Guest Trainbuff Posted August 31, 2008 Posted August 31, 2008 I bought a Dell Latitude C600 off of eBay a few months ago, and it worked out fine, until it somehow contracted a virus (I believe it might have been something left on by the previous owner, as he stated he didn't know too much about computers, and the fact I didn't get around to putting any type of virus protection on it.) I wanted to know if it was possible to format the hard drive without having the Windows 2000 disk, as he did not send this to me. I didn't have anything of importance on the computer, so I figure I'll just go ahead and start it over. So, how do I format the hard drive? Any help will be appreciated.
Guest Dave Patrick Posted August 31, 2008 Posted August 31, 2008 Re: Formatting Hard Drive with Windows 2000 on it Yes. What are you going to install? -- Regards, Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup. Microsoft Certified Professional Microsoft MVP [Windows] http://www.microsoft.com/protect "Trainbuff" wrote: >I bought a Dell Latitude C600 off of eBay a few months ago, and it worked >out > fine, until it somehow contracted a virus (I believe it might have been > something left on by the previous owner, as he stated he didn't know too > much > about computers, and the fact I didn't get around to putting any type of > virus protection on it.) I wanted to know if it was possible to format the > hard drive without having the Windows 2000 disk, as he did not send this > to > me. I didn't have anything of importance on the computer, so I figure I'll > just go ahead and start it over. So, how do I format the hard drive? Any > help > will be appreciated.
Guest Pegasus \(MVP\) Posted August 31, 2008 Posted August 31, 2008 Re: Formatting Hard Drive with Windows 2000 on it "Trainbuff" <Trainbuff@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:4BAF59D5-23D4-4C52-BAE4-42F57D46759B@microsoft.com... >I bought a Dell Latitude C600 off of eBay a few months ago, and it worked >out > fine, until it somehow contracted a virus (I believe it might have been > something left on by the previous owner, as he stated he didn't know too > much > about computers, and the fact I didn't get around to putting any type of > virus protection on it.) I wanted to know if it was possible to format the > hard drive without having the Windows 2000 disk, as he did not send this > to > me. I didn't have anything of importance on the computer, so I figure I'll > just go ahead and start it over. So, how do I format the hard drive? Any > help > will be appreciated. Sure - boot the machine with a Win98 boot diskette or CD (http://www.bootdisk.com), then delete all partitions, create new ones and format them. The question is, of course - what will you do with it after formatting, without having any setup CDs?
Guest ByTor Posted August 31, 2008 Posted August 31, 2008 Re: Formatting Hard Drive with Windows 2000 on it In article <4BAF59D5-23D4-4C52-BAE4-42F57D46759B@microsoft.com>, Trainbuff@discussions.microsoft.com says... > I bought a Dell Latitude C600 off of eBay a few months ago, and it worked out > fine, until it somehow contracted a virus (I believe it might have been > something left on by the previous owner, as he stated he didn't know too much > about computers, and the fact I didn't get around to putting any type of > virus protection on it.) I wanted to know if it was possible to format the > hard drive without having the Windows 2000 disk, as he did not send this to > me. I didn't have anything of importance on the computer, so I figure I'll > just go ahead and start it over. So, how do I format the hard drive? Any help > will be appreciated. > No disk? So if you get your answer on how to format how will you put an OS back on it? Cus once you format it its all lost....Unless I missed something in your question. http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=1778
Guest philo Posted August 31, 2008 Posted August 31, 2008 Re: Formatting Hard Drive with Windows 2000 on it "Trainbuff" <Trainbuff@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:4BAF59D5-23D4-4C52-BAE4-42F57D46759B@microsoft.com... > I bought a Dell Latitude C600 off of eBay a few months ago, and it worked out > fine, until it somehow contracted a virus (I believe it might have been > something left on by the previous owner, as he stated he didn't know too much > about computers, and the fact I didn't get around to putting any type of > virus protection on it.) I wanted to know if it was possible to format the > hard drive without having the Windows 2000 disk, as he did not send this to > me. I didn't have anything of importance on the computer, so I figure I'll > just go ahead and start it over. So, how do I format the hard drive? Any help > will be appreciated. To reinstall Win2k you will need a disk... you can probably find a win2k cd on ebay. If you do not want to buy an operating system you can always try PCLinuxOS
Guest Trainbuff Posted September 1, 2008 Posted September 1, 2008 Re: Formatting Hard Drive with Windows 2000 on it "philo" wrote: > > "Trainbuff" <Trainbuff@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message > news:4BAF59D5-23D4-4C52-BAE4-42F57D46759B@microsoft.com... > > I bought a Dell Latitude C600 off of eBay a few months ago, and it worked > out > > fine, until it somehow contracted a virus (I believe it might have been > > something left on by the previous owner, as he stated he didn't know too > much > > about computers, and the fact I didn't get around to putting any type of > > virus protection on it.) I wanted to know if it was possible to format the > > hard drive without having the Windows 2000 disk, as he did not send this > to > > me. I didn't have anything of importance on the computer, so I figure I'll > > just go ahead and start it over. So, how do I format the hard drive? Any > help > > will be appreciated. > > > To reinstall Win2k you will need a disk... > you can probably find a win2k cd on ebay. > > If you do not want to buy an operating system > you can always try PCLinuxOS > > > After I reformat the hard drive, I'm going to leave the computer along for a while until I do buy a Windows 2000 Disk off of eBay. I do have the Windows 98 Upgrade CD; could I use this to help in reformatting the hard drive?
