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Haven't Reformatted in One Year, can someone run down the steps for me?

S

SexEPid

Platinum Member
Yes, it's been a year since I got a virus that reaped it's way through my Intel Puter. I will never forgot the peehole that sent it to me. Regardless, I have forgotten how to reformat, and I need info, can someone run down the steps to successful reformatting?
Thanks!

Pid, TYRP
 
1) Boot from a bootable floppy
2) FDISK your drive, reboot
3) Format the drive as a system disk (format c:/s)
4) Remove floppy & boot off HD
5) Install CD-ROM drivers, reboot
6) Copy WIN98 folder from CD-ROM to C:\WIN98
7) Change directory to c:\win98
8) run setup

Viper GTS
 
Everything up to step 8 is fast (save for the format, if you have a large HD), the Windows setup process can take 30 - 45 minutes, even on a fast computer.

Viper GTS
 
or you could just save time by doing it this way:

make a bootdisk
add cd-rom drivers to the bootdisk
boot with the bootdisk, format c:
change to your cd-rom drive and run setup

not sure why you would want to do the whole /s thing, or why you would want to copy the whole installation cd to the harddrive... especially considering once you delete those files later, you're going to have a gaping space of empty clusters on your hd ahead of your OS...

to each his own...

-syf3r.
 
The whole point is you DON'T delete them. The reasons for installing from the HD are:

1) Speed. MUCH faster than installing from CD-ROM
2) Accessibility. The CAB files are on the HD, you'll never have to hunt down your OS CD to re-install a NIC.

Viper GTS
 
This is the best way.

*Move over ViperGTS*

1) Hold Shift while booting off win98 floppy.
2) Delete and Make Active partition. Reboot.
3) Boot of Win98 Floppy and let it load the CD-ROM drivers for you.
4) format c: /s
5) xcopy x:\win98 c:\windows (X is your CD-ROM)
6) cd windows
7) setup /is
 
Accomplishes the exact same thing... Except what does the is switch do?

Also, my way would also work for Windows 95, which doesn't have the luxury of the driver-endowed 98 boot disk.

Viper GTS
 
Well, you copied the cab files to a folder named, "WIN98". Put it in Windows. You don't have to see one more folder and remember is easier.

The /is switch skips Scandisk.
 

boot disk is a boot disk... you just copy the dos cd-rom drivers to it, make sure they're called properly in the autoexec file, and it'll work in 98, 95, 3.1 ...
 
To avoid running into any trouble, it might be a good idea to list out your system specs.

Anyway, it shouldn't be too hard to accomplish this. Just dig up a boot disk, and if you don't have one, you can just create one yourself (format a:/q/s or get the program that creates that Win98 bootdisk).

Copying the system files to your hard drive is a luxury. If you want to complete setup in less time, and not have to dig up your Winbloze CD-ROM every time you add or remove any device or driver, then having the files on your hard drive is nice.

Installing Windows 95 on any modern system should take about 5 (10 max) minutes when installing from the HD. Windows 98 may take upwards of 20 minutes and more, depending on what you choose to install, where you install it from (HD or CD), etc. It can run up to 45 minutes even, which is kind of a P-I-T-A if you ask me.

If you have any difficulties reformatting, I'd be glad to assist you in any way possible, just drop me a PM if you get in trouble (and are too lazy to post again 😛).

Cretin
 
Hey I know what to do, format c: /s and the install w2k!

W2k istall is so much better than w98 and having somewhat up to date cab files makes installing faster casue u don't hafta reboot after ever install.
 
Take it to Comp USA and pay some yoyo to do it for you.

j/k 😉

BTW, why does he need to fdisk? and why does he need to do a full unconditional format? Unless you are having problems with files getting crosslinked, all you need to do is a Quick format (/Q)

And don't give me that "You should always fdisk and do a full unconditional format!" crap... That's a Load.

Hey SexRPiD, the absolute most simple way to do what you need to do.

before you reformat, make sure you make a bootdisk for your CDROM:
<control panel> <add remove programs> <WIndows setup tab> [create bootdisk button]

Start > Shutdown > Shutdown in MSDOS mode.
type:
Format C: /q /s (takes about 10 seconds)
reboot with bootdisk and say &quot;yes&quot; to CDROM option...
Type the following commands and hit <enter> after each one.
C:
md windows
cd windows
md cabs
cd cabs
(insert win98 cd into CDROM) assuming that's what you're using.
D:
cd win98
copy *.* c: (it copies like 105 megs of files to C:\windows\cabs)
c: (you'll be in C:\Windows\Cabs directory)
setup /is

by this time, you've spent less than 5 minutes from the time you opened the control panel up.
Go fix a glass of tea

Follow on screan instructions.. have a nice day.. hehe

[edit]BTW, putting the cab files in the &quot;windows&quot; folder as someone suggested is about a DUMB idea... always put them in a subfolder or a folder by themselves...
Windows has to access files in the &quot;Windows&quot; directory ALL the time.. all windows needs in more files to look through EVERYTIME it is searching for files. You'll suffer a Performance hit, plus the risk of getting crosslinked files...[/edit] (and yes I meant for all of that to be bold.)
 
