Formatting Hard Drive, Pc Won't Boot From Disc, Is There Any Way I Can Format Without Booting From Disc?

[Nikkijah]

I need some help here, I've had some virus issues and I took my pc to a shop, they saved all of my data but installed a newer version of XP and included lots of crap with it, lots of trial versions of sofware which is impossible to uninstall, I've got the time now to sort this out but I'm trying to format my drive but I'm being told that the installed version of windows is newer than my CD?? the pronpt tells me to boot from the disc but my pc isn't recognising my CD upon start up??...

Can anybody help??

[A_Traveller]

The OS issue suggest that the installation is either a different service pack or even Professional, whilst you have Home CD. Since they would have ghosted the image rather than installing, the CD and the OS no longer match.

If you cannnot get the PC to boot from the CD, though it sees it, depending on the kit {laptop or desktop}, you'll need to get it to boot CD first then Hard Disk. This is controlled by the BIOS which is accessed by pressing a key during boot-up before 'pretty' screen. Common keys are {del} and {F2}. There's normally a small text on screen telling you this but it's not up for long.

Regards

/edit typo//

Edited October 17, 2006 by A_Traveller

[Nikkijah]

Thanks for that A_Traveller, I used F2 and changed the boot sequence so the D drive boots first but it still doesn't recognise the CD in the drive?? Any more ideas

Edited October 17, 2006 by Nikkijah

[basjke]

I need some help here, I've had some virus issues and I took my pc to a shop, they saved all of my data but installed a newer version of XP and included lots of crap with it, lots of trial versions of sofware which is impossible to uninstall, I've got the time now to sort this out but I'm trying to format my drive but I'm being told that the installed version of windows is newer than my CD?? the pronpt tells me to boot from the disc but my pc isn't recognising my CD upon start up??...

Can anybody help??

http://www.ehow.com/how_6026_format-hard-drive.html take a look at this site it will tell you in detail how to format you disk.I assume you have a fresh copy of windows to install after.

[prighas]

Please check the following two articles for your reference. I think the problem would be with your currently installed version of OS. It could be you have Windows SP2 installed while the disc you are trying to use is only SP1. You will need to install the Recovery Console and from there proceed with your installation. This is the laborious process. Another would be to use a Windows SP2 disc to save time and frustrations.

Check the links:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/898594/

http://www.pcanswers.co.uk/tutorials/defau...ubsectionid=607

[astral]

Either from your own pc or a friends,

download and burn the Ultimate Boot CD.

This will allow you to format your hard disk.

Then you can go back to the original Windows disk and try again.

[Nikkijah]

Either from your own pc or a friends,

download and burn the Ultimate Boot CD.

This will allow you to format your hard disk.

Then you can go back to the original Windows disk and try again.

Thanks for the link astral, have you tried this yourself? And is it a lazy mans solution with possible repurcussions?? I say this because the other people who have replied to my post have said that the process is a long one

prighas:

That souns about right, my xp disc is easily 3 years old and I'm sure the shop wouldn't be using a disc as old as mine...

Would you recommend following the link posted by astral or do you think there are risk using a quick-fire solution? I'm just worried about buring my PC to bits!

basjke: Thanks for the link, I'll see how the others work first, and yes I do have a realtively fresh and original version of xp to install

[Nikkijah]

astral, I've followed the link to the ultimate boot cd download and it is labelled as 'Ultimate Boot CD 4 Windows 3.0' ?? Does the '3.0' simply mean this is version 3 of the ultimate boot CD or does it mean for windows version 3.0? Is there even a windows version 3.0??

Thanks

Nikkijah

[youngkiwi]

Version 3.0 of the Ultimate Boot CD.

[Nikkijah]

Cheers youngkiwi, only problem now is that it downloads to the last second then just hangs there for ages completely stalling my connection, I'm downloading it from another mirror site so fingers crossed...