Formatting problem

So i installed windows vista onto my 160 gb hard drive and now i would like to format my old 40gb with xp on it to use for files. Of course from within vista if i try to right click format the C (40) drive it cannot do this. So i make a MSDOS startup floppy disk and it boots up and i get a A:\> prompt but it wont recognize format C: or C: format. How the heck can i format this drive!

 

Make sure your DOS boot disk includes the format command. Just do a DIR at the A:> prompt.

To format easily go to the HD manufacturer's site and get their utility disk. It will be bootable and include format options. Not sure if it will have an NTFS option but you can always format to FAT and then reformat the empty partition to NTFS from within Vista.

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The only thing I would be concerned about is why Vista won't let you format the C: drive. In order to be certain it doesn't contain any hidden boot partition info, I would unplug it before formatting and restart the computer to make sure Vista boots without it.

 

Ok i will try this and let you know!

 

"The only thing I would be concerned about is why Vista won't let you format the C: drive. In order to be certain it doesn't contain any hidden boot partition info, I would unplug it before formatting and restart the computer to make sure Vista boots without it."

Once the above is done and confirmed;

"... So i make a MSDOS startup floppy disk..."

What startup floppy disk are you using?

A Win98SE Boot Disk* should do just fine. Use fdisk to delete the Non-Dos partition. (Use option 5 to change to the physical hard disk in question FIRST. Once on the selected hard disk (it shows the physical disk number on the top of the screen) use option 4 to display the disks structure. Again, ENSURE you are on the correct hard disk BEFORE you perform any operations to that disk.

Once the NTFS partition is deleted, your should be able to (within Vista Disk Management) partition/format the disk/partition(s).

*The above bootdisk image file is a self extracting file and has to be executed (run) from a running Windows machine in order to create the actual startup diskette on one of your floppy disks. (This image file produces the same bootdisk which 98SE creates.) This downloaded image file will format the floppy disk to ensure its integrity, write the files to the disk, then verify the file write, so it'll take a minute or three to create the bootdisk.

Ensure the floppy drive is set as the first boot device in the bios.

NOTE: When you boot a machine with this boot floppy, it creates a RAMDRIVE in system memory to contain DOS system tools/drivers. Thus it will move your "normal" CDROM device/drive letter "up" one level. (If your CDROM is normally E: it will be F: when booting with this bootdisk.)

The path to the found CDROM will be set with the bootfiles, so entering A:\>f:\setup is the same as entering A:\>setup at the A:\> prompt. There is no need to include the cdrom drive letter. The CDROM device letter will be assigned near the end of the floppy boot process, right after MSCDEX is loaded.