format hard drive

want to format hard drive on my dell demension 8100 and do
a clean install but I am unable to do this under windows or
dos promt. how do i do thi

I use this method:

First of all, backup all crucial non-Windows data. That
includes your mail program data, text and image files and
anything else you can't reinstall from a CD later.
Everything on the drive will be destroyed during this
process. Now find the boot disk you got with your Windows
Me installation CD. If you want you can make a new disk as
follows.

Go to START/Settings then Control Panel and double click
Add/Remove Programs, then select the Startup Disk tab. Put
a floppy in your floppy drive and click Create Disk. A
boot disk will be made for you. This will take three to
five minutes.

With the boot disk in the floppy drive, restart the
machine. You will be presented with four options:

* Help
* Start with CD-ROM support
* Start without CD-ROM support
* Minimal Boot

Choose "Start with CD-ROM support" and wait for the
machine to go through the start-up process. Once the A:
prompt appears type: "a:format c:" and hit enter.

The system will reformat the drive and then display the
amount of free space. It will also prompt you to enter a
volume label, which is the name of the hard disk. Enter
anything you like or simply hit the return or enter key
for none.

If you drive has been sub-divided with partition software,
then repeat the format procedure on the second partition.
For example if the D drive is a hard drive partition then
run the command "format d:". On most systems the hard
drive will be "C" and the CD-ROM drive will be "D". If
there's a partition, the CD-ROM drive will likely be "E".

Now your hard drive is ready for a new copy of Windows ME.
Put the Windows Me install CD in the CD-ROM drive and
type "x:setup" where X is the CD-ROM's drive letter. It is
probably "D or E".

Windows Me will then run the Scandisk utility on your hard
drive to check for errors. Once done, click "exit" and let
the rest of the install proceed. Keep your "Product Key"
handy (that's the massive code on the back of the CD
sleeve) as you'll have to input that before the
installation proceeds. Upgrade copies of the Windows Me
require a previous version of Windows handy because the
system will ask for it to verify you eligible to install
the upgrade. When prompt you'll have to put it into either
the floppy or CD drive for verification, depending on
which operating system you are upgrading from.

A full version requires no previous software verification.
A Windows 95 upgrade requires the insertion of a Windows
95 disk or CD during the upgrade process. The upgrade for
Windows 98 requires the Win 98 CD.

The rest of the installation is pretty much
straightforward. Follow the prompts until the process
finishes. You will be prompted to restart. Make sure you
remove the floppy disk from the floppy drive and put it in
a safe place. Also be sure to keep the previous Windows CD
with the upgrade package so you can verify you own it in
the event of any future reinstalls.
I hope this helps.

Look here for instructions on clean-installing ME
http://www.aumha.org/win4/a/clean.htm

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

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

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's
or
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/f.../Mar27pmvp.asp

"tom" wrote in message
...
want to format hard drive on my dell demension 8100 and do
a clean install but I am unable to do this under windows or
dos promt. how do i do thi

Hello Jo,

I believe you have done well with your method. I am a
little surprised you received no responses. I just did my
own, and first, format and install (to say nothing about
changing the various partition sizes with the help of
FDisk).

Some of the literature on the matter overwhelms -
especially Microsoft's - with too much detail.

Thanks for your succinct and readable piece.

Ben.


-----Original Message-----
I use this method:

First of all, backup all crucial non-Windows data. That
includes your mail program data, text and image files and
anything else you can't reinstall from a CD later.
Everything on the drive will be destroyed during this
process. Now find the boot disk you got with your Windows
Me installation CD. If you want you can make a new disk
as
follows.

Go to START/Settings then Control Panel and double click
Add/Remove Programs, then select the Startup Disk tab.
Put
a floppy in your floppy drive and click Create Disk. A
boot disk will be made for you. This will take three to
five minutes.

With the boot disk in the floppy drive, restart the
machine. You will be presented with four options:

* Help
* Start with CD-ROM support
* Start without CD-ROM support
* Minimal Boot

Choose "Start with CD-ROM support" and wait for the
machine to go through the start-up process. Once the A:
prompt appears type: "a:format c:" and hit enter.

The system will reformat the drive and then display the
amount of free space. It will also prompt you to enter a
volume label, which is the name of the hard disk. Enter
anything you like or simply hit the return or enter key
for none.

If you drive has been sub-divided with partition
software,
then repeat the format procedure on the second partition.
For example if the D drive is a hard drive partition then
run the command "format d:". On most systems the hard
drive will be "C" and the CD-ROM drive will be "D". If
there's a partition, the CD-ROM drive will likely be "E".

Now your hard drive is ready for a new copy of Windows
ME.
Put the Windows Me install CD in the CD-ROM drive and
type "x:setup" where X is the CD-ROM's drive letter. It
is
probably "D or E".

Windows Me will then run the Scandisk utility on your
hard
drive to check for errors. Once done, click "exit" and
let
the rest of the install proceed. Keep your "Product Key"
handy (that's the massive code on the back of the CD
sleeve) as you'll have to input that before the
installation proceeds. Upgrade copies of the Windows Me
require a previous version of Windows handy because the
system will ask for it to verify you eligible to install
the upgrade. When prompt you'll have to put it into
either
the floppy or CD drive for verification, depending on
which operating system you are upgrading from.

A full version requires no previous software
verification.
A Windows 95 upgrade requires the insertion of a Windows
95 disk or CD during the upgrade process. The upgrade for
Windows 98 requires the Win 98 CD.

The rest of the installation is pretty much
straightforward. Follow the prompts until the process
finishes. You will be prompted to restart. Make sure you
remove the floppy disk from the floppy drive and put it
in
a safe place. Also be sure to keep the previous Windows
CD
with the upgrade package so you can verify you own it in
the event of any future reinstalls.
I hope this helps.
.