Reformatting HDD Help

Cpt_Winters · Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 31

Could you give me a direct link to a download of a full or trial version of a burning software? Nero's website does not have a trial version up on the site at the moment and Roxio's website...well it's a little confusing to find a demo version. Any help?

Btw, I have an NTFS formatted HDD, if that means anything.

Cpt_Winters · Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 31

I finally managed to make an ISO image on a CD using a burning software I found. I'm gonna give this thing a shot now. Hope it works. I'll keep ya posted!

Cpt_Winters · Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 31

Wow, I definately need some help as to which setup to use when I boot from the ISO cd that I created. There are like 12 different options that I could do and I have no clue which one to use. Can you please help me figure out what options(s) to use for this bootdisk? Thanks

Shiloch Veneficus · Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 12:55 am Post subject:

Raid just got over, Winters. Once we all get settled, I'll power down the EQism and check it out.

Cpt_Winters · Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 31

Thanks bud. I'll be waiting.

Shiloch Veneficus · Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 1:29 am Post subject:

I'm hoping the only thing we really need to do in order to get your Windows XP CD to boot and install properly is wipe out the existing partition.

There are a number of ways to do it using that boot CD.

Let's try the simplest one.
Let the CD boot.
On the first menu, hit F3 for Filesystem Tools.
On the next menu hit F4 for Free FDISK.
This will boot up and you'll see a linux boot process with some splashing white screens. Just hit enter through them until FDISK shows up,

The first FDISK screen will ask you if you want to enable large disk support. Say Y here.

On the next screen, hit 3 for Delete partition.

On the next screen, hit 4 for Delete Non-DOS partition.

The next screen will list the partitions on your hard disk. It will prompt you for the number of the partition to delete. Enter the number, and press enter.

It should then dump you back to the main screen. Here, you can hit ESC to exit the program, then you can reboot using CTRL ALT DEL.

Before you reboot, you may want to stick in your XP CD, and see how far it goes.

Let me know if you hit any bumps. Smile

Elyhim · Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 7:02 am Post subject:

i colllect old pc's from the dump and run into this sort of thing occasionally.
What i do is load a linux OS wiping Windows off the HD then if i prefer i reinstall Windows wiping the Linux OS.

Works like a charm every time.

Cpt_Winters · Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 31

Hey Shiloch,

I did what you told me to do last night and now my computer no longer starts Very Happy

(using a friends PC right now).

When I start up my computer with the XP CD (BIOS set to boot from CD-ROM), I get this following error: "Disk boot failure, insert system disk and press ENTER"

Heh heh, I think I'm in deep deep stuff now Razz

So what's the next step? Or should I run along to Best Buy and purchase a new HDD!!! Wink

Shiloch Veneficus · Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 1:29 pm Post subject:

OK, the partition is REALLY gone now. Smile

This is a good thing, but it also identifies that my original problem still exists -- you're not booting from the CD.

If the PC picks up the CD as something it should boot from, you'll get a message that says:

"Press any key to boot from CD.."

If you don't hit a key within a couple seconds, the PC goes on and tries to boot normally (which now it won't do).

I don't think you need a new hard drive, just now need to get that XP CD working. If nothing else, you can use the UBCD to reformat the drive and make it bootable again.

Try fooling with your BIOS a little, and try hitting the enter key a couple times right after your BIOS screen posts.

A couple things to check for: is your CD-ROM spinning up and trying to read during the boot process? If it's not even trying to read and justs prompts you to insert a system disk, then we have another unidentified problem.

Shiloch Veneficus · Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 1:31 pm Post subject:

I'm leaving for work now and I won't be home until tonight, so don't expect any replies from me until after midnight, sorry. Embarassed

Cpt_Winters · Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 31

I've never gotten the messeage press any key to boot from CD. When I inserted the CD it would always just go to the blue DOS looking setup screen asking me to install XP and to create or delete a partition. Couple of days ago, I decided to just install on my current partition (C Smile

and write over my current OS (XP Home) and it did that just fine. And then I had XP Pro on my computer, but the trouble was I still had all these old files from XP Home and from HP (my computer manufacturer) and all those files ended up taking up like 50 gigs of my hard drive that I wanted deleted. And that's the reason why I've been trying to re-format my PC (that, and a few viruses I had had).

How can I use the "UBCD to reformat the drive and make it bootable again?"

I've tried hitting enter numerous times to get it started, but I recieve the same error.

I'm not too sure if my CD-ROM is spinning up when it stars because it's pretty quiet Confused

Phinneas · Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 3:46 pm Post subject:

Do you have lights on the front of your CD-ROM? If so it should light up upon startup ... when turning on your pc do you get a press F8 for bios or some message like that? I would check your bios again to be sure that your cdrom is the first in the boot order.

Phinneas
_________________
Phinneas ~ Lord Protector ~ The Walkers of Vazaelle ~ My Magelo

Cpt_Winters · Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 31

Hi Phinneas,

I do have green lights on the front of my CD-ROM drive. And they do light up as soon as I turn my computer on. And yes, I do get a BIOS screen that allows me to change my BIOS setup by pressing F1. In my BIOS, there is an option called BOOT and under that I can change my boot sequence and my CD-ROM drive is first, followed by my HDD, and then some networking thing. Any help from here? Thanks!

Shiloch Veneficus · Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2005 2:39 am Post subject:

Shiloch Veneficus · Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2005 3:59 am Post subject:

OK, after some hard-fought battles with the UBCD tools and trying to format the drive, I've decided the best option at this point is going to be to mail you a couple CDs I think will help.

I could get the install to work, but there are so many places in this set of instructions that could go either way depending on how things fell, or what your system responded with.

I want to send you two CDs, one of which is my XP SP2 CD which could possibly solve all of your problems just by booting from it, and the other is a Windows XP Preinstallation Environment that will boot you all the way into Windows XP from memory, and allow you to use windows tools on NTFS volumes (in addition to giving you a browser to use for getting on the message board from your own PC).

If you will PM me your mailing address I'll send them out priority on Monday morning.