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How to format Win XP

  • 18-12-2004 4:13pm
    #1
    Cork Skate
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 884 ✭✭✭


    Lads,
    This is probably a stupid question but how do you format Win XP, i dont have a floppy drive so i can stick in a boot disk. I try and start in dos, and i can only start in Safe Mode for command prompt ... and i get the volume is still in use, cant format etc.

    Any help would be good !!


Comments

  • #2
    SantaHoe
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,488 ✭✭✭SantaHoe


    Your question is a bit weirdly put, by formatting XP I assume you mean you want to format the drive that XP is installed to.
    You can boot off the XP installer CD... or failing that, get a bootable cd image and burn it to a CDR and work from the command prompt, also booting from a USB keystick is possible if you have one and your motherboard supports usb booting.
    Just make sure you've got an XP cd (and you know where your cd-key is) to reinstall the OS though o_O


  • #3
    Cork Skate
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 884 ✭✭✭Cork Skate


    SantaHoe wrote:
    Your question is a bit weirdly put, by formatting XP I assume you mean you want to format the drive that XP is installed to.

    Yeah, thats what i meant ... sorry.
    You can boot off the XP installer CD

    that what i did, didn't think i could get one at the time but eventually got it.
    ... or failing that, get a bootable cd image and burn it to a CDR and work from the command prompt, also booting from a USB keystick is possible if you have one and your motherboard supports usb booting.
    Just make sure you've got an XP cd (and you know where your cd-key is) to reinstall the OS though o_O

    Didnt know you could boot from USB key ... how would i find out if my motherboard supports this ... would it be in device manager or would i have to find out from the company themselves.


  • #4
    SantaHoe
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,488 ✭✭✭SantaHoe


    You'd see it in the BIOS options where you select the boot order... or it may be in your motherboard manual.


  • #5
    jessy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 950 ✭✭✭jessy


    Cork Skate wrote:
    I try and start in dos, and i can only start in Safe Mode for command prompt ... and i get the volume is still in use, cant format etc.

    Any help would be good !!

    DOS is not supplied with XP.
    There is a handy utility call “kill disk” which will overwrite everything on the disk with a zero (partition's the lot) very small very useful utility when needed.


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