Formating A Drive

[Fender357]

Ok.... I've been having some problems with my computer for a wile now...not getting into what they are because no one could help me with it last time I asked. But what it finaly came down to was that it seems windows has become unstable for me and I'm going to need to reformat and reinstall it. Now here's my question. I have two hard drives, C and D. Windows in on C as is all the important drivers for printers and video (and my photography and PS stuff ). D has all my games and random programs. I understand what formating is. Just clean slate. I'm going to have to back up my pictures and photoshop. But when I go to select "Format" is it going to do it on just the drive I select? Or will it do a compete format of my computer?

Its a big deal because that would mean I've got to back up all of my Steam stuff. Which will be a bit of a task. And oh god.....all my mp3's.......and......*gasp*.... I don't have a DVD burner.........
I'd have to invest in an external DVD drive because I aint got no room in the box I got. Damn my eyes for taking a liking twards the computer that was a space saver. Friggn' ShuttleX's.

 

[simmo]

Well, I have a number of partitions.

System (C: )
Games (G: )
Applications (F: )

Now, whenever I boot up XP and goto format, just tell it to install a fresh copy of XP and from there you sould be able to select which drive/partition you wish to format and install windows on and it will totally ignore the other partitions. :imu:

 

[baron insig]

then when u got it installed niuce n clean with all ur programs u require get hold of some drive imaging software

this way next time it fudges it takes 15 mins to geta perfect install again

 

[oldagerocker]

I dont mean to derail this thread but im talking about hard drives still here, my computers broke and i want to keep the data on the hard drive, could i put my current ide drive in an enclosure and manually delete windows from it?
I cant uninstall windows from it as the system it could go in is completely different... would the windows install affect the pc it connects to through usb? i'm alittle confused.

 

[oni_666]

I dont mean to derail this thread but im talking about hard drives still here, my computers broke and i want to keep the data on the hard drive, could i put my current ide drive in an enclosure and manually delete windows from it?
I cant uninstall windows from it as the system it could go in is completely different... would the windows install affect the pc it connects to through usb? i'm alittle confused.

I take it English is'nt your first language..because I very confused about what you wrote.
Let me guess though...
Your computer is broken, And you want to connect the HD that was in it, too another computer and then delete the windows install from the HD!...Is that right

Ok So your second system is not windows...Linux maybe...thats why it won't recognise the windows install that you want to delete....Christ! I am confused now!
Post again and explain exactly what you want to do.

As for the first post...

Well if your gonna format c: and reinstall windows, then all your programs and games on D: are useless, Cos they need the registry to work properly.
So uniinstall all the programs and games..Or cos your gonna do a fresh install, just delete all the folders from the D: drive.

Then backup all your stuff that you want to keep from C: onto D:,
Backup the entire contents of .. C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps onto a folder in the D: drive, also backup the "cliientregistry.blob" from C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam into another folder on the D: drive.

Then either stick the winXP disc in and reboot (if it does'nt boot from the CD, then go into the bios and make sure your CD (dvd ) Drive is the first boot device) and install windows that way.

Or to do a fresh format and install, You need to get hold of a Win 98 floppy boot disc or a Win 98 CD, Boot from the floppy or disc, select "start computer with CD rom support" at the A: prompt type in Format C: , If you boot from the Win98 CD, then at the prompt, Select your CD drive, e.g E: then type in CD:WIN98 , the prompt should change to E:WIN98/ then type in Format C:

The HD will then be formatted using FAT 32,
After its done, reboot, with the WINXP disc in and let windows reformat the drive using NTFS and install windows.

Then when you get into windows, Move everything from D: back to C: (just backup everything into a folder).
Format D: through windows.
And then move all your backups back into drive D:
Job done!

 

[Fender357]

Ok...so let me try and get what your saying. If I just format C....all of my games and stuff won't work on D? Even after I reinstall windows? I've got a hell of a lot of crap that will take me forever to back up on the D drive like games and music and video. All that stuff will be screwed up by formating C ?

 

[Ginkster]

I have four hard drives, : is my windows install, you can format your windows partition and still use everything on the other drives no problem.

 

[oldagerocker]

Im sorry oni_666 if my post was not clear. English is my first language but i do realise if you dont know what i know then it really doesnt make sense lol. I'll put my problem into bullet points.

~ PC died... harddrive has important data on it i want to save.

~ New pc is windows, but isnt the same computer, different drivers etc as im upgrading to new motherboard etc.

~ Got new hard drive for new pc/upgrade. I dont want to mess about with changing mobo drivers etc on a old drive with other stuff on it.

~ going to put old hard drive in an enclosure to make it external as new pc (shuttle) wont have the space for it i dont think.

Question : Am i able to pernamently delete windows (manually, highlight - delete) off of the drive without causing problems? OR should i put it inside a computer and uninstall windows with a windows disc before i use it as a usb external hdd.

Thanks for your help. I hope that explains it better.

 

[giant384]

ok i have had to reformat my hd a couple of times to but restart ur comp witht he win xp disc in and press f10 when u like c the name of the mobo or company like hp or dell than u go to boot cd drive first and it will load the win xp cd then in those options u can either format the hd erase everthing or u can do a system restore which will reinstall winxp but not delete any files i believe

 

[oldagerocker]

okay giant384, im worried about changing motherboard drivers or booting up with old mobo drivers on the hdd and if replacing them will work properly.

 

[oni_666]

Ok I understand a bit better now.
There are a couple of ways to do this.
Easy way and not so easy but better way.

