problems formatting

Question

For the past couple of weeks, I've been needing to format my hard drive. It seems I've exuasted ever way I know how to format my hard drive. Here are the ways I've tried:

Booting from the XP disc - Every time I try this, it gives me an error, and tells me to restart my computer

Creating the 6 floppy boot disks - A file is always corrupt on the floppy and it stops

Creating a MSDOS disk and formatting in DOS - It tells me that format c: is not a existing command, i tried other commands and none of them worked either, so my DOS seems to be messed up.

These are the only ways I know how, I've searched around a little and couldn't find anything.

Thanks

Robert Moyer · Answer

What I would do is go in the bios and change your boot sequence, hard drive first hit f10 and exit then shut your system down , put in your windows xp disk in and turn your computer on as soon as you see the logo tap the f12 key you will see on the left hand side of your screen four choices select # 4 when the cd starts and asks you to hit a key hit any key right away and then this will start you on the road to checking your system and reformating and putting windows xp back on. Message Edited by Robert Moyer on 08-30-2004 08:53 AM

drgnslyer · Answer

Thats just booting from the XP disc isn't it? because i've already tried booting from my XP disc

Robert Moyer · Answer

Before you boot up again remove printer,scanner also remove everything on ther back of your computer except the mouse and the keyboard, then try again the way I mention in the first message. don't forget when it says hit any key do it right away. this starts the process

drgnslyer · Answer

i've tried booting from the XP disc just like the way you've said, by changing the boot seqence and, hitting f12 on the dell start up screen. i get up to the point when you hit f12 and select the cd drive, then it gives me and error, tells me to remove the disc and reboot. and i don't have a printer or a scanner. Message Edited by drgnslyer on 09-08-2004 12:48 AM

drgnslyer · Answer

bump......  i seriously need help, i'm just about ready to have my hard drive meet my base ball bat, I can't do anything with my computer right now, it really needs to be formatted.... help please

drgnslyer · Answer

.......... guess i'll just spend one whole day trying to understand the people on the 'award winning' technical support line that DELL has..... if its award winning.. you would think they had people that could acctually speak english...

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problems formatting

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