How do you reformat anyways?

[Karl04]

Yeah so i want to reformat my harddrive its been long now, over 2 years or so. and my 5400rpm seagate is running slow i guess. sometimes some programms gets hang up and stuff. i have when i defrag many of those files that wont be moved. and have so much junk of different kind.

its scary.

I just want to start over and have a fresh new harddrive.

I have windows 98 disk and should i back up all the stuff i'm gona need rite?

but i need to know all the process all the way through. like how do i make a bootable floppy disk etc. will my PC boot up, with out the drivers on my vid card etc.

Karl

 

[flyingember]

what os?

 

[skahtul]

If you are using Win98 you really don't need to make a start up disk or boot disk. YOu do need to check in your BIOS and see if you can boot to your CD-ROM, then to you hard drive. If you can here is all you need to do:
1- Insert Win98 CD,
2- Reboot (it will read the CD ROM first and not the Hard Drive)
3- It will ask you to press a key or something to boot to the CD-ROM, press it, or it may just start up.
4- WIndows will usually ask you if you want to replace your current configuration - format- or just re-install.
5- That is really about it. IT will format, re-install pretty much automatically. Just put the Disk in and it walks you through it. IF you can't boot to the CD-ROM (or have no idean what i mean) then I PM me and I will give you a guide I have to installing windows.

 

[JordanBolduc]

Note- You'll need an internet connection for drivers, if you don't have the original CD's. Besure you know alot about your internet because it can be a pain setting up a modem and ISP. THIS COULD BE A LONG, HARD, AND VERY VERY ANNOYING PROCESS! Just deleting crap you don't need can be effective, too. IF YOU'RE NEW AT COMPUTERS, JUST DON'T DO IT! If you want to continue, say so.

 

[flyingember]

I suck. now I see the os.

yeah, do the above. its the easiest.

the other option is to make a boot disk, get into dos. and run fdisk.

 

[JigPu]

OK, step one would be to backup everything you want to keep since formatting will erase it all.

Next, format a floppy disk like normal, only select the option to make it bootable (should be with the label options and such). Copy C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\FORMAT.COM to the disk.

Reboot the computer with the disk in the drive and type in FORMAT C:. This will bring up a question asking if you're sure. There's no going back after this point, so be sure you haven't screwed up your backups or anything. It will format the drive, and then you will be left with a blank hard drive.

Stick in the install CD, and make sure your BIOS will boot from it. The Windows installer will automatically open and from there you should be able to go through the motions to install Windows.

Hope it helps!!
JigPu

 

[skahtul]

If you boot from the CD-ROM it is much easier, you do not need a boot disk, my system does not have a floppy (why bother?)

 

[Karl04]

Yes, i see what you mean. so i should just boot from the windows 98 disk and my cdrom drive.
But will that reformat my harddrive?

Karl

 

[bee]

you need to fdisk your harddrive then do a format c:

 

[skahtul]

you DO NOT NEED TO FDISK, if you are not sure you know how to format the drive correctly, DO NOT try to fdisk it. Unless you need to partition it there is no need to FDISK. When you put in the CD-ROM, it will eventually ask you if you want to format (usually after is asks you if you want to install windows over the current install)
If you can boot to the CD-ROM, HERE IS exactly what it is going to ask and say after you insert the CD.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1- WIndows 98 Start Up Menu: (you get 2 choices here)
boot from the Hard Disk
boot from the CD-ROM (choose this one)
2-Then it goes into another menu with three options, choose the first one which is...
"Start Windows 98 setup from CD"
3- Then it says "welcome to win 98 setup", press enter here to continue.
(this is as much as I can say word for word from memory)
4- It will then give you an option like "remove win98 install, or remove os, or reformat. You just follow the instructions from there. When it reboots just make sure you choose to boot from the Hard Disk Drive from then on. It really is easy.

 

[Karl04]

So what you saying after i go in and say reformat. it will erase the entire hardrive? and than i reboot and go in again and reinstall windos 98? and than reboot again and say boot from the harddrive ratther than the CD?

will the CD give me that option after i put in, after i reboot.??

karl

 

[skahtul]

yes, to eveything you asked.

 

[Karl04]

so the reformation of the harddrive should make the PC run a little faster?
yes or no? but i have defraged
do harddrive run faster if they have less stuff installed on 'em? or not? like say i have rite now 16.4gigs of stuff on it and like 11gigs left of free space. say if get rid of at least 6 gigs right now, will it work some what faster?
Karl

 

[progamer]

It will always run fastest after a fresh install. Always. But you don't have to do a fresh install to make it run good. There are a lot of sites out there that have guides on optimizing win98. You can start by going to Start>Run and typing msconfig
Click on the Startup tab and uncheck the programs that you don't need. This will definitely speed up your computer. Also, download Ad-aware and use it to get rid of any spyware that may be on your PC.

If you do decide to reformat, remember to backup EVERYTHING because it will all be GONE after the reformat. If you have a burner or zip drive, it's pretty easy.

Make sure you have all your drivers ready before you reformat. If you bought your computer from an OEM like Dell, it should come with all the driver CD's and you can just go ahead and install them. It's recommended, though, to download the latest drivers from the Internet (your manufacturer's site should have them) and burn them on a CD.

Install them (after you're done reformatting and installing Windows) in this order:

1. motherboard chipset drivers
2. latest version of directx (8.1)
3. video card drivers
4. everything else (sound, modem, etc.)

I've left out a lot of stuff, but that's mainly what you need to do. Again, there are a lot of sites that have indepth guides on how to do this. If anyone wants to add to or correct what I said, go ahead.

 

[skahtul]

Well let’s put it this way. It will speed up the computer but not for the reason you think. Less stuff on the drive “can” make it a little faster but there are better ways. The real problem is win98, it is not a very good os compared to some. One of the problems is when you get rid of programs buy uninstalling them. No matter what you do (unless you know how to edit the registry) there are little parts of programs left here and there. I personally don’t let windows98 go for about six months before I clean it up or reinstall. I have a question though, on your tool bar (the one that has the “start” button) it their lots of stuff on the opposite side of this when your computer starts up? If there is we can make your computer much faster by getting rid of those. I do however recommend just starting all over. If not I can show you how to speed up win98 in many other ways. Defrag is a good program but there is much more you can do.

 

[skahtul]

WOW, just as I was typing my resopnse, programer said just what I said and what I was going to say,
THANKS. I would differ on one point though. EVERY book I have ever read says to install your sound card before any other devices, such as video and modems. A+ exam books, Reparing and Upgrading Computers and others. THe reason being that it takes more IRQ's than almost any other device. (because of the complexity and game controllers and all of the in and out functions)

 

[dragontale]

format c:/s = system will be bootable if restarted

 

[Karl04]

yeah i got rid of those programs near the clock. only the Gainward control center and the clock running. nothing else.
But my CDROM isnt working properly. so i am gona have to get a new one then.
Yeah i got this one program called regcleaner, makes it easy to clean out the registre. hehe, so i guess that helps

Karl