h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

i would like to format my pc c drive can someone tell me how to do it cus i got stuck please

The most important question: ARE YOU SURE?
It will destroy EVERYTHING on it and you will have to completely reinstall your PC.

yep i got a copy of everythin i need

Best thing to do is get a copy of partition Magic or a program like that, and create first a second primary partition. Install the new OS in there, so all your old data will still be available.

Also create a logical partition to have a shared disk that can be seen by both OSses.

Are you going to be using two OSs? (operating systems)

It's not the normal, so if you don't want to have a dual boot, don't bother.

no im only going to use one os juts whant to format and put it back on

First off, make sure you have got your operating system disk. I'm assuming it's Windows.

Then, make sure you have a boot floppy disk. Windows can make one for you. When you've got one of those, test it first. Put it in the a: drive and try booting from it. Make sure it starts your computer in DOS and that it makes your CD player available.

Which operating system is it you're using?

i am usin windows ME

Did it come preinstalled on your computer?

no

Okay, to create a boot disk go to...

Start/ Settings/ Control Panel

then open...

Add/Remove Programs

then click on...

Add/Remove Programs Properties

then...

Startup Disk

This will take you through creating a start up disk. Make sure if you get the option that it creates the CD drivers.

Then, reboot your computer with the floppy disk in the drive.

*IMPORTANT* make sure you can access the CD before doing anything else. It might have changed the letter of the cd drive up or down one or two letters, but make sure you can get to it first.

Do you know any DOS commands at all?

I have understud everthing up to now
but, No I dont now DOS commands

Okay, when you boot up with the floppy boot disk you'll be put into DOS.

To change the drive you are looking at use...

D:

Where D is the letter of the drive.

Then use...

dir

to list the directory contents. This can be quite a long list, so you can use...

dir /p

or...

dir /w

to look at a page, or pagewidth respectively.

When you see that the CD drive is working with the floppy boot then you'll need a few more...

format c:

will format the c drive, and remove *every* *single* *thing* from it.

Then once that's finished go to your cd drive and using the D: or whatever letter it is, and type...

setup

that should start the setup.exe programme on the Windows CD.

I take it you've got ME on CD?

Do remember another thing though, you will need to re-install every single piece of harware again once you've re-installed Windows. It's a good idea to make a list of all your hardware first, and load all the drivers either onto a CD or floppy disks.

do you meen listall drivers befor ive formated

No, just look at the hardware, and make a list of it.

Once you've formated, you'll have to install Windows again, and part of that is setting up all the hardware again.

A handy tip is to unplug all hadware that isn't actually needed, install Windows, then plug the hardware in one piece at a time. Shutting down Windows in between.

thankyou i think ive got all i need
ill give it all ago
thankx for all your help

No worries

One possible in the ointment... (Drat! No smiley!)

From what I remember of ME, *IT HAS NO DOS*! When you boot an ME system using an ME-created boot floppy, it fires up Windows in safe mode, using the "recovery" directory on the hard drive. I remember this from attempts to run a DOS-only game under ME.

This was back when ME was first released; if this situation has changed, I apologise for worrying you...

Good point. We'll soon find out

Mind you, I use the same boot floppy that I made back when '98 first came out, and stick with it.

Or we may not find out if this is his h2g2 accessing computer...

spelugx -- someone who's done some stupid things without realising his bootfloppy is broke