[Ian Jones]

hey there,

I have never formatted C:\ before, but I gotta clean this machine up from the start for a fresh OS install. What should I do? How do I do it?

[Gort]

It depends on the OS. With Win98 (not the best wintel OS, but if you have to...) you need to make sure you create a startup disk. If you're already using Win98 and you've created your disk, you then restart the machine and go straight to DOS - Windows has to be entirely shut down. You format your drive from DOS, and when done place your OS install cdrom in the drive, the startup disc in the floppy and the reboot the machine; follow the DOS prompts from there out.

Win2000
Same thing - almost - you have to have startup discs or if your BIOS will let you reconfigure to start up off the CDROM you can do that. Make sure the CD is in the drive and restart - follow the prompts. Win2K install will format the drive for you in preperation for the OS; you'll be given options for partitioning, file system formats (Fat32, NTFS), etc.

I've never installed any of the XP family, but I would gather that the process isn't too different.

hope that helps you some.
_________________
- Tom Carter

"You can't stop the waves but you can learn to surf" - Jack Kornfield

[[Shizo]]

That, and you can download a bootable floppy image and make it without win9x (search net).
If the hard drive is not clean, you can use fdisk to delete or create partitions. After you do that, format partition(s) and restart.
Also if it's win2k and not a bootable cd, you can start setup by running i386/winnt.exe (i found this out the hard way heheh).

[Ian Jones]

hrmm... ok

I want to install XP pro. Problem is that it isn't likely to work as a bootable cd if you know what I mean.

My XP home cd will work in that sense, is it easy to then update to pro by sticking in my pro cd? Will it be a simple update? or a messy overwrite. I'm looking for a clean install if possible.

Also, where can I read about partitions and good info about how to setup my system to work as well as possible? for cg, optimised for rendering and photoshop scratch disk etc...

Thanks in advance.

[Intuos]

Google.

[AndyT]

Not google! If it's a bootable cd the target partition will be formatted automatically after choosing the file system I think. You'll be asked if you want that afaik.

I'd like to know how to optimize the comfiguration too!
There are a lot of tips you won't find with google because you don't know about them and don't know what to search for.

The partition part is easy. I don't have a link though... and I think I did that when I was installing Linux (my English sucks).

One thing that happend when I reinstalled XP is that I have a boot menu where I can choose between two XP installations (there should only be one) and I'm not the only one ...
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[eyalyab]

take it from me, i format every monday and thursday ;]

1. make sure you backup everything. drivers/installation setups/my documents/favorites/etc..

if you have your hdd partitioned (divided to c,d,e,etc..) or if you have more than one physical hdd, just copy everything to a drive that's not C.

2. if you have win98, make a bootup floppy disk (control panel\add remove programs. in the startup tab). search the net for smartdrv.exe and copy it also to the bootup floppy.
if you dont have win98 or 98se, then either ask a friend to make you a bootup floppy, or go to http://www.bootdisk.com and make a win98 boot disk.

3. put the floppy bootup disk in A: and boot your computer. when prompted select start computer without cdrom support. (you dont need it now) wait for the prompt a:\> and load fdisk.exe
select your primary dos partition C, delete it, and then create a primary dos partition C. if you backed up your files on a different partition [say.. D:] then they wont be harmed. if you have only one hdd and its not partitioned. i suggest you partition it (you can do it with fdisk) or buy another physical hard drive (better for scratch disk).
right now there is information on your C partiton, but its garbage to your computer. you need to format. COLD SHUT DOWN your computer, when prompted select start computer without cdrom support. A:\>format C: /s
when done, restart the computer this time WITH cdrom support. load smartdrv.exe from your bootup floppy and then run winXP pro setup.
i think its in X:\i315\winnt.exe (x=cdrom)
if you dont load smartdrive then the setup will just take forever! trust me, i've tried.

dont install NTFS. its slow. stick win FAT32.

voilla.

