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how do i formt my hard drive???!?!?!?!?!?!!??!?!?!?!?

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  • 05-01-2004 2:04am
    #1
    falteringstar
    Closed Accounts Posts: 249 ✭✭


    Im selling my old laptop, and i want to wipe the drive and then reinstall windows xp after. Problem is i dont have a clue how to do it! Ive been using mac too for some time now, and forgotten most of windows. Can someone tell me how to do it, i have the installation cd for win xp. Ive done the search option, all i found were people saying format the disk, without saying how to format the disk!! what ive tried was, i went to my computer right clicked on the hard drive and clicked format, i dont know the volume number or how to find it, and when i clicked format it said it couldnt do it!!
    so can some one please give instructions (and tell me what i need) to wipe the hard drive and reinstall windows xp.

    thank you.


Comments

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    #2
    bizmark
    Registered Users Posts: 6,892 ✭✭✭bizmark


    i think windows xp will Format the disk itself when you want to reinstall it (i think)


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    #3
    joePC
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,637 ✭✭✭joePC


    Just boot from the windows installation CD, go through the setup it will ask you do you want to delete the current file system and install "select this" and install, you will have a clean install on your system.


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    #4
    oneweb
    Registered Users Posts: 3,146 ✭✭✭oneweb


    If the laptop still has a Windows OS on it (or you have access to one that does), download PowerMax

    This will create a bootable floppy with which you can test the drive, and also write zeros to it (a low-level (thorough) format) Your drive will be left in factory condition completely void of data and partition info etc.

    It is what it's.



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    #5
    plastic_axe
    Registered Users Posts: 371 ✭✭plastic_axe


    do a search for computer management, open it up and go to disk management. from there on it isnt too hard.:D


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    #6
    falteringstar
    Closed Accounts Posts: 249 ✭✭falteringstar


    ive wiped the drive using Powermax, went to install windows xp, however i didnt realise that it was an upgrade! i dont have a previous version of windows, is there anything i can do???


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    #7
    Mork
    Closed Accounts Posts: 75 ✭✭Mork


    Only way around that is to get a previous copy of windows and bung it in the drive, something like windows 98 onwards (I think) should work. You'll have to ask some nice mates to borrow their windows CD to install XP. The installer only wants to verify that you have a previous copy of windows, you don't have to install the old OS.

    Sorry there is no "quick" fix for that one!


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