How to use DOS to look at HD??

[Dodge7]

I can't boot Windows, it crashes just before the desktop appears. I susspect it is becuase I have put one too many versions on Windows on the HD. I can't start in safe mode or even reload Windows anymore.

So... I need to access the HD and delete Windows files.

It seemed to me that in the past I could just run DOS off a floppy, switch it from A: to C: drive and read what was on the C: drive and delete/ copy files. Maybe that was with Win 98, and now I have Win XP?

Whatever the case I can't use DOS to access my C: drive files anymore. Anyone know of a DOS that would work with XP files system or anything else to do?

[doctorgonzo]

If your C drive is formatted in NTFS, then plain MS-DOS won't be able to read it. DOS can't work with NTFS.

You need special software to read NTFS volumes, like this. Or you could use Knoppix Linux, which is my choice.

However, these choices allow you to just read NTFS files, not write/delete them. For that, you would have to use Windows, which is a problem because you can't get into Windows. One thing you could try is to take the hard drive out of your computer and slave it in another computer with Windows XP. Then you could read and write files on that drive.

[Dodge7]

Thanks. I think that is the way to do it, but plug the drive into another computer.