Right ..
If you have a ready made enclosure, that connects via USB to the new PC, then you can just put the old HD in the enclosure, Connect it up to the new PC and from within windows on the new PC, Manually delete the Windows (or WINNT) folder on the old HD.
The windows install is gone.
Then transfer all the data you want to save from the external drive to a folder on your new PC HD, Format the external HD and then put all the data back onto the external.

OR..
Forget about the enclosure...And trail the main IDE 0 cable outta your pc and stick it on the old HD as a slave then delete the windows folder, backup etc, like this. (This will be quicker than using USB).
You can then stick the old HD in an enclosure and use it as an external drive afterwards.

There is another way.

Put your old HD into the shuttle...BOOT into safe mode , Goto device manager and remove (un-install) every piece of hardware you can from within here, when windows prompts you to restart after you remove the first bit of hardware, just select cancel.
Once every piece of hardware (or as much as windows allows) is removed.
Reboot into windows and let windows detect your new motherboard and other hardware, Installing the drivers as they are needed.

Then with all the new hardware and motherboard drivers installed, Connect the new HD as a slave (either use the external enclosure or trail the IDE lead outta the case, again).
Then use a cloning program like Norton Ghost, to clone the old drive onto the new one (which I assume is larger).
You then have a fully working windows install, still with your programs and data on, That is now installed on your new HD.

This way I have used many times in the past, Its slightly more complicated, But if the mobo chipset is the same, Via etc, then the install should go perfectly.
And you don't lose anything.
Even if it does;nt work perfectly for you, then you still have the data on the cloned drive.

I know most people will wonder why I would do this, And not just reformat.
Its because its the Lazy tech's way to upgrade, and not have to do a windows install.
I last did it when on 56k, And the prospect of waiting for 10 hrs or so while windows downloaded updates etc, wasn't a prospect I relished.

 

[Fender357]

Ok...I want conformation...is what Ginkster said right? I don't want to screw my self over on this. If I'm going to back up stuff I'm going to start now, but if I don't have to back this stuff up I'm sure as hell not gonna.

 

[oldagerocker]

Thanks oni_666, im going to go with your first plan.

I cant do the third as the chipsets are different i think, my old pc was a abit nf7 nforce 2, the new one is a shuttle nforce 3.

Sorry to screw up your thread Fender.

 

[oldagerocker]

I'm sorry to double post but i have a problem, my hard drive with my old windows install in in the enclosure, but ofcourse i cant get to my files as they are in my passworded user... can someone tell me, how i can manually get to them?
If anyone knows, thanks...

 

[oni_666]

Actually you could do the third option, Because both chipsets are Nforce.
It does'nt matter whether one is Nforce 2 and the other 3, the chipset is still Nforce.
Can you elaborate about the passworded user problem..You should be able to access your data since if the old HD is now essentially an external drive or a slave..then the windows install should'nt be able to stop you from accessing your data.

Can I ask what the data is...If its Microsoft office documents, you should be able to just open office..then direct office to open your documents on the old drive, then save them on the new one.
I really need to know what format (documents, videos, mp3,etc) the data is to be able to help you further.

 

[Reaktor4]

As for the first post...

Well if your gonna format c: and reinstall windows, then all your programs and games on D: are useless, Cos they need the registry to work properly.
So uniinstall all the programs and games..Or cos your gonna do a fresh install, just delete all the folders from the D: drive.

Then backup all your stuff that you want to keep from C: onto D:,
Backup the entire contents of .. C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps onto a folder in the D: drive, also backup the "cliientregistry.blob" from C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam into another folder on the D: drive.

Then either stick the winXP disc in and reboot (if it does'nt boot from the CD, then go into the bios and make sure your CD (dvd ) Drive is the first boot device) and install windows that way.

Or to do a fresh format and install, You need to get hold of a Win 98 floppy boot disc or a Win 98 CD, Boot from the floppy or disc, select "start computer with CD rom support" at the A: prompt type in Format C: , If you boot from the Win98 CD, then at the prompt, Select your CD drive, e.g E: then type in CD:WIN98 , the prompt should change to E:WIN98/ then type in Format C:

The HD will then be formatted using FAT 32,
After its done, reboot, with the WINXP disc in and let windows reformat the drive using NTFS and install windows.

Then when you get into windows, Move everything from D: back to C: (just backup everything into a folder).
Format D: through windows.
And then move all your backups back into drive D:
Job done!

Or he could just back up the registry.

 

[oldagerocker]

It's okay guys.
I dont really understand why it wouldnt let me either, but i worked it out with the help of google.
I am on a completely different windows installation on the other computer, with a different computer name. The files were locked in the My Documents thing, i had to get permissions from going into the administrator account in safe mode on this pc to unlock them, so i can view/copy/back them up.
I gave my account on this pc access to them and it worked.
Although now i have another question, How can i uninstall windows from the harddrive safely, getting rid of all the files etc? shall i just highlight and delete everything excluding the files i want to keep?

 

[baron insig]

just backup your fiels you want to keep becuase when you install windows it formats the partition your installing it to anyways

So you gotta back em up move them to a different partition or Tape them

 

[oni_666]

Or he could just back up the registry.

That solution could work, But over time installing and un-installing programs, deleting files, etc, etc.
The Registry gets rather bloated with old keys and links to programs that no longer exist.
If you just used the old registry on a new install of windows, Your asking for trouble.
Since the registry is essentailly the "heart" of any windows install, It needs to be in tip top condition for windows not to have any problems.

There need be only one missing system file key or setting in the registry and your PC will refuse to boot.
Registry cleaners can work, But they won't clean everything out.
Only a fresh install of windows, Is the safest way to go.