Reformat Hard Disk

finfan1966,

Your first thread is located here. If the issue is the same one, then uncheck the verified answer and post back there. The people that were helping you will respond to your post.

Rick

Its a different problem thats why I started a new post

Yes you read my post correctly , I want to take my new computer and clean the hard drive. However maybe I am trying to do it the wrong way. I have the program that I received from my first post. The program is burned onto a cd. So what I have been trying to do is when the computer is in reboot mode I highlight boot from CD. Then I boot the computer again with the CD in the drive. However what usually happens is the computer goes right into Windows without launching the program off the cd.

Oh I didn't know that when you burn a program that it has to be burned as an image. I did a data back up burn to a cd using Roxio.

finfan1966,

So if I read your post correctly, you want to take a new computer and blow away everything on the hard drive and put a clean installation on the computer, correct?

Take out the disk and restart your computer. Press F2 and enter the bios. Look at the boot sequence and make sure the CD Rom boots before the HDD. Save abnd exit.

Put in the disk, then restart your computer.

How To Restore or Reinstall Microsoft® Windows® on a Dell™ Computer

Please remember, using a third party software on your computer may void your warranty on your operating system.

How to Install Drivers in Microsoft® Windows® on Dell Systems

Good Luck,

Rick

finfan1966,

A data disk, if you insert it into your computer, you can then go to start, computer and double click on the drive with the disk in it and then you can copy and paste the files to your computer or install them from there. A data disk is good for making copies of files and folders that you cannot afford to lose.

Buring the files as an image or .iso file, makes the disk bootable.

Rick

finfan1966,

In order to boot from a CD, it has to be burned as an image and usually an .iso file.

Was the image(.iso) file burned as an image or did you ask your burn program to make it bootable?

Rick

Well I burned the program as an image and bootable file. However when I restart the computer with the cd in it nothing happens. It goes right into Windows. I guess I will try working on it tomorrow. For whatever reason I can't get the program to start. Never had this problem when I saved the program to floppy but unforunately I don't have a floppy drive on this new computer.

okay I will do another burn but this time saving it as an image or iso file. After I have the cd burned in the correct format, what do I do next to launch the program from the computer when it is in reboot mode?

finfan1966,

The image download for Darik's Boot and Nuke

Open Roxio and burn the iso file as an image and then you insert the disk in your computer and restart it.

Rick

I inserted the disk and made sure that the computer was booting from the CD first. All I got was a black screen with a blinking underscore. I think it might be the program. It is not reading the program from my cd. Maybe if I copy it to a flash drive then it will launch the program. However my wife flash drive has a ton of stuff already on it. Not sure if that will work or not.

I also went into the start menu and made sure CD was the first boot choice. I guess I will try again later but right now I am just tired of trying things that don't work. Time to take a break.

Thanks for all your help, I am sure it will work sooner or later.

finfan1966,

You followed these instructions? I just downloaded the iso file and it should burn with Roxio as an image.

The image download for Darik's Boot and Nuke

Open Roxio and burn the iso file as an image and then you insert the disk in your computer and restart it.

Rick

finfan1966,

Try inserting the disk and restart your computer. When you see the Dell Screen, press F12 once. This should bring up boot options. Shoose cd/dvd and then it should start to run.

In the bios, press F2 once when you see the Dell screen I have under boot sequence is CD/DVD HDD, then you can select the other options. Many people have USB listed up above the hard drive and then their computers will not boot because they have their iPods connected and the computer is trying to boot from it.

Rick

finfan1966,

Yes, I saw that so that's why I provided the download link, just in case. There is one for flash drives but if you use that one, I'm not sure if the flash drive must be empty and then you'd need to insert the flash drive ans restart the computer and then press F12 when you see the Dell Screen. Select the proper device you want to use.

Rick

You know what I think the problem is? I didn't know that there were two versions of Darik's Boot and Nuke. I was trying to use the one that was made for floppy or flash drives and burning it to cd. I think I was suppose to use the other version that is for CD.