Total destruction/hard format of C-drive to rid massive virus issues

My daughter's computer has massive virus/spyware
contamination that can't be removed by usual means.

I have all WinME and hardware driver and program disks.

How do I do a total "hard" format of her hard drive back
to blank, so I can use Emergency Startup disk to start
installation from a "clean" hard drive?

C.

"Colin" wrote

My daughter's computer has massive virus/spyware
contamination that can't be removed by usual means.

I have all WinME and hardware driver and program disks.

How do I do a total "hard" format of her hard drive back
to blank, so I can use Emergency Startup disk to start
installation from a "clean" hard drive?

C.

Go to the manufacturer of the hard drive's web site and download and save
the formatting tools there to a diskette. Put the diskette in your floppy
drive and boot. Follow the instructions and do a full format (will take
hours). Once that is done, format and make your partitions. Once that is
done, go into your BIOS (hit Del while rebooting) and change your boot order
to boot from the CDROM first. Then stick your Windows Me in the CDROM and
boot again and follow the set up instructions to Windows Me. Once WinMe is
installed, put your boot order back to the way it was.

Alias

If you intend using an OEM 'Recovery' CD to re-install from, then read the
manufactures handbook for instructions, otherwise:-

Assuming that you are intending to do a clean install, take a look at (and
print out) the "cleanhd.txt" file in the win9x folder on your WinMe CD. You
can also view the "Windows Millennium Edition Cleanhd.txt File Contents" at:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;271673
Study it carefully and be sure you have a note of your product key code
(the 25 digit code that is supplied with your CD) and - if your WinMe CD is
an 'upgrade' version (rather than a 'full version') - some proof of a
'previous version' - e.g. your Win98 CD (N.B not required for OEM)

Before you go any further, you really ought to study the following KB
article, "How to Use the Fdisk Tool and the Format Tool to Partition or
Repartition a Hard Disk"
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;255867

Use your WinMe Startup (floppy) Disk to format your C: drive and remember
that ALL data will all be erased when you format the disk.
Boot from the floppy and select option 4) Minimal and at the A:\ prompt,
type :-
"format c:" (no quotes and note the space between t and c and the colon
after the c)
Then Press Return.

HTH and good luck

Mart



"Colin" wrote in message
...
My daughter's computer has massive virus/spyware
contamination that can't be removed by usual means.

I have all WinME and hardware driver and program disks.

How do I do a total "hard" format of her hard drive back
to blank, so I can use Emergency Startup disk to start
installation from a "clean" hard drive?

C.

"Mart" wrote in message
...
If you intend using an OEM 'Recovery' CD to re-install from, then read the
manufactures handbook for instructions, otherwise:-

Assuming that you are intending to do a clean install, take a look at (and
print out) the "cleanhd.txt" file in the win9x folder on your WinMe CD.
You
can also view the "Windows Millennium Edition Cleanhd.txt File Contents"
at:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;271673
Study it carefully and be sure you have a note of your product key code
(the 25 digit code that is supplied with your CD) and - if your WinMe CD
is
an 'upgrade' version (rather than a 'full version') - some proof of a
'previous version' - e.g. your Win98 CD (N.B not required for OEM)

Before you go any further, you really ought to study the following KB
article, "How to Use the Fdisk Tool and the Format Tool to Partition or
Repartition a Hard Disk"
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;255867

Use your WinMe Startup (floppy) Disk to format your C: drive and remember
that ALL data will all be erased when you format the disk.

Except, of course, the Master Boot Record which my method does erase.

Alias
Boot from the floppy and select option 4) Minimal and at the A:\ prompt,
type :-
"format c:" (no quotes and note the space between t and c and the colon
after the c)
Then Press Return.

HTH and good luck

Mart



"Colin" wrote in message
...
My daughter's computer has massive virus/spyware
contamination that can't be removed by usual means.

I have all WinME and hardware driver and program disks.

How do I do a total "hard" format of her hard drive back
to blank, so I can use Emergency Startup disk to start
installation from a "clean" hard drive?

C.

There is an extremely easy and useful product called KillDisk that will make
this process a snap.


"Alias" wrote:


"Mart" wrote in message
...
If you intend using an OEM 'Recovery' CD to re-install from, then read the
manufactures handbook for instructions, otherwise:-

Assuming that you are intending to do a clean install, take a look at (and
print out) the "cleanhd.txt" file in the win9x folder on your WinMe CD.
You
can also view the "Windows Millennium Edition Cleanhd.txt File Contents"
at:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;271673
Study it carefully and be sure you have a note of your product key code
(the 25 digit code that is supplied with your CD) and - if your WinMe CD
is
an 'upgrade' version (rather than a 'full version') - some proof of a
'previous version' - e.g. your Win98 CD (N.B not required for OEM)

Before you go any further, you really ought to study the following KB
article, "How to Use the Fdisk Tool and the Format Tool to Partition or
Repartition a Hard Disk"
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;255867

Use your WinMe Startup (floppy) Disk to format your C: drive and remember
that ALL data will all be erased when you format the disk.

Except, of course, the Master Boot Record which my method does erase.

Alias
Boot from the floppy and select option 4) Minimal and at the A:\ prompt,
type :-
"format c:" (no quotes and note the space between t and c and the colon
after the c)
Then Press Return.

HTH and good luck

Mart



"Colin" wrote in message
...
My daughter's computer has massive virus/spyware
contamination that can't be removed by usual means.

I have all WinME and hardware driver and program disks.

How do I do a total "hard" format of her hard drive back
to blank, so I can use Emergency Startup disk to start
installation from a "clean" hard drive?

C.

using FDISK to repartition re-writes the MBR (AFAIK), so this should not be
an issue

--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2004, Win9x)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.btinternet.com/~winnoel/millsrpch.htm
http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's

"Alias" wrote in message
...

"Mart" wrote in message
...
If you intend using an OEM 'Recovery' CD to re-install from, then read
the
manufactures handbook for instructions, otherwise:-

Assuming that you are intending to do a clean install, take a look at
(and
print out) the "cleanhd.txt" file in the win9x folder on your WinMe CD.
You
can also view the "Windows Millennium Edition Cleanhd.txt File Contents"
at:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;271673
Study it carefully and be sure you have a note of your product key code
(the 25 digit code that is supplied with your CD) and - if your WinMe CD
is
an 'upgrade' version (rather than a 'full version') - some proof of a
'previous version' - e.g. your Win98 CD (N.B not required for OEM)

Before you go any further, you really ought to study the following KB
article, "How to Use the Fdisk Tool and the Format Tool to Partition or
Repartition a Hard Disk"
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;255867

Use your WinMe Startup (floppy) Disk to format your C: drive and remember
that ALL data will all be erased when you format the disk.

Except, of course, the Master Boot Record which my method does erase.

Alias
Boot from the floppy and select option 4) Minimal and at the A:\ prompt,
type :-
"format c:" (no quotes and note the space between t and c and the colon
after the c)
Then Press Return.

HTH and good luck

Mart



"Colin" wrote in message
...
My daughter's computer has massive virus/spyware
contamination that can't be removed by usual means.

I have all WinME and hardware driver and program disks.

How do I do a total "hard" format of her hard drive back
to blank, so I can use Emergency Startup disk to start
installation from a "clean" hard drive?

C.