format hard drive
 

I want to strip off Windows XP and start over. My computer is just too much trouble but I cant remeber how to format the hard drive. I used to type something like c/format into "run" from the start menu but it has been to long to remember if thats correct. Anyone know how to do this I would appreciate the help.

Make a boot disk from a floppy or CD
Boot from it. You may have to tell the bios to boot from the device first
Type: format /mbr hit enter
Type: format c: hit enter

I just read that XP has an option to reformat during windows installation. Think that will work the same? I want to do this tonight I have had enough.

You can boot from the XP CD and do a NTFS format or just erase the disk entirely.

Then thats what I'm gonna do. Hope to see you later. thanks!

last post. :D

back! Thanks guys it worked

What does that mean? :confused:

If you want to be happy add as much memory, RAM, as possible. I have 2 gig and have not had a freeze up or any other annoying problem. I also use Firefox instead of IE.

Alex

More RAM is better, but I wouldn't add 2GB of RAM unless you have a decent processor to take advantage of it. I have 2GB of RAM and an AMD dual core and it runs like a scalded *****! :D

If we don't see him again, we know the WinXP installer has claimed another computer user's life.

Right now I have 512m ram. I think I'm gonna get another stick. Does it matter if I get a different brand? I have Mushkin right now.

I'm in the same boat as you with 512Mb and I just bought another stick of 512. The machine gives ongoing problems with speed and crashes........especially when many applications are running.

The core of the problem appears to be Firefox. It sucks up more than 150Mb of RAM when a bunch of tabs are open. Closing those tabs doesn't seem to reduce the consumption all that much. At times, the problems are so severe that printing is affected........can't get enough data to the printer fast enough.

I'm hoping that doubling of the memory will solve the problem. "Crucial" was a recommended source for high quality memory for the machine.

you might try what I did first. Just reformat and start over. It only took a couple of hours and the computer is running great. Free Zone Alarm firewall, AVG antivirus and all the microsoft updates including IE7. Before I refomated I backed up all my important stuff on a portable hard drive that I bought at Best Buy for $60.

I've got an aversion to spending what will amount to days getting all the programs back in the machine and all the software running the way it currently runs.

The machine is nearly four years old. If I get another year.......it's time for a new one...........

I know this has been discussed some in at least one other thread, but...

...are you using any sort of disk imaging utility to allow for disaster recovery (e.g., after a hard drive failure)?

Depending on how you value your time, it might be pretty cheap insurance.

A couple of tips:

1) Install with SP2. If you don't know how to do this (easy enough to modify your CD you have and burn a new one for that install), google it.
2) DON'T install with the system overclocked or overspeced. I always install on stock specs, including Windows Updates, THEN overclock.
3) DO install with all the peripherals plugged in you plan to use - WinXP will detect and install most of them for you automatically.
4) WinXP runs FINE on 256MB of RAM if you disable themes (the service itself) and a few other themes. In fact, my laptop runs XP on 160MB of RAM. I wouldn't call it fast, but it is faster than Win98 was on it (and MUCH more stable)
5) If your system crashes/blue screens EVER, there is, 95% of the time, a hardware issue causing it. If it does so on an install, it is 100% hardware related.
6) Firefox is a BEAST with RAM. I use it, I love it - but it is.
7) Update your system, and then disable the automatic update system service. Turn it on every week or so (Every other Sunday is fine), then update your system. Automatic updates hog resources.
8) Don't run XP's built-in firewall AND a 3rd party firewall. Don't run a firewall if you have a router, let your router's firewall protect you.
9) If you want to run an antivirus program, double your system RAM from what you consider "Running fast" prior to the install. If you have 512MB of RAM and your system is a bit laggy, you'll need a gig if you're going to install Norton/AVG/Panda/McAfee. And they're all crap, anyway.
10) 4 year old PCs can run XP just as quickly as they did when new. If you think your system is slow, but thought it was fast when you first got it, it needs a good cleaning - perhaps a reinstall. I rarely install programs I won't use, and even if you uninstall ones you don't, they don't always remove every one of their entries from the registry - causing system slowdown.

-- That should handle the basics.