Format Harddrive without setup disc

Question

Hello,

I was referred to the board by the Harddrive moderator.

Dimension 8200 1.8 P4 - 256 - 40 GB

Windows XP-Home

Can someone help me with the procedure to format (not Quick format) a hard drive without XP setup disc. It will quick format but then my windows Disc tries to install and I get nothing but errors saying the files cannot be loaded on the hard drive. This has happened in the past. Only a complete format without setup disc allowed me to install windows XP without the "cannot install file" errors. So now I have done a quick format that erased my previous OS and cannot reload XP.

Here is the story?

I purchased the 8200 about 2 yrs. ago. Since owning the computer I have never been able to completely format (not quick format) the hard drive. I have tried two different Xp setup discs sent from Dell. They do not seem to work. Dell support was not able to determine the problem when using the setup disc. So they walked me through a process how to format the drive by using just the computer and no disc. I cannot remember the procedure to make it work this time. I wish they would have just replaced it when it was still under warranty.

The procedure started by me having to press a couple buttons at computer start up.

Please help. My computer is not working.

Thank you,

Mike

MPAULSEN · Answer

I have already deleted  a partition but still am not able to full format the hard drive.  The dell support center walked me through a Format procedure without a disc of any sort.  The used what ever existed on the dell system to do the format.  They had me press a key 13 times at the computer startup but I cannot remember exactly the procedure.

jmwills · Answer

You could create a WIN2K boot disc set and format from there. The file is available from Microsoft. This will take 6 floppies, OR

Hit F8 at startup and eneter the BIOS and change your CD to be the first boot device. Place you XP disc in the CD and reboot. You will then be given to do a clean install by deleting the current partition.

Message Edited by jmwills on 12-01-2003 10:46 AM

jmwills · Answer

To format the entire dirve you will have to delete all the partiitons.  The Boot Discs can do that, if you remember your DOS commands.

Joanne Hamann, · Answer

~MPAULSEN,

You can follow the direction in the article

How do I delete my hard drive DOS partitions, recreate the partitions, and reinstall the Microsoft® Windows® 95 or 98 operating system? by clicking here.

You should have the disks to do it. If not, you can download the files you need.

Windows General

Format Harddrive without setup disc

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