My Wife acquired a used computer FOR THE KIDS which is loaded down with pornography. Is it possible to wipe out the whole hard drive? Or would it be better to just swap hard drives?
[ July 21, 2003, 02:23 PM: Message edited by: Wayne Webb ]
Posted by timi NC (Member # 576) on :
Start,...shut down, then choose restart in the ms-dos mode,...then type,...(format c:\u)without the parenthesis and hit enter,... this should start the format process after which you will have to reload an operating system.
[ July 21, 2003, 10:03 AM: Message edited by: timi NC ]
Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
Wayne...If you are using or have a Win 98 CD then make a "start-up disk" on a floppy. Stick the floppy in the drive and re-boot. Your computer will start up in DOS. You can then format like timi says. The recovery disk allows you to start up with CD support so you can use the CD drive to re-install Windows. For other versions of Windows there are similar similar start-up disks you can make and use but Win 98 is the simplest.
Edited part..... By the way the formatting is the easy part. re-installing the correct drivers is the fun part. I would advise you to go into Settings>Control Panel>System>Device Manager and make notes of the various device drivers that are used. That way, if the Windows CD doesn't have all of the required drivers, you can get on the internet and download them. By device drivers I mean drivers for such things as the modem, sound card, video card etc. If you are lucky, the person who sold you the used computer also provided all the device driver disks.
Happy Formatting!!!
[ July 21, 2003, 10:26 AM: Message edited by: Dave Grundy ]
Posted by Wayne Webb (Member # 1124) on :
Thanks guys.
Posted by Troy Haas (Member # 472) on :
Wayne, Make a "Start-up" disk AND get the drivers.
I have been messing with my kids computer for a year now, still cannot get it running. I made a disk, but something didn't take or I didn't do something right.
I get a DOS prompt and that is it!!! I have tried everything I can think of!!!!
Good Luck!!!!
Posted by goddinfla (Member # 1502) on :
Old Paint wants to buy that computer, but only "as is" (leave the "pronography")
Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
it was probably yours to begin with.......hahahahahahahaha didnt wayne say there was couple of tampa bay bucs in drag....on there?
[ July 21, 2003, 02:08 PM: Message edited by: old paint ]
Posted by Steve Smith (Member # 3340) on :
You also need to delete the partition and then add it back.....so to recap...
After you make a windows start-up disk...
1)Boot from start-up disk, run FDISK, delete partition table...reboot 2)Boot from start-up disk, run FDISK, create partition table...reboot 3)Boot from start-up disk, format drive
Let me know if you need any additional help.
Steve
Posted by Richard Bustamante (Member # 370) on :
I don't think you have to FDISK to get rid of the files, or to format.
Also, what is the \U switch?
To make your hard drive bootable, you need to use another switch.
A straight format will erase everything, including windows. The command is: format C:\s
The \s switch copies the system files to make your hard drive to make it bootable. (command.com)
-Rich
Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on :
If you use C:\format\s you will clean off the hard drive and still have the partion and essentials such as command,com, etc. Then it would be much easier to reinstall everything!
Then again, it would be much simpler to use My Computer or Windows Explorer, and delete all the porn.
[ July 21, 2003, 03:08 PM: Message edited by: Si Allen ]
Posted by Richard Bustamante (Member # 370) on :
>>Troy
It sounds that BIOS isn't recognizing your hard drive. Usually in BIOS, "auto-detect" hard drive will find and set up all the parameters.
If you get a DOS prompt??? Is it the A: prompt?
-Rich
Posted by Troy Haas (Member # 472) on :
Rich, I can get the C: or A: prompt, but niether of my CD drives.
Any Help????
Posted by Wayne Webb (Member # 1124) on :
Si, My Wife said she tried that but was afraid she would delete something important in the process.
It would be nice not to have to erase the whole thing. I'll have a look at when I get home.
Posted by timi NC (Member # 576) on :
Richard the /u switch is an unconditional format,...no undo's ,nothing simply erased,a total reformat from which there is no recovery.This switch appeared somewhere around ms-dos version 5 or 6 and was not available until then,..If you want to know the switches available for any dos command and the syntax for the command type the command then use the /? switch and any version past 5 will give you a help screen.A standard install of windows usually will make the drive bootable,...
[ July 21, 2003, 09:51 PM: Message edited by: timi NC ]
Posted by Richard Bustamante (Member # 370) on :
>>Troy The reason you don't see the CD drives is because DOS hasn't loaded any drivers for it. In the windows98 start-up disk, you'll see a window that says, "Start *with* CD support". During the DOS boot, the start up disk loads generic CD drivers then you'll have your CD drives.
>>Timi Tanks for the info. Boy, I use to be the DOS king. Comes in handy for the new puters. I use to use DOS all the time. Not any more.
-Rich
Posted by Troy Haas (Member # 472) on :
Richard, I can get to the "CD Support" and then it loads a bunch of stuff and I get an "A" prompt.
That is where the problem comes, Anything I type it states as "Bad Command or File Name".
I can change the prompt to C: or D:, but not E:
UUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Richard Bustamante (Member # 370) on :
>>Troy The windows98 boot disk designates "D:" drive as a RAM disk which has diagnostic tools, all DOS commands. "C:" Drive is your Hard drive. A simple DOS command called, "DIR" calls all the directories and files on a given drive.
During computer boot up, the boot disk will try to load drivers for your CD ROM drives. If you look closely you'll see it assign a drive letter; E: or F: ans so on...
Be sure that you check all the ribbon cables.
Check to see that the CD drive LED lights up.
Check everything in BIOS.
On the old computers you have to assign a "Last Drive Letter". I always made it "Z:". This could be the reason that it won't find "E:" drive.
Have you formatted the hard drive? (C:) If so, does the computer boot from C: drive?
On a win98 boot from the floppy (A:) it loads a RAM disk that has a bunch of DOS commands. Type in this command: format C:\s When it is done, remove the boot disk, and restart. It should come up with a C: prompt.
Questions: What kind of computer is it? Motherboard, processor, RAM, hard drive, CD ROM drive.
How old is it?
How fast is it? (in MHz.)
Have you had anything done to it?
Can you get into BIOS?
That should be enough for now... -Rich
Posted by Bruce Evans (Member # 44) on :
exactly, the CD will be drive "E:" after you boot the startup. If your gonna install 98 onto it, I usually create a install folder in the hard drive and then copy everything from the e:/win98 folder of the cd onto the hard drive. Then run the setup.exe file from that folder on the hard drive. It will make the install quicker and minimize any errors that may popup during install.
Posted by David Fisher (Member # 107) on :
Wayne, Timi's method should leave you with a clean slate from which to work with. You may need to delve into the BIOS to get your computer to start from the floppy but thats a whole other can of worms. Troy, Some CDROM's are just a pain in the arse and won't load without specific drivers in the config.sys Specifically I have found this to be the case with creative labs and diamond data CDROM's. If possible try another CDROM drive on the 2nd IDE and set as master. Once reloaded, ****can the offending CDROM drive before it cause any further hassles. HTH, David
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