Formatting ....

[Toolman35]

I have tried to format my HD. I have been having problems since taking it out of the closet a month ago. I tried to go over the top (Thanks Gary) but installation stopped after getting a message about bad ".CAB" file. I am just tired of messing with this thing. I read the article about formatting and had som problems there as well. Here is what I did:

At A:\prompt

A:\format c: /s

Is this right? I tried it with spaces w/o spaces, all differant ways. but get same result" Bad file name or command".
something I am missing? I tried it also with only the C:/
no "s".

Thanks !

[Confused]

You are booting with a boot disk with the basic DOS on it, right. The drive did have WIN98 on it earlier, right. If it had a OS that uses NTFS, a WIN98 bootdisk won't see the partition. Same thing if it had Linux.

If it had WIN98 on it before, go to www.bootdisk.com and download a WIN98 bootdisk.
Chas

[Toolman35]

Chas,
I have win98se and also a bootdisk. I checked to make sure that the copy on this machine is the same that I am trying to put back on. Let me first ask a important question. Do I have to have the software for my video card? Looks like I do not have that with me.
This whole thing started with my sound card problem.

[Toolman35]

Chas,
I have win98se and also a bootdisk. I checked to make sure that the copy on this machine is the same that I am trying to put back on. Let me first ask a important question. Do I have to have the software for my video card? Looks like I do not have that with me.
This whole thing started with my sound card problem.

[Confused]

You don't need the video software for Format and install. You will need it to update the basiic drivers that WIN98 uses. They can always be downloaded from site. They are sometimes quite large though so if you are on dial-up it could be a pain.

Try downloading a new WIN98 bootdisk from www.bootdisk.com

I'm not a DOS guru but I think your syntax is correct;

A:\format C:/s

Is your HD on IDE1 and set up for Master either jumpered for Master or jumpered Cable Select and drive on end of 80 wire cable.
Chas

[ROYP123]

Hi Toolman,
This may sound weird, but did you restart the machine with the boot disk in ? The message you got would occur if you just put the boot disk in and went to the A drive and typed those commands.Those commands should work. If not, after you reboot with the boot disk in, fdisk before you restart and format. HTH

[PJAlt]

Here's something I found with window 98. There no format utility on the boot floopy, its on the install CD. First boot with just the floopy, no CD. At the a:\ type fdisk. Then 1: enable large disk support (Y) 2: Delete partition or logical DOS drive 3: Delete primary DOS partition 4: Create DOS partition, take care here reading the screen, you want to see it a create a new partition with a percentage count off. After that reboot with the CD in and tell it to install with CD support. There it will tell you that you need to reformat. Say ok and it will do it from the CD.
You can read about fdisk at: http://www.waynescomputerworld.com/cleaninstall.html

[Liquid_X_Trance]

at the A prompt shouldnt he be typing A:/C: and press enter, then he should get the C prompt.........C/format C: S/U ....?

[Confused]

Originally posted by Liquid_X_Trance at the A prompt shouldnt he be typing A:/C: and press enter, then he should get the C prompt.........C/format C: S/U ....?

If he is using a boot disk he will do it from the "A" prompt and specify "C" drive.

A: Format C:/S

Format "C" and lay down system files.
Chas

[needhelp]

Boot up using your boot disk and at the a: prompt type D: this should take you to your CD ROM drive (substitute "D" with the letter of your CD ROM drive). place your Win CD in the drive and type windows 9x at the "D" prompt This will take you into the directory of Windows 9x. if you get this far type Format c: Thats all you need to type it is not necessary to type the "s" thing as Windows installs the system files automatically
In other words format your C: drive from the Windows disk. the Format command is on the disk and should work from there.
I think I have remembered it correctly, if not I am sure one of the other guys will put me straight.
Good luck