how to format HD for new install - (big goof up) need expert

[rfburnz 0]

I did a fubar, tried to fix a failed WIN-ME system, using Norton recovery, it failed. I discovered that ME was an upgrade from 98 upgrade from 95, DOS 6.1 or something because I can't get fdisk to run, nor format c: without an error msg "wrong DOS" or something. Boot disk is of no use.

Any suggestions how I can format the drive in NTFS before installing WIN2K OS as a clean install? Perhaps running it as a slave drive in another system?

This has me stumped, and I will have to discard the drive and get a new one if I can't get it wiped clean, its a 40G Seagate IDE no big deal but for sake of time I am hoping for suggestions from someone who has "been there done that"

tia, RF Burnz

[jdulmage 0]

slap it in as a slave drive, have a primary drive in there running an OS, use the OS to format the slave drive as NTFS.

 

Put it back as primary, boot with a Windows 2000 CD

 

Best bet I would think.

[Bursar 0]

Why not just boot from the 2K CD in the first place? It will let you create/delete partitions and format them as you wish.

 

Much less hassle

[adamvjackson 0]

And if booting from the 2k cd doesn't work, buy a copy of PowerQuest PartitionMagic 8... It can do just about anything disk/partition/format related, generally better than the MS utilities, too.

[rfburnz 0]

Many thanks to every reply- I had forgotten I have PQ Partition Magic, I'll try that first. I couldn't get the CD to boot, FWER. Appreciate the help, RF. still a learnin.

[Bursar 0]

Had you been into the BIOS and changed the boot order of things so that CD was the first first device listed?

[rfburnz 0]

Yes, the drive was partially "fixed" under Norton, when I stopped the process, so there was probably something on the boot sector that prevented identifying the type of format, that is my guess, part of the drive was FAT and part was NTFS, even Partition Magic under DOS reported the 40G drive as two small partitions, a 2G and a 3 G and a smaller unformatted segment - totally wierd! Not a 40 G but a 5 G drive~!

There wasn't enough space reported to accept a new OS anyhow!

Anyhow I plugged the drive into another system as a slave and used Seagate Disk Wizard to remove all partitions, then formatted it NTFS, returned it to the troubled computer and installed WIN 2K fine from the CDROM. I never want to kill an ongoing process again, especially not a "Norton Emergency Repair" (lesson for the day: Seagate DiskWizard and Seatools are great to have for this kind of thing!) (Second lesson of the day: never get into this position in the first place!)

Thanks to everyone,

RF

PS before you wonder why I killed the Norton repair, I can tell you because it was attempting to write (backup?) about ten zillion files to the floppy drive, after about 20 minutes of constant floppy drive activity, I decided that floppy drive was going to be toast before the process was even half done. If you ever go there you'll see what I mean!

[Ali 0]

just wipe the drive why bother. in these cases i use norton ghost and ghost the whole thing over from any other hard drive, then followed by a full format (not quick if i have the time!)

Kill that ID10T!!!