Problem formatting C drive (Please Help)
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From: Paul on 30 Dec 2009 23:31 Randy and Ann wrote: > I want to thank everyone for the assistance, but this thing is still kicking > my butt... > It won't boot from the XP installation CD. I entered the BIOS and changed > them > so the computer boots from the CD first. The 'blue screen of death' comes > about a > second after the windows logo comes up. The blue screen has a code (maybe > I should've brought this up in the first place) 0X00000024. I did some more > research > and found it at this website: http://www.techspot.com/vb/topic5352.html > > I would appreciate the help if someone could "dumb this down" a little bit > for me.... > > Thank you to anyone who can assist in helping me (teaching me). > > Sam Make sure it is actually booting from the CD, and not going to the hard drive instead. Since you mention "Windows logo", that sounds like it is still the hard drive that is doing the booting. Some BIOS screens will say something like "press a key to boot from CD", even though the CD is logically the thing the user wants to boot from. So even if it is in the boot order, it may still require you to press a key to get the CD to boot (within a short timeout period). There are a number of options you could be following, to put Windows back on the machine. Some of the options would do more damage than others. For example, I could tell you to get a copy of DBAN and erase the entire hard drive, but a side effect of that, is you could lose the recovery partition if the machine was a Dell/HP etc. On the one hand, we want to help. On the other, we have to be careful not to recommend things you may later regret. Examine your bootup process more carefully, to see whether the machine is actually trying to boot from CD. Some of the screens flash by so fast, that you may miss an option on the screen. You can try pressing the "Pause" key, if this is happening at the BIOS level. Pressing another key after "Pause" should allow the sequence to continue. Also, take a look in the user manual that came with the computer. It contains a lot of irrelevant info, but you could benefit from reading the portion of the manual that deals with the recovery partition and burning recovery media. The BIOS may have a key you press, which causes the C: drive to be wiped out and returned to factory condition. That is their idea of doing you a favor, by wiping out all your user files on C :-( Paul
From: Baron on 31 Dec 2009 06:44 Randy and Ann Inscribed thus: > I want to thank everyone for the assistance, but this thing is still > kicking my butt... > It won't boot from the XP installation CD. I entered the BIOS and > changed them > so the computer boots from the CD first. The 'blue screen of death' > comes about a > second after the windows logo comes up. The blue screen has a code > (maybe I should've brought this up in the first place) 0X00000024. I > did some more research > and found it at this website: > http://www.techspot.com/vb/topic5352.html That suggests HDD failure... > I would appreciate the help if someone could "dumb this down" a little > bit for me.... > > Thank you to anyone who can assist in helping me (teaching me). > > Sam > > > "James D. Andrews" <jamesdandrews(a)att.net> wrote in message > news:hhgak3$15vk$1(a)adenine.netfront.net... >> >> "Jeff Strickland" <crwlrjeff(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message >> news:hhg02k$5es$1(a)news.eternal-september.org... >>> You can't reformat the boot drive. Yoou have to boot to a different >>> drive and then format. >>> >>> What you need is the XP Installation CD, put it in the tray, set the >>> Boot Priority in BIOS to look for the CD first, and then choose >>> Install, not Repair. After going through a couple of screens, then >>> you can choose the Repair option -- the C Drive will be listed as an >>> installation location, select it then choose the option for a fresh >>> install. >>> >>> The data on your HDD will be destroyed. >>> >>> "Randy and Ann" <randyandann(a)cox.net> wrote in message >>> news:ZLw_m.79857$de6.69290(a)newsfe21.iad... >>>> Hi, >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> I have been having issues with my computer and can't >>>> get it >>>> to boot up. I've already tried to start it in safe mode and I >>>> tried using the factory boot disk; neither one works. I decided to >>>> format the C drive and reload windows, but I can't figure out how >>>> to format the C drive, I've already tried standard format C:/ >>>> command at the DOS prompt. >>>> >>>> My computer is operating off Windows XP. When I try to format the C >>>> drive, it comes up with this: >>>> >> >>>> FORMAT [/help] drive: [/F: size] [/N: sectors /T: tracks] [/1] [/4] >>>> [/8] >>>> >>>> [/A] [[/B : /S]] [/Q] [/V >>>> [[Label]]. >>>> >> >>>> Any