HDD formatting

RobertFoster

Hi,

My computer is starting to annoy me and feel cluttered, so I'm thinking of wiping the HDD and starting again. I have two problems with this though....

1) I'm unsure how to actually format my HDD;
2) I'm afraid of wiping the OS off. I don't have the CD with my OS on it because I got the computer in TIME and they didn't supply the OS disc :eek:

Is there any way to save the OS while formatting? I have a CDRW if that'd help me in any way?

If anyone has any ideas what should be done I'd be glad to hear. However, I would prefer to format as I'm considering selling the computer sometime soon too.

Thanks for your help.

ando

if your going to format you'll need an operating system cd. The whole idea of formatting is to erase everything. You'd need to save your files to cdr or something, format, put in the cd, install the OS, then load the drivers, copy back your files and then install your programs. If you dont have an Operating sytem CD, you'll be left there sitting on your arse with a Dos screen

Ste-

Is your OS on a hidden partition ?
Lots of manufacters do that now you should have a boot floppy that extracts the stuff from the partition.
Thus eliminating the need for an OS cd.
Id still prefer the cd tho coz my hidden partition became corupt so I had to go out and get xp.

tribble

No modern pc has been shipped with OS cd's for years now.

Most are shipped with a floppy/cd which contains enough data to boot the pc into a factory recovery mode which accessess (spelling?) a hidden partition on the hard disk which contains the os and most of the programs that the pc shipped with.

Packard Bell (NEC) pc owners (among others) can create a further backup set of cd's from which to recover the pc from (in case the hidden partition is damaged).

These are not os disks though in the strictest sence but can be used to remaster the pc back to the state it left the factory.

I would advise you to carefully fully backup all your documents/music/other crap and then do a factory reset with the floppy/cd supplied/(downloaded from manufacturers website).

tribble

RobertFoster

when I re-installed my OS a month or so ago I accessed it trough the C drive, so I'm guessing there isn't a hidden partition.

Would there be ayway to find out - or is the partition hidden to all?

Would it be possible to create a partition myself?

Ste-

Use a partition manager.

Capt'n Midnight

if you have Win9x/me then
a) into control panel and make the startup disk.
b) do a search for a folder called options with cab files in it
- this contains 99% of the setup files (theSetup.exe will be missing)
c) get your serial number - you should have got a cert of authenticity from time - if not then you should try for ten grand from the BSA, or open regedit and do a search for productid

(I won't go into the whole thing about how under irish law you are allowed a backup copy of media in additon to the original one - hence the "don't make illegal copies" rather than "don't make copies".)


Other options
use ghost to make an image of your HDD
do you have more than one partition ?
Rename the windows and program files folders so that when you reinstall it won't inherit the current settings

But the bottom line is unless time tell you how you can reinstall the os without a CD you will have to get one - Don't you just love the way m$ are directing you towards the copying of their CD's...

PS. since most versions of windows have sub versions - you are best off in most cases to get the latest one...

Firefox

No modern pc has been shipped with OS cd's for years now.

All Dell PC's come shipped with with all OS/Programe/Driver CD's with the System so thos is not true.

Mac daddy

Originally posted by Firefox
All Dell PC's come shipped with with all OS/Programe/Driver CD's with the System so thos is not true.

that is true i bought my Comp last year and got the Os cd with it:ninja:

Capt'n Midnight

M$ have never been into backward compat except in the lip-service sense .

As before you WILL need a CD - if you have the cabs you only need about 7 files from the CD - but since there are about 5 different versions of windows 95 for example - just get the CD..

The startup disk is not a setup disk - it just allows you to see the hard drive and has the format program on it

NT / 2k / XP are of course different. (Which OS / sub version or service pack...)

In short try clean ups first and uninstall and only consider reinstalling when you have the OS cd AND all the drivers AND plenty of time AND patience - look at other threads - it could simply be one app slowing down the system - but then again M$ ideal of the registry and having program put DLL in the system folder means this approach does not work a lot of the time

Go into conrol panel and write down all the names and settings of the add on cards too.. - the only time you might get away with this is if you have a cd / partition with the original image

In short there are so many things that can go wrong you need to prepare as much a possible - - 90% chance it will all go smoothly but a 10% chance you will be tearing your hair out..

Talk to TIME - if they can't or won't help you then you have my permission to bad mouth them - if they do tell you how it is done or other wise help you - post here so other uses can benefit .

PS. most manufacturers who sell in volume to businesses supply media.. 'cos they need the repeat purchases

RobertFoster

I checked out Time's website (http://www.timesupport.com/) and they mention a Reload/backup CD which sends the system back to it's original state:

"The system should be as it was when it was originally unpacked from the box."

So I'll go and have a look for that disc.

you have my permission to bad mouth them

I don't need your permission to bad mouth them - they are so bad, bad mouthing is a given

I've had nothing but trouble since they left Ireland. A week after their Dublin store closed 128mb of my RAM burned out or something and the phone tech support wouldn't entertain me because the computer was shipped with only 64mbs (I later upgraded to 256mb - buying the RAM in the TIME store in B'town - but no record was kept by the store and I was left high and dry only dealing with the English company over the phone)

I hate TIME with a vengence and regret ever buying off them.