Formatting and Setup

[Howard]

I need advice on how to format a hard drive.

Yes, I know,

C:> format c:

but I was wondering, after I format (there are no partitions to be formatted), do I need a startup disk (using Win98SE) after format? Can I just leave the OS CD in the drive and let it read? What if the CD-ROM drive isn't initialized? How do I initialize it?

Also, after the format is completed, I want more advice on how to use fdisk (the DOS partition utility). I want C:, D:, and E:. I want C: to have a third of the HD space, D: to have half of what's left, and E: to have all that's left.

Thanks for actually reading that, and even more for answering!

 

[hubbs]

Yes you need a start-up disk if you are going to format in the first place. And I'm not too knowledgable w/the DOS fdisk deal. So sorry I couldn't help w/that. But if you are using the OS that came w/your prebuilt system and have changed CD-ROMs you will need to install the drivers for the cd-rom so it can ready what's in the CD-ROM when it comes to reinstalling.

 

[Howard]

Uhhh...


The OS isn't the same one, and I'm not sure it was prebuilt (not my computer), and what needs to be on the startup disk?

 

[Chatterjee]

If you want to format a hard drive and install windows 98 on it after that, you will need a startup disk. The startup disk is necessary to format the system harddrive.

If you want to put windows 2000/NT or a linux distro, make sure that your motherboard can boot from a CD. After you format the harddrive, change boot sequence to CDROM, C, A and then pop the CD in.

If you are installing windows 98, you'll have to boot to floppy startup and manually go the the cd directory and type "setup"

As far as fdisk goes,

BACKUP your stuff first
remove all existing partitions (view them first)
and then re-add them. (You will have to reformat each partition you created.)

-S

 

[Doodoo]

Heres what i do...put in the boot disk. Then at the command prompt type fdisk and delete all ur partitions. Then recreate your partitions teh way you want. Then exit fdisk and then format each partition. If your on win98 put in the cd and to make it quicker, copy the files to a directory and setup from the hard drive.

 

[RSI]

Yup, installing from the the hd is way better, I do that too when I can.

Yucky you should tell us what OS you are installing, then we can help you out alot better.

For me when installing Win9x I just use a Windows 98 boot disk if I need cd-rom access, because you can boot up with cd-rom support. So I just do that, repartition and reformat all my drives if I need to, then copy the cd to the hard drive, and install from there.

-RSI