BTW, why does he need to fdisk? and why does he need to do a full unconditional format? Unless you are having problems with files getting crosslinked, all you need to do is a Quick format

I would have agreed with that statement until the last time I re-installed Windows. I didn't FDISK it, I just did a quick format. And I got the most screwed up errors. Detection of new hardware crashed the system hard, especially my SB Live, &amp; I couldn't get Windows up &amp; running properly for the life of me. Finally broke down &amp; FDISK'd the drive as a last resort. Bingo, no more problems.

While 90% of the time you might get away with it, why not just do it? Isn't the whole point of re-installing to start from scratch?

If you're gonna do it, do it right.

Viper GTS
 
Guys, he said he is computer illiterate, let's make it real simple.

1. Make a bootdisk for your respective OS (Start>Control Panel>Add/Remove Programs>Start-up disk).
2. Stick the startup disk (same as a bootdisk) into your floppy before you boot your computer.
3. &quot;Start Computer with CD-ROM Support&quot; (you get a few options)
4. When you get to the A prompt (&quot;A:\&quot😉 run fdisk (mess with the partitions...if you change the partitions, make sure you make them active (there is an option in fdisk to do it, you can't miss it) before trying to install the OS. 🙂) Then reboot.
5. Steps 2 and 3 over again.
6. At the A: prompt type &quot;format C:&quot; If you have any other hard drives/partitions, you may as well format those at the same time. (&quot;format D:&quot; &quot;format E:&quot; whatever...).
7. At the A: prompt type &quot;setup&quot; and the lil windows installer will start up and take do virtually everything from there.
8. Install the proper drivers, sometimes windows will install a generic or old driver for something, just uninstall that driver and reinstall the new one.

TIP: Get all of the latest drivers for your components and then burn them to one CD. 🙂
 
Whitedog: Why make all those directories? It'll ask where the files are going (the target) is a DIR or FILE. You say DIR and it makes it for you.
 
First step is going to be getting on the internet, finding the drivers for your soundcard, video card, monitor, mouse, modem, NIC, scanner, and joystick. Download all of them, put them on a disk or CD or another hard drive. If you can't get all of them at least get your modem.

Start-Run-Command.com

Format c:/s_______This step formats your hard drive and makes it bootable, eliminating the need for a boot disk
MD windows______Makes a windows directory
CD windows______Umm... just how illiterate are you?? 🙂
MD cabs_____This is where the install files will go
copy d:\win98\*.* c:\windows\cabs_____This copies the install files to your hard drive, assuming your CD-Rom is d:
Reboot
cd windows\cabs
setup.exe

With this setup you are saved the hassle of creating a boot disk, you also don't ever have to load DOS mode CD-Rom drivers. I agree with the previous opinions about the wisdom of keeping all of the CABs on your HD, they don't take up all that much space and it is sooooo much simpler to install new devices then. I don't agree that FDISKing will do anything that an unconditional format won't do, and it's not something a newbie should really be messing with anyway.

 
Viper, this is true. If it's a reinstall becuase of a virus or your system having problems, then an unconditional format might be good. I don't know about Fdisking though? I mean, if the partition isn't going to change, fdisking isn't going to do anymore or you, but as long as you are going to do a full format WTF. I wonder how big his hard drive is. Damn, have you ever done a full DOS format on a 20 gig partition? Ouch!

OK, enough of this, too many chiefs and not enough indians...

<exits thread>
 
Superwombat,
<<, you also don't ever have to load DOS mode CD-Rom drivers>>
you're going to hose him. Shut your system down in DOS mode and tell me that you have your CDROM?? Not unless your config.sys is configured for it. And I'd bet money his isn't.
That's why he needs the boot disk. 😉
 
I always put my cabs in C:\windows\options\cabs

I've never been promted for win98 disk....ever.

If you look at your prefabs IE Dell, gateway, ect, they put their cab files in the same directory.
 
Whoever thoughup the &quot;Options&quot; folder, for one was a blooming idoit. and Obviously doesn't work for Microsoft anymore.

I like what Windows Me does... No matter where you install (run setup) from (cdrom, &quot;d&quot; drive, c:\blabla\cabs..), it makes a folder C:\Windows\Install and puts ALL the cab files in there, and then runs setup from there. So basically, you can just stick your CD in the computer and boot(providing you have CD Bootable bios) and run setup off the CD. <copies files to hard drive and installs>
It never asks you for the CD again BTW. Even if you run setup from the CD. 😉
Installation made SIMPLE!
 
The Win98 (Second Edition at least) is bootable to dos. When the computer boots off the win98 cdrom, you are presented with a menu that has
[*]boot from hard disk
[*]boot with cdrom support
[*]boot without cdrom support

or something like that

You don't need a floppy boot disk - the cdrom already functions as one with cdrom drivers for DOS.
 
Good catch whitedog... what I should have typed was to run DOS from inside windows... as in Start-run-command.com

Does it sound hokey?? Yes. Does it work?? Yes.

It will prevent the largely diskless world from having to go out and buy a pack of disks for one simple reformat. It's also the method I have used on my last three system rebuilds. Because the CD-ROM drivers are in memory you can format the entire HD from inside windows, copy your files and then reboot. Still no need for a boot disk... If you don't trust this method I don't blame you, make a boot disk, and then try my method out on the next system you have to setup. If it works, you have saved an hour and the cost of a package of disks, if it doesn't... you did it wrong.. 🙂

 
... although with bootable cd-roms my method is rendered useless, if you can boot to your windows CD-ROM that is obviously the easiest way to do it...
 
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