Help plse - Formatting C: under XP Pro - have a Setup screen glitch!!!
 

Hi all you IT boffins out there........(he says longfully:( )

I feel my PC is in need of a spring clean. Over the past 3 years I've added and removed programs, had viruses, detected spyware etc and am still having odd things happen that naturally shouldn't under XP SP2.

I'm wanting to format my C:\ as I feel this is the only way to rid my machine of all the cr@p that stays behind when you 'remove' applications under 'Control Panel', all the trojans etc and get my PC back to something like the lightning fast work aid it once was.

I've scoured the net to find the best way of doing a format under XP Pro and it seems it's best to do it via the Setup CD.

Firstly, I removed SP2 cos the setup wouldn't run under the 'later version of Windows' scenario

I run the setup, but don't see an option to format - there's only options to do a 'new' install or an 'upgrade'.

I chose 'new' and followed the normal screens. As setup commenced it seemed to go back to a DOS style blue screen with the command "to continue setup insert your 'Windows XP setup CD and press ENTER'. I do this but the message just remains. I can't seem to get the process to go past this screen. The only options I have on the DOS style screen are F3 to Exit and F8 to Continue which as just staed goes nowhere. Even when I eject the CD and re-insert it, nothing happens.

Does anyone know what may be causing this or how I can get around it please???

Shout if you need anymore info from me.

Many thanks, Guy

Hello

maybe not much help But installing XP can be a pain in the a**s and this is because for some reason it does not see devices installed/or it does, but does not like them. ie graphics cards/sound cards etc.

If it were me try and install in dos wipe the hard drive clean then try install XP from CD,

Sorry like I said not much help, but I am not in IT.

I am sure some peeps will give you better advice.

Good luck.

regards

TopiToo

Microsoft help
 

This article may assist you.

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=313348

1. Restart with windows star-up disc in the A drive and the windows CD in the D drive.
2. Type A:\>FORMAT C: (YES)
3. VOLUME LABEL (11 CHARACTERS, ENTER FOR NONE)?
4. ENTER
5. A:\>E:\ (ENTER) (letter of CD ROM plus 1)
6. E:\>SETUP (ENTER)
7. Windows set-up will now start.

Do not start this unless you have all of the drivers you need that aren’t on the windows CD rom.
:roll:

Set your BIOS to boot from CD

Insert XP CD

Turn on PC

It will eventually get to a point to choose an existing partition, you can delete these, delete the OS (C: partition) and format with NTFS (quick)

Voila

drop me a U2U if you get stuck

Thanks fellas,

Will have another go later tonight.

SP. in your instructions on Step 5 bearing in mind my CD drive is 'E' - would I put

5. A:\>F:\
6. F:\>SETUP

Is that what you mean by "(letter of CD ROM plus 1)"

JP - will alter the BIOS to CD boot first and try that one first.

Watch this space.

Thanks, Gc

Yes, if your drive is E not D.

Your just telling your computer to read the disc in the drive.

With the aid of the drivers on the start up disc.

Yes set BIOS to read from CD drive before Floppy drive, restart PC and "press any key to boot from CD" follow instructions, format using NTFS.

[Edited on 8-3-2005 by sharpo]

If all else fails, make it a slave drive & slave it in someone elses comp & get them to format it that way.


Chris:burn:

Don't forget to put all your drivers back in after you get the monster running. All of your accessories and things need their little drivers to keep you happy. Also, you could have saved your self a lot of trouble by using something like Norton System works to clean up and unfragment your HD and a couple of spyware and adware software to seek out all those little gremlins.

Norton System works? LOL...

Just done a job for a company who used this, especially the roll back app included which has completely trashed one machine, the hard disk isn't accessible even when slaved in another machine...

MDB,

Thanks matey, but I have Adaware, AVG, Spybot, StopZilla, Sygate and McAfee Spamkiller.

I'm sure this is just a buildup of cr@p that never gets erased when you uninstall programs.

Hmmm,
Never really had a problem with Norton works on several computers for over ten years. Course there are other things out there as I did not specifically recommend Norton. But for the average joe something that can take care of routine housekeeping duties may be called for instead of finally going for a complete reinstall, usually with a lot of headaches and inoperative accessories. I hear this kind of story all the time from people with less IT knowledge than me and this just leads me to believe that for the masses, a program like Norton Sys Works can help avoid the problems that started this post.

Every 12 months or so I'll just wipe the hard drive and start again, as long as you back up everything you need there isn’t a problem and it doesn’t really take that long to set everything up again on a home PC.

Wow! That is really overkill. Keeps out the nasties though.

SP if you're doing that once a year, why not create a ghost image, it would take less than 30 mins to perform a full rebuild, OS, apps, data, all configuration done?

Yes totally agree, just haven’t got round to getting the software any suggestions?

I think the actual ghost app is only a couple of meg.... you could probably download it for "trial" purposes from most P2P networks

Cheers mate I'll have a look around.

OK,

Really stuck now.