idea of what I should type in to format the C drive and what >>>> the info above means? >>>> >>>> Thanks in advance. My parents won't let me on their computer and >>>> told me I had to fix mine. >>>> >>>> Sam >>>> >> >> In simplest, non-computerese terms, when you start your computer, you >> enter "Start Up" "Start Up" option appears at the top of your black >> screen when your computer is first turned on, and it will tell you >> what >> button(s) you have to push to enter Start Up. For some Dell's, it's >> one of the (f)Keys. It will flash past this option fairly quick and >> go on to other things, so you have to pay attention and act quickly >> when prompted. >> >> >> Once inside Start Up, you'll find the Boot Sequence. Change as >> necessary. >> >> IF other recovery options don't work for you AND you still want to >> attempt to Format the drive: >> >> IF you have a floppy drive: >> >> IF you have a floppy boot disk (also called Start Up disk or Recovery >> Disk), try booting from the floppy. Just put it in and Restart the >> computer to see if it will boot from floppy first. >> >> IF the floppy won't boot, then you'll have to change the Boot >> Sequence in BIOS (Start Up) just as you would for attempting to boot >> from CD. >> >> Floppy boot disks usually contain the bare minimum to boot your >> computer to A: drive (the floppy drive), but sometimes have basic DOS >> commands. >> >> THEN, on the boot disk itself OR if you have an old DOS disk, you >> might find FORMAT.EXE on one of these. >> >> IF SO, then you can Format from this disk. Just type Format C: and >> Execute. It will give you the warning and cancel option. Just tell >> it to >> go ahead and format. How long it takes depends on your HDD. >> >> IF you can't boot to either CD or floppy, you may be looking at >> something more serious than your hard drive or Operating System, >> possibly your Power Supply. >> >> >> --- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: news(a)netfront.net --- -- Best Regards: Baron.
From: Randy and Ann on 9 Jan 2010 15:32 Baron, Paul, James, Jeff, JD, Janus, and anyone eles who jumped in to provide assistance, I wanted to thank you for the help you provided. We ended up having a bad hard drive. Your assistance helped to save us $$$$$. Thanks again! Sam "Baron" <baron.nospam(a)linuxmaniac.nospam.net> wrote in message news:hhi2qv$bdm$1(a)news.eternal-september.org... > Randy and Ann Inscribed thus: > >> I want to thank everyone for the assistance, but this thing is still >> kicking my butt... >> It won't boot from the XP installation CD. I entered the BIOS and >> changed them >> so the computer boots from the CD first. The 'blue screen of death' >> comes about a >> second after the windows logo comes up. The blue screen has a code >> (maybe I should've brought this up in the first place) 0X00000024. I >> did some more research >> and found it at this website: >> http://www.techspot.com/vb/topic5352.html > > That suggests HDD failure... > >> I would appreciate the help if someone could "dumb this down" a little >> bit for me.... >> >> Thank you to anyone who can assist in helping me (teaching me). >> >> Sam >> >> >> "James D. Andrews" <jamesdandrews(a)att.net> wrote in message >> news:hhgak3$15vk$1(a)adenine.netfront.net... >>> >>> "Jeff Strickland" <crwlrjeff(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message >>> news:hhg02k$5es$1(a)news.eternal-september.org... >>>> You can't reformat the boot drive. Yoou have to boot to a different >>>> drive and then format. >>>> >>>> What you need is the XP Installation CD, put it in the tray, set the >>>> Boot Priority in BIOS to look for the CD first, and then choose >>>> Install, not Repair. After going through a couple of screens, then >>>> you can choose the Repair option -- the C Drive will be listed as an >>>> installation location, select it then choose the option for a fresh >>>> install. >>>> >>>> The data on your HDD will be destroyed. >>>> >>>> "Randy and Ann" <randyandann(a)cox.net> wrote in message >>>> news:ZLw_m.79857$de6.69290(a)newsfe21.iad... >>>>> Hi, >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> I have been having issues with my computer and can't >>>>> get it >>>>> to boot up. I've already tried to start it in safe mode and I >>>>> tried using the factory boot disk; neither one works. I decided to >>>>> format the C drive and reload windows, but I can't figure out how >>>>> to format the C drive, I've already tried standard format C:/ >>>>> command at the DOS prompt. >>>>> >>>>> My computer is operating off Windows XP. When I try to format the C >>>>> drive, it comes up with this: >>>>> >>> >>>>> FORMAT [/help] drive: [/F: size] [/N: sectors /T: tracks] [/1] [/4] >>>>> [/8] >>>>> >>>>> [/A] [[/B : /S]] [/Q] [/V >>>>> [[Label]]. >>>>> >>> >>>>> Any idea of what I should type in to format the C