Re: Reformat problem

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

Thanks for your response.

Alas, I never was able to complete a proper destructive recovery. It
stopped with CD 4. I was advised to use FDISK to remove all partitions.
That couldn't work completely as FDISK cannot remove an NTFS partition. I'll
use DELPART to remove C (NTFS), but I now think, after refreshing myself
about DOS, that I will first have to use UBCD - FREEDOS - FDISK work-alike to
remove the extended partition D (FAT32).

I haven't taken these steps yet because I'm afraid that I might make some
mistake and wind up with an unbootable drive.

Do you have any further advice?


"DL" wrote:

Me thinks your PC tech department was dreaming when they gave that advice.
Assuming your restore cd's have an option for a destructive recovery, I
believe some allow for a repair or destructive process, and you selected the
destructive option, then on completion the first thing you should do is
install AV / Firewall software if you have such, then connect and run
winupdate, do NOT use winupdate for drivers.
Only then should you think about your periferals/mail

"sleeplessinnewjersey" <sleeplessinnewjersey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote in message news:723D2D59-0035-4983-9319-9D19617BF283@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
This is part of a long and frustrating sequence of events. I've condensed
it
here.

Because of recurring Windows XP Home problems on my PC (still under
warranty) that required reinstallations of Windows and, too often,
everything
else, I purchased a large external USB hard drive and Norton Ghost. I
decided that I wanted Ghost to write a "known good" image to the external
drive and I wasn't sure that's what I had currently.

To reach that goal I put my PC through a destructive system recovery that
entailed a reformat of the internal hard drive. (At the time I had
believed
that nothing could survive a format.) Then the real trouble began.

Once the system and Windows XP had been recovered, or so I thought, I
started reinstalling everything else beginning with my printer. The
printer
was installed as expected. Then the registration process began. At the
time
I didn't see a way to stop this process so I filled in the form and
submitted
it just to see what would happen. (I hadn't yet reinstalled my DSL
service.)
I was quite surprised when the program got on the Internet and registered
the printer.

Next I clicked on Internet Explorer. I wasn't surprised that I
immediately
got on the
Internet and could check my email. I reported this to the manufacturer's
tech support. They replied that the format hadn't been completed and that
I
should try again with all non-essential peripherals unplugged. This time
the
(destructive) recovery never got past the fourth recovery CD. I reported
this. They replied that I should use FDISK to remove all partitions and
start over. Since the C partition was formatted in NTFS, I asked if they
hadn't meant DELPART. They told me I could use it. That left me with the
question set forth below.

I replied with that question. They advised me that because of heavy
traffic
and a
technical problem they would get back to me. That was five days ago and I
haven't received an answer. I decided to contact this forum. The
question
is:

My hard drive has two partitions: C (NTFS) and D (Fat 32). Will DELPART
delete C while D still exists? If not, can it remove the Fat 32
partition?
Would I have to use FDISK to remove D?

I have a boot CD with DELPART on it and the latest UBCD with FREEDOS, etc.

I just want to really wipe my hard drive clean and start afresh. Can you
tell me how to proceed, including which partition to remove first.

PS: I have been using the second set of recovery CD's that I received from
the manufacturer under warranty after the first set failed. Maybe this
set
also has failed. Right now I can't tell.










.

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