Both Sp's and Jp's tip hasn't worked. Cant boot from the XP CD or get the E' (CD) drive to go from A: as per SP's notes.

What's going on from here????

Semi stuck folks ??

Help????????????

:(:(:(

Sorry to hear of your probs Guy...

Did you try setting the Bios to make your PC boot from a CD Drive?

I seem to remember that the 'emergency recovery disk' that can be created also contains generic drivers to allow a CD to be used - if the Bios method will not work maybe try the boot floppy method and see how ya go.

Good luck - Frank

Thanx Frank,

Yup,

Altered my Bios to go to ATAPI CD ROM first then floppy then HDD. SYstem just boots up as normal although I am getting a screen where I have to choose between XP Pro (my normal OS) and the aborted XP Pro setup (the one I initially began from the XP Setup CD from winthin Windows)

Tried the boot from floppy (made the floppy from 'Format in Windows and then 'ticked' the 'make system disk' option).

When I follow SP's notes all I get is the old chestnut "Invalid Drive Specification"

Am afraid that if I do get to a stage of formatting my HDD, I will then not be able to read floppy or CD in order to get my OS back on again.

Any advice JPM or SP??

Thanks in advance

Guy

I had a similar problem trying to format a NTFS hard drive. I solved it by using a Win 98 boot up floppy. I was then able to FDISK the drive and then reformat it in FAT32 (I was doing a Win ME set up on a relatives PC). From what I understand XP sorts all the FDISK and Format out for you. So once you have done the business, set the BIOS to read the CD rom 1st and then boot up with the CD in the drive. You can download Win ME boot disks off the net

http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

or I can post one to you.

Hmmmmm....

Is there actually a problem with your CD/DVD drive at all?

Can you try another CD or do you not think this is an issue.

Apart from grabbing my coat on the way out here is a nugget of info from MS themslves:

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;316941

Good luck ! Frank

I beginning to think my issue is with my XP Installation CD. It is not booting at all. I've set my system to 'Autorun' and it finds the CD from within windows and starts the setup process but this does not give me the options JPM/Freak mentions above like Format the partition.

I've tried making a bootable CD via advice from IT help forums and site on the NET, but I'd be better off designing a rocket on a fag packet and making it in my back garden shed and flying to the moon one starry night :mad: :mad: :mad: I don't know how to edit my config.sys and real mode boot files etc and play about with Hex code... even if I knew what they were in the first place.

Looks like I'm gonna have to buy another XP Pro OS unless someone can lend me their CD (I have my licence keys).

Gc

A fully fledged member of the "When the frig will something go right .....when I want it too club"

Chrisw's method is worth a try, you would'nt partition the drive would you?

Thanks Steve Chris and Frank,

I have two hard drives but it's just the C: I want to format as thisis the one with all my apps, trojans, junk on. The 2nd drive holds all my video, photo's, music etc. Both drives are non-partitioned (i.e. one is C: @ 40GB and the other is D: at 120GB).

I have produced the six XP setup disks as per the Microsoft Support site.

They run fine at 'bootup' but at the end of the 6th disk, you are asked to insert your XP Setup CD and press Enter. My XP Setup CD is already in the drive and I press Enter. The screen flickers for a split second and the message remains "insert your XP Setup CD and press Enter"........ I can press Enter all day and nothing happens. It just hangs there at the 6th disk screen.

Even if I can get to a stage in DOS where I get the option to format my drive, I am very reluctant to do this knowing my XP Setup CD isn't acting like it should. Once my data and OS are gone I'm knackered if I can't get past 'go' to putting it back on.

[Edited on 13-3-2005 by Guido]

I'll u2u u mate

Guido, bit unsure of what's going on exactly now, but it sounds like you have several problems, one being you have 2 installations, one complete, one aborted. Secondly not being able to boot from CD.

First and very obvious question is the CD a geniune MS XP CD? If not it could be that which is stopping the boot process, could be the actual CDROM, but I am guessing it was working before this whole mess began?

I'm guessing you may also want to keep the data (if possible) on your PC, if you do you might be best to put the drive in another PC and master/slave them to drag the data off.

Eventually though you will have to rebuild this drive, I always advise people to build a small primary partition for their operating system (C), something like 10-20Gb, then create another partition (D) for their data, so in practice all of the applications will be on the C: drive and all of the users data should be saved to the D: drive and if a failure occurs you can rebuild the C: drive and retain the data.

HTH

Cheers JPM

The PC was built by the bods in my last job. I was supplied with a Setup CD (Yup it's on a blank CDR) once I took it home from the office.

I'm looking to scrub the whole C: Drive. I have all my apps to enable reinstall. All the 'My Documents' data, my Outlook folders and my Explorer 'Favourites' have been copied to the D: drive for safe keeping. In that sense I am ready to clear the whole drive. Don't care what's on it now as I have all the stuff I've produced and disks to reload the apps I actually want back on.

Just can't afford to be stuck without a PC if this setup CD does not reinstall XP or I can't get to a stage in DOS where I can type 'Setup.exe to run the CD.

Stumped...well and truly..