted) and choose Format.

Easy.

[21up]

Thanks lpdad
just cannot get it to load as yet .
Let you know the outcome cheers Peter