Guest Jorge E. Jaramillo Posted June 8, 2008 Posted June 8, 2008 I have a Dell computer that I bought about 3 years ago. With time it became obsolete for the use I wanted to give it and I bought a brand new one but I consider that my old machine is a good equipment and that my nephews could still use it and I wanted to give it to them but without the burden of so many old programs that make its start up to take too long. So I thought of formating it and reinstalling the whole XP but I haven't been able to do it. I changed the boot sequence to start with the CD and I also enabled the Installing OS (or something like that) option but still when i turn on the computer with the cd labeled as "Operating System" and having the Dell logos and stuff, it starts normally and loads the whole Win XP without giving me the option to format. I also tried to format form Windows with the Win Explorer pointing at D: and rightclicking on C and choosing Format, but after it tells me that this action will erase all data and I agree, another message telling me that it can not be formatted for the drive is being used. Can anyone tell me how do i proceed to format this drive? With Windows 98 it used to be so easy with those startup disks but this computer doesn't even have a 3.5 drive. Thanks
Guest Pegasus \(MVP\) Posted June 8, 2008 Posted June 8, 2008 Re: Can't format "Jorge E. Jaramillo" <king1george@nospamhotmail.com> wrote in message news:%23LFQ4VXyIHA.6096@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... >I have a Dell computer that I bought about 3 years ago. With time it became >obsolete for the use I wanted to give it and I bought a brand new one but I >consider that my old machine is a good equipment and that my nephews could >still use it and I wanted to give it to them but without the burden of so >many old programs that make its start up to take too long. > > So I thought of formating it and reinstalling the whole XP but I haven't > been able to do it. I changed the boot sequence to start with the CD and I > also enabled the Installing OS (or something like that) option but still > when i turn on the computer with the cd labeled as "Operating System" and > having the Dell logos and stuff, it starts normally and loads the whole > Win XP without giving me the option to format. > > I also tried to format form Windows with the Win Explorer pointing at D: > and rightclicking on C and choosing Format, but after it tells me that > this action will erase all data and I agree, another message telling me > that it can not be formatted for the drive is being used. > > Can anyone tell me how do i proceed to format this drive? With Windows 98 > it used to be so easy with those startup disks but this computer doesn't > even have a 3.5 drive. > > Thanks You did the right thing by making the CD drive the primary boot device but it does not appear to work - your machine still boots off the hard disk. This has nothing to do with Windows. Try setting the boot order again, then watch the boot process to catch the moment when you must press a key to force a "CD Boot". If still unsuccessful, try a hardware newsgroup.
Guest Jorge E. Jaramillo Posted June 8, 2008 Posted June 8, 2008 Re: Can't format Those are the words I did not want to read "if it doesn't work try a hardware group". I am not that confident on dealing with hardware problems .... Thanks you for your advie. I will try the startup sequence again and try to catch that moment in which it allows to force the Cd startup JeJ "Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can@fly.com.oz> escribió en el mensaje news:OS51qqXyIHA.1504@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... > You did the right thing by making the CD drive the primary boot > device but it does not appear to work - your machine still boots > off the hard disk. This has nothing to do with Windows. Try setting > the boot order again, then watch the boot process to catch the > moment when you must press a key to force a "CD Boot". If still > unsuccessful, try a hardware newsgroup. >
Guest Ron Badour Posted June 8, 2008 Posted June 8, 2008 Re: Can't format I have had many Dells and I don't recognize the "also enabled the Installing OS" option you speak of--perhaps this is the problem. With the CDRom as the first boot device, and booting with the Operating System CD in the drive, you should get a prompt to hit any key to boot from the CD. This leads to screens where you press Enter, F-8 and Esc. At this last screen you can delete and/or partition. I believe Format comes on the next screen; however, I did not want to tempt fate and see what the next screen was :-) -- Regards Ron Badour MS MVP 1997 - 2008 "Jorge E. Jaramillo" <king1george@nospamhotmail.com> wrote in message news:%23LFQ4VXyIHA.6096@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... >I have a Dell computer that I bought about 3 years