hey guys recently i installed vista on a laptop that is designed for windows xp. It does not operate properly. What i wanna do is format the whole C: drive and just install xp. I dont have the cd for the pc so i use normal xp cd to try to get it done. I can not get it done through the cd can you guys help me with instractions on how i can go through the command prompt and format my partition and install the windows clean? please i forgot the codes and stuff lol.. my laptop is a thoshiba like four years old. Its fully loaded with bunch of stuff please help.
See if the gparted bootcd can bootup your laptop, from there it will be easy to format and partition your hard drive. Just make sure your first partition is an active primary. That's the easiest way to do it. I always use partitioning software to format my hard drive (because you get to see how your hard drive looks on the screen instead of names/letters) and don't rely on windows for that. http://gparted.sourceforge.net/screenshots.php
i hope i have this right.in command prompt type the following:format C: follow the prompts from there.
tried did not work can u guys give me clear instructions how to do it through the command prompt please
I am not totaly sure but i think Xp like Vista does not have a dos subsystem thats why you access it thru a window. What you can try is find out what manufacture of hard drive u have and download the hdd tools to reformat the drive.
I just found this on the web don't know if it will work or not but u can give it a try. Good luck. If you want to format your drive when XP is installed, please try the following: Set your BIOS to boot to the CD-Rom or hold down the "F8" key to access the system. Perform the following. 1. Start Computer booting from CD 2. Choose Recovery Console (R) 3. At the dos prompt type: "format C:" (without the quotes) 4. If it asks for the "Administrator Pass Word", Type it in if you have one or just hit "Enter" to continue. If you use a password... Remember it. "WRITE IT DONE AND PUT IT IN A SAFE PLACE!" 5. Commands that you can use, format (drive)/ Q (quick) FS/ (File system fat/ntsf)