Guest Pegasus \(MVP\) Posted September 1, 2008 Posted September 1, 2008 Re: Formatting Hard Drive with Windows 2000 on it "Trainbuff" <Trainbuff@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:A6EEAE86-585D-474B-8B87-A49572ADCAE2@microsoft.com... > > > "philo" wrote: > >> >> "Trainbuff" <Trainbuff@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message >> news:4BAF59D5-23D4-4C52-BAE4-42F57D46759B@microsoft.com... >> > I bought a Dell Latitude C600 off of eBay a few months ago, and it >> > worked >> out >> > fine, until it somehow contracted a virus (I believe it might have been >> > something left on by the previous owner, as he stated he didn't know >> > too >> much >> > about computers, and the fact I didn't get around to putting any type >> > of >> > virus protection on it.) I wanted to know if it was possible to format >> > the >> > hard drive without having the Windows 2000 disk, as he did not send >> > this >> to >> > me. I didn't have anything of importance on the computer, so I figure >> > I'll >> > just go ahead and start it over. So, how do I format the hard drive? >> > Any >> help >> > will be appreciated. >> >> >> To reinstall Win2k you will need a disk... >> you can probably find a win2k cd on ebay. >> >> If you do not want to buy an operating system >> you can always try PCLinuxOS >> >> >> After I reformat the hard drive, I'm going to leave the computer along >> for a while until I do buy a Windows 2000 Disk off of eBay. I do have the >> Windows 98 Upgrade CD; could I use this to help in reformatting the hard >> drive? The boys in a Win98 newsgroup could obviously tell you if a Win98 Upgrade CD can be used to format the disk. Alternatively you could use one of the methods suggested here so far.
Guest Dave Patrick Posted September 1, 2008 Posted September 1, 2008 Re: Formatting Hard Drive with Windows 2000 on it When you get the disk to do a clean install, either boot the Windows 2000 install CD-Rom or setup disks. The set of four install disks can be created from your Windows 2000 CD-Rom; change to the \bootdisk directory on the CD-Rom and execute makeboot.exe (from dos) or makebt32.exe (from 32 bit) and follow the prompts. (Note: If your drive controller is not natively supported then you'll want to boot the Windows 2000 install CD-Rom. Then *F6* very early and very important (at setup is inspecting your system) in the setup to prevent drive controller detection, and select S to specify additional drivers. Then later you'll be prompted to insert the manufacturer supplied Windows 2000 driver for your drive controller in drive "A") Setup inspects your computer's hardware configuration and then begins to install the Setup and driver files. When the Windows 2000 Professional screen appears, press ENTER to set up Windows 2000 Professional. Read the license agreement, and then press the F8 key to accept the terms of the license agreement and continue the installation. When the Windows 2000 Professional Setup screen appears, all the existing partitions and the unpartitioned spaces are listed for each physical hard disk. Use the ARROW keys to select the partitions Press D to delete an existing partition, If you press D to delete an existing partition, you must then press L (or press ENTER, and then press L if it is the System partition) to confirm that you want to delete the partition. Repeat this step for each of the existing partitions When all the partitions are deleted press F3 to exit setup, (to avoid unexpected drive letter assignments with your new install) then restart the pc then when you get to this point in setup again select the unpartitioned space, and then press C to create a new partition and specify the size (if required). Windows will by default use all available space. Be sure to apply SP4 and these two below to your new install before connecting to any network. Internet included. (sasser, msblast) http://download.microsoft.com/download/E/6/A/E6A04295-D2A8-40D0-A0C5-241BFECD095E/W2KSP4_EN.EXE http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-043.mspx http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-049.mspx Then Rollup 1 for Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?amp;displaylang=en&familyid=B54730CF-8850-4531-B52B-BF28B324C662&displaylang=en -- Regards, Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup. Microsoft Certified Professional Microsoft MVP [Windows] http://www.microsoft.com/protect "Trainbuff" wrote: >> After I reformat the hard drive, I'm going to leave the computer along >> for a while until I do buy a Windows 2000 Disk off of eBay. I do have the >> Windows 98 Upgrade CD; could I use this to help in reformatting the hard >> drive?
Guest Henry Cumbie Posted September 8, 2008 Posted September 8, 2008 RE: Formatting Hard Drive with Windows 2000 on it Many major PC vendors put the files necessary to reinstall the operating system and/or restore the system to the as-shipped configuration. Dell is one of those vendors in many cases. Check this page from their support site for information and instructions: http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/en/document?c=us&docid=3E48AE3870775D64E040A68F5B2877D4&l=en&s=gen Of course this will not work if the hidden partition has already been wiped out... Good Luck. Henry Cumbie "Trainbuff" wrote: > I bought a Dell Latitude C600 off of eBay a few months ago, and it worked out > fine, until it somehow contracted a virus (I believe it might have been > something left on by the previous owner, as he stated he didn't know too much > about computers, and the fact I didn't get around to putting any type of > virus protection on it.) I wanted to know if it was possible to format the > hard drive without having the Windows 2000 disk, as he did not send this to > me. I didn't have anything of importance on the computer, so I figure I'll > just go ahead and start it over. So, how do I format the hard drive? Any help > will be appreciated.
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