OH, one more advice. after you install winXP pro install tweakui for winXP
in there customize your special folders' locations (my documents/favorites/etc..) so that none of the ones you would normally backup will remain on drive C. this way when you want to ever format again, you dont need to backup. its all on another drive.
same for any progrma that lets you define where to save files/logs/etc...

guys, this one goes to the archive ;]

glad to help

[Ian Jones]

Thx for the advice! I'm beginning to understand it more now. I found my old MS-DOS 6.2 manual and installation disks! I've opened up an ancient epoch!

[eyalyab]

if you give more infor about you computer settings and hard disk partitions maybe i could help more...

[Ian Jones]

nah it's ok... I'm starting to wonder whether I actually need to format now. It may just be easier to del *.*

What would be the difference though? in terms of cleaning it up and getting rid of all its previous idiosyncrasies that computers tend to accumulate.

[faustgfx]

the difference is that del *.* will only delete every file (that is not locked by permissions) in the directory you are in at the moment. duh.

also, del *.* won't blast the hidden files that your windows will spill around all over the hd. format will clear the whole disk clean, like it's just out of the package (with a filesystem and partitions etc. intact of course.)

also, in some cases, it's much faster to just format (or quickformat even) than deltree *.* ..
_________________
"hey, wanna dance?"
"do i look like kevin costner to you?
"..no you don't"
"i don't dance with wolves either."

[Ian Jones]

ahh ok... deltree *.*

ok, looks like I'm going to have to format.

[eyalyab]

ian, just follow the steps i wrote.
if you need more information on how to work with fdisk i can help you
i too am planning to format c: this weekend ;]

tell us how your hard drives are partitioned

[faustgfx]

you got some fucked up perversion about formatting? to the point of being unable to not insist on making others tell you about their harddrives and make them format them.. repeatedly?
_________________
"hey, wanna dance?"
"do i look like kevin costner to you?
"..no you don't"
"i don't dance with wolves either."

[eyalyab]

man! (or woman), you are really starting to piss me off. seriously. if you dont want to help this guy who's trying to decide if he should format or not and how to do it because he hasn't done it before, then piss off. if all you can do i bitch about people's replies trying to help him, what are you good for?
i remember i didnt know shit about all this partition stuff and crap, actually i didnt know shit about computers until a few years ago and i see where ian is comign from, so im trying to help him out. do i need your approval for asking him about his hard disk setup? and i dont think im molesting him into formatting his disk. he asked about it so im giving him the right advice.
mang! im starting to think someone needs to format you

[faustgfx]

[[Shizo]]

eheheh i win

[faustgfx]

perhaps you do, perhaps you don't.

waiting for yelyelayleyob's response with intrigue. think before you post, don't become me. tick tock..
_________________
"hey, wanna dance?"
"do i look like kevin costner to you?
"..no you don't"
"i don't dance with wolves either."

[eyalyab]

i wasnt gonna reply, because i think its useless fighting with someone who thinks its cool to tell people to eat boxes of cocks on internet forums, but since you are so eagerly waiting for a reply, i thought i could maybe save you the infinate time that you'd probably spend on checking for a reply to your silly post.
as far as confusing the hell out of the man, i think you did a better job than i did in your post. i actually told him exactly what to do, and i offered to hear more about his hard disk so i can instruct him with more detail. if you find that as some fetish i have, fine. i have hard disk fetish. yeah! got a problem with it, freak boy? i dont think its your concern.
oh and on that other thread, you misunderstood me, and then started to talk out of your ass about me. i dont even know that other guy who started the thread. infact.. never seen him. infact im new here, so i cant know him. the fact you have no sense of humor is a problem though.
anyway. this is my last reply to you.

ps. "box of cocks"?? is that the kind of stuff they fed you as a kid? boy, it must have had an influence.

[faustgfx]

i ate food as a kid :( ...a hard drive fetisist calling someone a freak boy.. ok.

aww. also, tell me how my post was supposedly better than yours or where have i claimed so? i merely answered his question - which you, mr.hd saviour in the name of all righteous justice, weren't around to answer in time. oh no, another crisis could have been averted! but no. D:
_________________
"hey, wanna dance?"
"do i look like kevin costner to you?
"..no you don't"
"i don't dance with wolves either."

[Ian Jones]