When FDISK doesn't work

[BCinSC]

Compaq Presario 1275 laptop. Win98 croaked and I tried to use Restore disks, but they won't take. So I tried to format drive - no dice. Ran FDISK from boot floppy and even allegedly created new partitions of different sizes, but originals always return. Tried to load Win2000, but disk allocation fails during install. What is going on? What should I do?

 

[BCinSC]

Anyone?

 

[jcwagers]

Well, first of all, when you used fdisk.....did you nuke all of the partitions? If not, try that because sometimes if there is a logical drive that it detects, it won't let you get rid of the partition. Try to delete all of the logical drives and then try to delete the partitions. After that, start fresh and repartition. Make sure that after you partition that you do like it says and restart and THEN format the partitions. That's the easiest way I can think of to try to help. If that doesn't work, you'll need better help than I can give. Good luck! You'll get it lined out...just keep trying.

jc

 

[BCinSC]

Been working in DOS/Windows for 15 years and have never seen what's happening here. I cannot format drives, I can delete logical drives, extended partitions, primary partitions, and create new ones, only to have originals reappear at next boot. Cracking out Norton Disk Doctor from the dust bin to see what it can do, next is to pull drive from laptop, plug into desktop system running Win2003, and stuff down throat.

 

[Steven the Leech]

Try the manufacturers web site [wd/maxtor etc] and see if they have disk tools for the drive, and write zeros to the drive.

 

[bozo1]

bad drive

 

[Ionizer86]

In any case, try MaxBlast. It works very well with non-Maxtors too.

 

[Luagsch]

i heard that old compaqs had their bios on the harddrive, but i don't know until when...
maybe that has something to do with it... (???)

 

[Overkiller]

i concur...

I have worked on 2 old compaq's for my old High school last year and i could not fdisk the dam things. I would delete everything/format/etc but it just kept coming back...sorry bud

 

[Overkiller]

double post

 

[redbeard1]

Is there some sort of boot record block or anti virus mbr block set in the bios? Newer compaq's don't have the bios on the hard drive, just diagnostic tools. They also like to have a second partition for "saved" system files. Writing zero's should do it. Partition magic may fix it also. Just make the boot disks and make your changes from the floppy.

 

[Budman]

did you try selecting in Fdisk " delete NON DOS partition" ??

 

[BCinSC]

There is a setting in system BIOS to protect Boot Sector, but it's not active. Hadn't tried NON-DOS deletion, will do now, though Win2000's utility couldn't purge it either. Compaq's site sux for Presario support - kinda how Presario's suck for computers. Since laptop doesn't have replaceable drive, I cannot see what it is or pull it to connect to desktop.

 

[Nuggs]

if the partitions are using NTFS then you need the xp version of fdisk, the win98 versions cannot delete NTFS partitions. Symantec Gdisk should do the job quite nicely. I had the same problem when trying to install 98 on a previous xp pc it would not allow me to delete the partition. Gdisk did it no questions asked.

 

[BCinSC]

Always was Win98. FAT32. On with Compaq Support, who have given me a Hard Drive Erase utility. No dice.

 

[redbeard1]

Since laptop doesn't have replaceable drive,

Some how that drive comes out of there. It may not be a convenient slide out, but it does come out. If you figured out how to get it out, you could buy a 2.3 to 3.5 inch hard drive adapter and format it in anothr system.

I ran into a system that did something similar, and putting the drive in a different system was the only way for me to get around the problem.

 

[BCinSC]

Connected to desktop with adapter and tried to get Win2003 to format. While the BIOS regnized it, Windows wouldn't. I've done this in the past, so I'm pretty sure I wasn't doing something wrong.

 

[BCinSC]

Update: Ironically, after all the abuse, Win98 still boots, but is still completely FUBAR once running.