Trying to do a complete reload

[Jim Bruce]

Someone please help!!! I am trying to do a complete reload
on my computer. I want to format the hard drive but
everytime I try I get some kind of error msg saying that I
either can't because the volume is in use or that this
function doesn't run in a DOS mode. Can someone please
give me the solution to my problem?
TIA

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Jim;
You can not format the drive Windows is installed from within windows.

Try it this way:
Disconnect all peripherals (camera, printer, scanner, etc)
Go to BIOS and set CDROM as boot device before hard drive.
Insert Windows XP CD and reboot.
At "Press any key to boot to CDROM" quickly press a key and follow the
prompts for a Clean installation:
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_sg_clean.asp
Delete all partitions in step 5 if you desire to erase all data on the
hard drive.
Partitioning and formatting will be done automatically.
All data will be destroyed, back-up important data first.

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
An easier way to read newsgroup messages:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/newsgroups/setup.asp
Please respond to newsgroup only for everyone's benefit.


"Jim Bruce" > wrote in message
...
> Someone please help!!! I am trying to do a complete reload
> on my computer. I want to format the hard drive but
> everytime I try I get some kind of error msg saying that I
> either can't because the volume is in use or that this
> function doesn't run in a DOS mode. Can someone please
> give me the solution to my problem?
> TIA

[Alvin A Brown]

Hello

Go into you bios settings and make your cdrom the primary bootdevice
and boot with the cd in the drive and follow what XP says to do and
delete
the partition and then create a new one

Alvin



Jim Bruce wrote:

> Someone please help!!! I am trying to do a complete reload
> on my computer. I want to format the hard drive but
> everytime I try I get some kind of error msg saying that I
> either can't because the volume is in use or that this
> function doesn't run in a DOS mode. Can someone please
> give me the solution to my problem?
> TIA

[Jim Bruce]

Will this work if I am using an XP upgrade disk? I have to
reinstall Win98 before I can upgrade to XP.
>-----Original Message-----
>Jim;
>You can not format the drive Windows is installed from
within windows.
>
>Try it this way:
>Disconnect all peripherals (camera, printer, scanner, etc)
>Go to BIOS and set CDROM as boot device before hard drive.
>Insert Windows XP CD and reboot.
>At "Press any key to boot to CDROM" quickly press a key
and follow the
>prompts for a Clean installation:
>http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_sg_clean.asp
>Delete all partitions in step 5 if you desire to erase all
data on the
>hard drive.
>Partitioning and formatting will be done automatically.
>All data will be destroyed, back-up important data first.
>
>--
>Jupiter Jones [MVP]
>An easier way to read newsgroup messages:
>http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/newsgroups/setup.asp
>Please respond to newsgroup only for everyone's benefit.
>
>
>"Jim Bruce" > wrote in message
...
>> Someone please help!!! I am trying to do a complete reload
>> on my computer. I want to format the hard drive but
>> everytime I try I get some kind of error msg saying that I
>> either can't because the volume is in use or that this
>> function doesn't run in a DOS mode. Can someone please
>> give me the solution to my problem?
>> TIA
>
>
>.
>

[Jupiter Jones]

Jim;
Follow the same procedure.
You will need to insert the Windows 98 CD briefly in step 4b.
There is no need to install Windows 98 first.

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
An easier way to read newsgroup messages:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/newsgroups/setup.asp
Please respond to newsgroup only for everyone's benefit.


"Jim Bruce" > wrote in message
...
> Will this work if I am using an XP upgrade disk? I have to
> reinstall Win98 before I can upgrade to XP.
> >-----Original Message-----
> >Jim;
> >You can not format the drive Windows is installed from
> within windows.
> >
> >Try it this way:
> >Disconnect all peripherals (camera, printer, scanner, etc)
> >Go to BIOS and set CDROM as boot device before hard drive.
> >Insert Windows XP CD and reboot.
> >At "Press any key to boot to CDROM" quickly press a key
> and follow the
> >prompts for a Clean installation:
> >http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_sg_clean.asp
> >Delete all partitions in step 5 if you desire to erase all
> data on the
> >hard drive.
> >Partitioning and formatting will be done automatically.
> >All data will be destroyed, back-up important data first.
> >
> >--
> >Jupiter Jones [MVP]
> >An easier way to read newsgroup messages:
> >http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/newsgroups/setup.asp
> >Please respond to newsgroup only for everyone's benefit.
> >
> >
> >"Jim Bruce" > wrote in message
> ...
> >> Someone please help!!! I am trying to do a complete reload
> >> on my computer. I want to format the hard drive but
> >> everytime I try I get some kind of error msg saying that I
> >> either can't because the volume is in use or that this
> >> function doesn't run in a DOS mode. Can someone please
> >> give me the solution to my problem?
> >> TIA
> >
> >
> >.
> >