[Ham-Computers] Hard Drive Formatter

[Jim Hill]

Thanks, Aaron, Phil, and Gene
Gene answered directly, saying  "Just boot the computer with a 
startup disk and type format c:"  With current computers without a 
floppy drive, I would need to make a bootable CD-R.  I think I can 
use Roxio Easy Media Creator to make a bootable CD from a bootable 
floppy, but I wonder if there is a size limitation. I tried FDISK 
and/or Format years ago (I think I was using Win Me at the time) and 
remember being unsuccessful because the  hard disk was too large.  I 
don't remember the details but think I was using a 160GB drive.  Does 
the Format command work with a 500 GB disk?

Assume the following situation: The computer has a 500 GB drive with 
a normal primary C drive, plus an extended partition containing D, E, 
and F logical drives.  I would like to make a fresh install of Win XP 
on the C: drive without backing up contents of the other drives, 
repartitioning, etc. Could start the computer with a bootable CD, run 
Format C:, and then restart the computer with a Dell XP install disk 
and install XP?  I'm assuming the Dell disk XP install disk is a 
normal XP disk - but this disk has the advantage  that it will run on 
all Dell computers.

Thanks, Jim




The question was pretty general, but actually knowing what to do in 
both situations would be useful.

I tried FDISK about a year ago and if I remember correctly, it only 
worked on small drives.  My new drive will be 500 GB, much to big for 
FDISK.  I lost plenty of notes with a flash drive failed, so am going 
from memory.  Maybe it was format (the DOS program).

It appears that XP application should work ok if I intend to remove everything.

I use Partition Magic to add partitions.  It works well and I learn 
something about partitioning.  I looked up Bart PE, and it will take 
a while to adsorb it.


not finished.



At 08:25 AM 4/1/2009, you wrote:
>"Formatter" probably is the incorrect word, but I'm looking for an
>application that prepares the drive so you don't install XP over an
>....