ago. With time it became >obsolete for the use I wanted to give it and I bought a brand new one but I >consider that my old machine is a good equipment and that my nephews could >still use it and I wanted to give it to them but without the burden of so >many old programs that make its start up to take too long. > > So I thought of formating it and reinstalling the whole XP but I haven't > been able to do it. I changed the boot sequence to start with the CD and I > also enabled the Installing OS (or something like that) option but still > when i turn on the computer with the cd labeled as "Operating System" and > having the Dell logos and stuff, it starts normally and loads the whole > Win XP without giving me the option to format. > > I also tried to format form Windows with the Win Explorer pointing at D: > and rightclicking on C and choosing Format, but after it tells me that > this action will erase all data and I agree, another message telling me > that it can not be formatted for the drive is being used. > > Can anyone tell me how do i proceed to format this drive? With Windows 98 > it used to be so easy with those startup disks but this computer doesn't > even have a 3.5 drive. > > Thanks >
Guest Pegasus \(MVP\) Posted June 8, 2008 Posted June 8, 2008 Re: Can't format If you cannot get around the CD boot issue then your problem is not related to "the good old days of Windows 98" but to the fact that you do not have a floppy disk drive. You could, of course, temporarily connect a second-hand FDD to your machine but this would cause you further headaches because you would then have to manufacture a set of WinXP installation diskettes. You really need to resolve this CD boot issue. "Jorge E. Jaramillo" <king1george@nospamhotmail.com> wrote in message news:Oyia6yXyIHA.420@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... > Those are the words I did not want to read "if it doesn't work try a > hardware group". I am not that confident on dealing with hardware problems > ... > > Thanks you for your advie. I will try the startup sequence again and try > to catch that moment in which it allows to force the Cd startup > > JeJ > > "Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can@fly.com.oz> escribió en el mensaje > news:OS51qqXyIHA.1504@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... > >> You did the right thing by making the CD drive the primary boot >> device but it does not appear to work - your machine still boots >> off the hard disk. This has nothing to do with Windows. Try setting >> the boot order again, then watch the boot process to catch the >> moment when you must press a key to force a "CD Boot". If still >> unsuccessful, try a hardware newsgroup. >> > >
Guest Jorge E jaramillo Posted June 8, 2008 Posted June 8, 2008 Re: Can't format Thank you very much to those who answered. You gave me the confidence in what i was doing was right and I solved the problem which was that the changes I thought i had made to the boot sequence for some unknown reason were not saved and the boot was not how it was supposed to be. JeJ
Guest Gurney Posted June 8, 2008 Posted June 8, 2008 Re: Can't format On Sun, 8 Jun 2008 09:39:31 -0500, "Jorge E. Jaramillo" <king1george@nospamhotmail.com> wrote: >I have a Dell computer that I bought about 3 years ago. With time it became >obsolete for the use I wanted to give it and I bought a brand new one but I >consider that my old machine is a good equipment and that my nephews could >still use it and I wanted to give it to them but without the burden of so >many old programs that make its start up to take too long. > >So I thought of formating it and reinstalling the whole XP but I haven't >been able to do it. I changed the boot sequence to start with the CD and I >also enabled the Installing OS (or something like that) option but still >when i turn on the computer with the cd labeled as "Operating System" and >having the Dell logos and stuff, it starts normally and loads the whole Win >XP without giving me the option to format. > >I also tried to format form Windows with the Win Explorer pointing at D: and >rightclicking on C and choosing Format, but after it tells me that this >action will erase all data and I agree, another message telling me that it >can not be formatted for the drive is being used. > >Can anyone tell me how do i proceed to format this drive? With Windows 98 it >used to be so easy with those startup disks but this computer doesn't even >have a 3.5 drive. > >Thanks > You may have changed your boot options to boot from CD, but did you then TELL it to boot from a CD? EVERY computer I've ever used involved some user interaction to do this. You can't just change to boot order, shove in the CD, restart, then sit back and wait. You have to watch for the message dealing with booting from the CD and do what it asks...otherwise it just boots normally.
