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PC Forum PC Help Forum » Operating Systems » Windows 95, 98 & ME » [Answered] Win 98SE format hard disc problem

Windows 95, 98 & ME - [Answered] Win 98SE format hard disc problem posted in the Operating Systems forums; I have a very odd problem. My hard drive will not format. I boot my computer with a boot disk. At A: I type "format c:/s" (no quotes of course) ...

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  #1  
Old 11-20-2004
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Default [Answered] Win 98SE format hard disc problem
I have a very odd problem. My hard drive will not format. I boot my computer with a boot disk. At A: I type "format c:/s" (no quotes of course) and hit enter, it goes through the WARNING and After it is done and I type "DIR C:" everything is still on the drive. What is up with that? Does anyone have any suggestions?
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Old 11-20-2004
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Default Win 98SE format hard disc problem
Hi and welcome to PCHF.

What happens if you leave the switch /s off and just enter a:\format c: ?


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Default Win 98SE format hard disc problem
pm received from Gypsy - reads:

The same thing... I have tried everything I know how to do, which is very little... sometimes it says file not found but as soon as I try to install windows scandisk says ther is problems with the c: directory and although it says it is fixed scandisk has to run again because the struction was changed and it finds the same problem over and over again. If I exit the d: drive isn't checked and windows won't install. If I happen to get past that and get to copying files needed for installation it just stops there and doesn't do anything else... for days!!! if I reboot all the files are back on the c: drive... can a computer be posessed?
Please don't use pm for tech help - all post must be in the forum please

In answer to your point. If you use Fdisk, the whole partition will be gone - then re-format. If you still have files on your C: drive after an Fdisk then yes, your PC is posessed


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  #4  
Old 11-21-2004
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Default Sadly,
Sorry, about the pm... I didn't scroll down far enough to see the reply button...
I have used fdisk, also placed the drive in my son's computer and tried to format it there. Still the files remain... alas, I must be doing something wrong... I have never heard of anything like this before. Even the IT guy at my company scratches his head and says he doesn't know. I am about to perpetrate an act of violence on the poor thing. Is there a virus out there that won't let you destroy the data on your hard drive... unlike the usual ones that are designed to do just that?
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Old 11-21-2004
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Default Shut down windows...
At the end of fdisk it says to restart the computer so changes can take effect.... Shut down windows before restarting. I started the computer with a boot disk... how do I shut down windows?
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Old 11-21-2004
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Default Win 98SE format hard disc problem
I am confused

You have used Fdisk, it prompts you to re-start windows? Are you sure it isn't asking you to re-start your PC for changes to take effect and not Windows?

It should be a simple case of running Fdisk, re-booting with the bootdisk and then formattiing from the A: prompt, as above.

I guess if you really do have a "haunted" hard drive, you could always just buy a new one, hardware is relly chaep at the moment.
  #7  
Old 11-21-2004
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Default That's what it says
Restart the computer blah blah blah... shut down windows before restarting....
There has been nothing simple about this blessed computer since I got it...
I tried different boot disks. Just DOS not win98 but in that case I couldn't access anything but the A: drive... I really don't know much about this and I probably have done something that locked the drive or something previously never seen before in the world of computeres.
I guess the new hard drive is going to have to happen, I just hate sinking any money into this thing.

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