drive and what >>>>> the info above means? >>>>> >>>>> Thanks in advance. My parents won't let me on their computer and >>>>> told me I had to fix mine. >>>>> >>>>> Sam >>>>> >>> >>> In simplest, non-computerese terms, when you start your computer, you >>> enter "Start Up" "Start Up" option appears at the top of your black >>> screen when your computer is first turned on, and it will tell you >>> what >>> button(s) you have to push to enter Start Up. For some Dell's, it's >>> one of the (f)Keys. It will flash past this option fairly quick and >>> go on to other things, so you have to pay attention and act quickly >>> when prompted. >>> >>> >>> Once inside Start Up, you'll find the Boot Sequence. Change as >>> necessary. >>> >>> IF other recovery options don't work for you AND you still want to >>> attempt to Format the drive: >>> >>> IF you have a floppy drive: >>> >>> IF you have a floppy boot disk (also called Start Up disk or Recovery >>> Disk), try booting from the floppy. Just put it in and Restart the >>> computer to see if it will boot from floppy first. >>> >>> IF the floppy won't boot, then you'll have to change the Boot >>> Sequence in BIOS (Start Up) just as you would for attempting to boot >>> from CD. >>> >>> Floppy boot disks usually contain the bare minimum to boot your >>> computer to A: drive (the floppy drive), but sometimes have basic DOS >>> commands. >>> >>> THEN, on the boot disk itself OR if you have an old DOS disk, you >>> might find FORMAT.EXE on one of these. >>> >>> IF SO, then you can Format from this disk. Just type Format C: and >>> Execute. It will give you the warning and cancel option. Just tell >>> it to >>> go ahead and format. How long it takes depends on your HDD. >>> >>> IF you can't boot to either CD or floppy, you may be looking at >>> something more serious than your hard drive or Operating System, >>> possibly your Power Supply. >>> >>> >>> --- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: news(a)netfront.net --- > > -- > Best Regards: > Baron.
From: Jeff Strickland on 9 Jan 2010 15:59 "Randy and Ann" <randyandann(a)cox.net> wrote in message news:BJ52n.1433$Mv3.1162(a)newsfe05.iad... > Baron, Paul, James, Jeff, JD, Janus, and anyone eles who jumped in to > provide assistance, > > I wanted to thank you for the help you provided. We ended up having > a bad hard drive. > Your assistance helped to save us $$$$$. > > > Thanks again! Sam You are welcome. MORE MONEY SAVING TIPS The failed drive might not be totally failed. You can frequently recover the files on this kind of drive with a device that costs about $25. Basically it's a power supply and a conector that fits a 3.5, 2.5, and SATA connection on a drive, and a USB cable that then plugs into your laptop or PC. Or, Mac, I suppose. Anyway, once the machine is up, you can connect the "failed" drive with the device I described, and recover files from it. My experience here is a bit limited, but I've alwasy found the boot sector of the drive to be damaged, making the files on the drive recoverable if one can boot from something else, such as a new HDD, or a different HDD on another machine. I found a device called EZ-CONNECT that lets me take a "failed" drive and make it into a USB drive that I can then take stuff off of it and put it on another drive. If you are able to recover the data, then you can do several things with the drive, including using it again as the main HDD. Once you get the files off, you should reformat and see if the boot sector can be repaired through this process. If it can't, then the drive can still be used as a backup file storage device. You can reformat and keep using the drive as the primary device, or set it as a Slave and use it as a secondary device that is permantly mounted inside the machine -- a laptop will not accomodate this usage but a desktop machine will normally have an unused bay that will hold it. You can get an enclosure that allows the drive to be used as an external drive. This will convert the drive to a USB drive and have you place it into a hardened enclosure. This allows the drive to be used as a temporary storage device, much the same as a flash- or thumb-drive, or any other external hard drive that you see on the market these days. You can store the drive in a drawer or your briefcase, and pull it out when you want to use it then put it away again. I'm not sure how much an enclosure should cost, but you should be able to find representative samples on eBay.
From: Baron on 10 Jan 2010 10:09
Randy and Ann Inscribed thus: > Baron, Paul, James, Jeff, JD, Janus, and anyone eles who jumped in to > provide assistance, > > I wanted to thank you for the help you provided. We ended up > having > a bad hard drive. > Your assistance helped to save us $$$$$. > > > Thanks again! Sam You're welcome. Glad to help. (*) -- Best Regards: Baron. |