Guest David Webb Posted June 9, 2008 Posted June 9, 2008 Re: Can't format "Gurney" <none@nobody.net> wrote in message news:atpo4453md4a34rfh0b94h8flqc3s9t9e1@4ax.com... > On Sun, 8 Jun 2008 09:39:31 -0500, "Jorge E. Jaramillo" > <king1george@nospamhotmail.com> wrote: > >>I have a Dell computer that I bought about 3 years ago. With time it became >>obsolete for the use I wanted to give it and I bought a brand new one but I >>consider that my old machine is a good equipment and that my nephews could >>still use it and I wanted to give it to them but without the burden of so >>many old programs that make its start up to take too long. >> >>So I thought of formating it and reinstalling the whole XP but I haven't >>been able to do it. I changed the boot sequence to start with the CD and I >>also enabled the Installing OS (or something like that) option but still >>when i turn on the computer with the cd labeled as "Operating System" and >>having the Dell logos and stuff, it starts normally and loads the whole Win >>XP without giving me the option to format. >> >>I also tried to format form Windows with the Win Explorer pointing at D: and >>rightclicking on C and choosing Format, but after it tells me that this >>action will erase all data and I agree, another message telling me that it >>can not be formatted for the drive is being used. >> >>Can anyone tell me how do i proceed to format this drive? With Windows 98 it >>used to be so easy with those startup disks but this computer doesn't even >>have a 3.5 drive. >> >>Thanks >> > You may have changed your boot options to boot from CD, but did you > then TELL it to boot from a CD? EVERY computer I've ever used > involved some user interaction to do this. You can't just change to > boot order, shove in the CD, restart, then sit back and wait. You > have to watch for the message dealing with booting from the CD and do > what it asks...otherwise it just boots normally. > Gurney, That's not necessarily true in all cases. I know of two rescue CDs that will boot directly from the CD without any input from the user. One is the BartPE disc (which offers a plugin to add the "Press Any Key...." option). The other is the Acronis TrueImage v11 rescue disc, which by default offers the user a menu of choices, one being to start Windows.
Guest windmap Posted June 9, 2008 Posted June 9, 2008 Re: Can't format This Document from Dell Support site should help. How to Reinstall Microsoft® Windows®, Drivers, and Software on a DellT Computer http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/en/tree?c=us&l=en&s=gen&journalid=&treeid=FFA33DA99941FEDFE030030ABD62041A&Query=&SystemID=&ServiceTag=&contenttype=&os=&component=&lang=&doclang=&toggle=&dl= "Jorge E. Jaramillo" <king1george@nospamhotmail.com> wrote in message news:%23LFQ4VXyIHA.6096@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... >I have a Dell computer that I bought about 3 years ago. With time it became >obsolete for the use I wanted to give it and I bought a brand new one but I >consider that my old machine is a good equipment and that my nephews could >still use it and I wanted to give it to them but without the burden of so >many old programs that make its start up to take too long. > > So I thought of formating it and reinstalling the whole XP but I haven't > been able to do it. I changed the boot sequence to start with the CD and I > also enabled the Installing OS (or something like that) option but still > when i turn on the computer with the cd labeled as "Operating System" and > having the Dell logos and stuff, it starts normally and loads the whole > Win XP without giving me the option to format. > > I also tried to format form Windows with the Win Explorer pointing at D: > and rightclicking on C and choosing Format, but after it tells me that > this action will erase all data and I agree, another message telling me > that it can not be formatted for the drive is being used. > > Can anyone tell me how do i proceed to format this drive? With Windows 98 > it used to be so easy with those startup disks but this computer doesn't > even have a 3.5 drive. > > Thanks >
Guest Kyle Posted September 1, 2008 Posted September 1, 2008 Re: Can't format you have any of those files for gateway on how to format cd's? "windmap" wrote: > This Document from Dell Support site should help. > How to Reinstall Microsoft® Windows®, Drivers, and Software on a DellT > Computer > http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/en/tree?c=us&l=en&s=gen&journalid=&treeid=FFA33DA99941FEDFE030030ABD62041A&Query=&SystemID=&ServiceTag=&contenttype=&os=&component=&lang=&doclang=&toggle=&dl= > > "Jorge E. Jaramillo" <king1george@nospamhotmail.com> wrote in message > news:%23LFQ4VXyIHA.6096@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... > >I have a Dell computer that I bought about 3 years ago. With time it became > >obsolete for the use I wanted to give it and I bought a brand new one but I > >consider that my old machine is a good equipment and that my nephews could > >still use it and I wanted to give it to them but without the burden of so > >many old programs that make its start up to take too long. > > > > So I thought of formating it and reinstalling the whole XP but I haven't > > been able to do it. I changed the boot sequence to start with the CD and I > > also enabled the Installing OS (or something like that) option but still > > when i turn on the computer with the cd labeled as "Operating System" and > > having the Dell logos and stuff, it starts normally and loads the whole > > Win XP without giving me the option to format. > > > > I also tried to format form Windows with the Win Explorer pointing at D: > > and rightclicking on C and choosing Format, but after it tells me that > > this action will erase all data and I agree, another message telling me > > that it can not be formatted for the drive is being used. > > > > Can anyone tell me how do i proceed to format this drive? With Windows 98 > > it used to be so easy with those startup disks but this computer doesn't > > even have a 3.5 drive. > > > > Thanks > > > > >
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