Have sickly XP (NTFS format) and want to format the HDD

[friedemann]

Is that even possible using MS DOS boot disks(or whatever)?   The pc got hit with something that wiped the "Restore" function and blacked out the monitor.      So, even though I am running I want to nuke this bug.   Anything new is on stick....and I did a backup to stick.     
    Really ready to go, and I want to punch it backwards to Win98se(because I have some weird drivers that are not on the net anywhere)
    Last time I did this PC lasted 3 or 4 years.
I used a converter to change from FAT32 to NTFS no problem

[patio]

So you want info on how to "nuke" the HDD and install Win98 on it...correct ? ?

[friedemann]

Yeah.  And I just realized that the backup is just as "sick" so basically would give me what I got now(which is NOT what I want.
   I don't need to use the backup as I have everything(my files) stored seperately as well.
    But I just don't know about this NTFS thing and whether it will allow me to format in MSDOS to "start again".   I have nothing to lose on the PC.

  As far as I understand it, that is the guaranteed way to get rid of any viruses, bugs or other.    I know it is a lot of loading but I am on extended leave and am twiddling my thumbs.

Like I said before, I need to go the Win98 loading route and I do not know of another way to force the computer backwards(as I have  some weird drivers which there is no upgrade from...and they are on Win98 type discs. 
The computer keeps telling me that and won't touch them.  Probably because they are in FAT32?

If I knew, I would not need to ask for some assistance.

Thanks.

[Computer_Commando]

You have to fdisk before format:  delete non-DOS partition, then create DOS partition, then format.

[quaxo]

You may or may not need it, but check the stick manufacturer's website for drivers for Windows 98. While XP includes a driver that will allow most any flash drive to work with it, Windows 98 doesn't.



On a side note, I spent an hour on the phone the other night walking a guy through this. He knew nothing about computers and couldn't get his PNY flash drive to work on a 98 system. Downloading the driver from PNY fixed the problem. The hour it took was mostly me trying to explain to him how to install the driver manually as it didn't come with an executable.