Trying to format a hard drive

ScuffScuff Southwestern, Pennsylvania
edited February 2004 in Hardware
I'm trying to format a 2.1g hard drive. It currently has win 95 on it and is from another computer. I want to install 98 on it. I tried just upgrading to but it needed a 98 upgrade. Now I want to just wipe this thing clean and star from scratch. Why can't I format this? It says it is being used by another application when I hook it up as a primary slave. I have the jumper OFF(no jumper installed) any ideas ?

Comments

  • TheBaronTheBaron Austin, TX
    edited February 2004
    why not just boot from the windows 98 cd and format it that way?
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited February 2004
    format c:/u in dos mode!
  • ScuffScuff Southwestern, Pennsylvania
    edited February 2004
    I tried that and it said I need an upgrade. I went to Microsoft.com and didn't see anything for upgrading 95 to 98.
  • mcwcmcwc Vancouver, BC Member
    edited February 2004
    Tried using your hard drive manufacturer's format utility? You can always do a quick zero fill.
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited February 2004
    windows boot disk! then boot of it and format!
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited February 2004
    There was a special version of W98 only for upgrading from W95.

    Assuming you have a full version of W98, do as the others have suggested and boot from a W98 setup floppy disk or CD and format the drive. I would disconnect the other drive while doing this: A) to keep from goofing and formatting the wrong drive, and B) to keep the Windows boot disk from getting confused.

    If you have an old DOS diskedit floppy you can zero-out the drive, then it will be seen as unpartitioned space - no chance of it being considered "in use" then.
  • ScuffScuff Southwestern, Pennsylvania
    edited February 2004
    How do I create a WIN boot disk. Pardon my amateur questions for the rest of my short media life.
  • KwitkoKwitko Sheriff of Banning (Retired) By the thing near the stuff Icrontian
    edited February 2004
    The easiest way would be to go to www.bootdisk.com, download a Win98 bootdisk image, pop in a floppy, and start the image installation. Voila!
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited February 2004
    Download one here.

    Click on the first link (DOS - Windows 9X/Me/NT/2K/XP Excellent Bootdisks) and take your pick.

    And don't feel bad for asking - that's why this forum is here. :clap:

    2nd EDIT: Dang! That Kwitko dude is quick! and so are the rest of you :vimp:
  • TheSmJTheSmJ
    edited February 2004
    just go to www.bootdisk.com, and download one of the W98 boot disks with CDROM support.

    Or you could just delete the Windows directory, or possibly just the win.exe file (thats all W95 looked for when upgrading, so it might still work with 98)
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited February 2004
    Mr. Kwitko wrote:
    The easiest way would be to go to www.bootdisk.com, download a Win98 bootdisk image, pop in a floppy, and start the image installation. Voila!


    There you go! :respect:
  • KwitkoKwitko Sheriff of Banning (Retired) By the thing near the stuff Icrontian
    edited February 2004
    Ride my coattails, people! ;)
  • TheSmJTheSmJ
    edited February 2004
    Well i posted mine before I read yours... so pfft.
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited February 2004
    Do I get a prize for second place? :rolleyes2

    :D
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