Re: Can not format

Delpart can't delete the partitions? Yes indeed there is something fishy going on here, I have never, ever seen delpart not being able to remove any type of partitions on any disk! Try this other maniacal application: Zap.exe by IBM. We used to use it in the old days to get rid of boot sector or CIH virus.

The IBM Wipe and Zap Utilities Page
http://www.digitalissues.co.uk/html/os/misc/ibm-wipe-zap.html

Another(?) guaranteed* way to zap everything on your drive! If that doesn't work I'm out of ideas, other than a drive diagnostic utility from the drive manufacturer.

John

* Exclusive 30/30 guarantee, 30 seconds or 30 feet from the doorstep, whichever comes first.


PC398 wrote:
I have even tried them, downloaded onto 6 floppies, it does the first one, asks for second, then does not go any further, I have a big problem here somewhere. I have even downloaded Win 98 Boot disk and delpart.exe, but that does not work. Thanks for your help. Re; Genuine Mic Windows XP Pro/SP2 disc, is a copy from a friend to see if boot works!! My own XP Disc is Genuine.

"John John" <audetweld@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:%23iY4u0M4FHA.4076@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

PS. Another alternative would be to try the XP Setup boot disks. You can download them from Microsoft

How to obtain Windows XP Setup boot disks
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q310994

John

John John wrote:


Is that XP Pro/SP2 disk a GENUINE Microsoft Windows XP Pro disk or is that one of those "homemade" copy "jobbies"? I don't know why or how your drive letters got changed but that has little or no effect when in a DOS or NT setup environment, these drive letters are somewhat arbitrary, the active partition only having an effect and being labeled as C by windows, the rest hardly matters. I think there is something wrong with that XP CD or you have something not set right in the BIOS. How old is that pc? Surely the god you don't have drive overlay software in there? Or something like GoBack? I can guarantee you that with a W98 boot disk and delpart.exe your partitions and XP would go poof! in less than 10 seconds! But if the XP CD is not bootable or if the XP setup program is unaccessible you are going to be up the proverbial creek. Get a W98 boot disk with CDROM support and try to launch the XP setup from that, see what happens.

John

PC398 wrote:


Hi, I tried what you said, got one floppy, then tried to boot from it, it started, then it paused so you could take note of the different drive letters that are on the disk, then said to continue, but nothing happened after that. I have just borrowed an XP Pro/SP2 Bootable disc. But on boot up I still get click any key to boot, and it goes straight into Windows. I have just realised that my drive letters have been changed, why and when I don't know, my D drive is E, and my E drive isF, could this be the reason I am having problems? if so, how do I change back to my normal drive letters?

"John John" <audetweld@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:eu1tFKK4FHA.1420@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Pretty strange...  Try it with a W98 boot diskette or this:

MS Windows XP System setup disk
Allows you to boot from a single floppy disk, partition
and format the drive and then begin the XP installation
from CD.

The download and information page is here:
http://freepctech.com/pc/002/files010.shtml

See Note 1 on that page for more information.

MAKE SURE THAT THE CDROM DRIVE IS ACCESSIBLE FROM THE DISKETTE BOOT BEFORE YOU PROCEED!

John

PC398 wrote:


I have done what you suggested, but I still get the same response, goes into Windows. Thanks for your suggestion.


"Jupiter Jones [MVP]" <jones_jupiter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:eXtK7IJ4FHA.3628@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx



With the Windows XP CD in the drive, reboot.
Look for a message "Press a key to boot to CD-ROM".
The message will only be briefly on the screen and you must press a key quickly.
If you still do not see the message, reboot and immediately start pressing a key each second.

--
Jupiter Jones  [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar
http://www.dts-l.org


"PC398" <jim@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:EDpaf.6626$LF3.731852@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx



Hi, I have my CD Rom set for first boot. I also have the original CD


from Microsoft, but it does not boot. As I said I get a black screen


that says click any key to boot, I do this, but it then goes to Windows. I have no other CD, this was supplied by Microsoft and is my Install CD. So now I do not know what else to try, thanks for your help. 






.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Windows kill Linux?
    ... Now during every install after CD1 ... a dual boot with Windows. ... Windows can not detect ext3 partitions. ...
    (alt.os.linux)
  • Re: Deleting Partitions and Formatting HDD
    ... Boot off your Windows XP CD. ... If you want to keep the partitions, ... select the first partition and format it (again I ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware)
  • Re: Need to install Windows 2000 from scratch to HDDs with Debian/Linux
    ... we need the print outputs of fdisk for the ... > Linux partitions with Windows tools. ... > Root and Boot floppy is fine for this, ...
    (comp.os.linux.setup)
  • Re: Desperate help needed! MBR problem
    ... I recently installed suse 10.1 on my machine to dual boot with windows xp ... both installed on the same hard drive on separate partitions. ... I see new 80 gig drives for CDN$50 or less. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)
  • Re: XP Boot up problems..
    ... When I boot, I get hung up on the exact same black ... Computer Stops Responding with a Black Screen When You Start Windows ... Create a Microsoft Windows XP boot disk to start the computer. ... Create a Boot Disk for an NTFS or FAT Partition in Windows XP ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)