Formatting C:

maccrazymaccrazy
Posted:
in Genius Bar edited January 2014
I'm trying to do a clean install of Windows XP on my girlfriends' Dell. However, it does not give the option of reformatting the hard drive, I've tried reformatting the hard drive and that wont work either.



How do you reformat a PC disk when it's the only drive available (on a Mac you insert the software CD and then erase). I'm trying to get service pack 2 as well.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 8
    maccrazymaccrazy Posts: 2,658member
    don't worry - it was in the recovery section (WHY???) Then you have to go into DOS!
  • Reply 2 of 8
    ipodandimacipodandimac Posts: 3,273member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by MacCrazy

    don't worry - it was in the recovery section (WHY???) Then you have to go into DOS!



    ya i've had to do that with a friends laptop. so stupid.
  • Reply 3 of 8
    drumsticksdrumsticks Posts: 315member
    You don't have to reformat as a separate step. Choosing to install gives you the option to format+install as well. Same as Mac OS X, except with no pretty GUI.
  • Reply 4 of 8
    maccrazymaccrazy Posts: 2,658member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by drumsticks

    You don't have to reformat as a separate step. Choosing to install gives you the option to format+install as well. Same as Mac OS X, except with no pretty GUI.



    not if you're already using Windows XP.



    And that's my point, the GUI helps, you can't discover DOS - there's nothing to discover, you have to type things, it's not intuitive.
  • Reply 5 of 8
    gene cleangene clean Posts: 3,481member
    You don't have to type anything. Put your installation CD in the drive, boot from it, and follow the installation instructions until you come to the partition manager. There select your harddrive, choose if you want it erased or preserved and continue with the installation.



    I don't see why you need to go to DOS when you want to format a drive while installing.
  • Reply 6 of 8
    maccrazymaccrazy Posts: 2,658member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Gene Clean

    You don't have to type anything. Put your installation CD in the drive, boot from it, and follow the installation instructions until you come to the partition manager. There select your harddrive, choose if you want it erased or preserved and continue with the installation.



    I don't see why you need to go to DOS when you want to format a drive while installing.



    that doesn't happen
  • Reply 7 of 8
    the generalthe general Posts: 649member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by MacCrazy

    that doesn't happen



    you are doing something wrong... I have done it many times here at work with our dells(plus other branded and non-branded pc's). when you go to do an install boot from the cd, if xp is already on it it will ask if you want to do a repair, or a clean install, you choose clean, you will then be prompted where can delete/create and format partitions...
  • Reply 8 of 8
    maccrazymaccrazy Posts: 2,658member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by The General

    you are doing something wrong... I have done it many times here at work with our dells(plus other branded and non-branded pc's). when you go to do an install boot from the cd, if xp is already on it it will ask if you want to do a repair, or a clean install, you choose clean, you will then be prompted where can delete/create and format partitions...



    well i don't remember having the option of formatting - but it doesn't matter anymore; thank you for your help! The reason i performed the re-install is because it was very slow, however, it's gone slow straight away.
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