format

[mdhughes03]

Hi guys
I have a pretty old computer running windows xp and a while ago I got a worm and trojan which caused loads of problems so I ran my anti-virus software and re-installed windows. However on doing a search I can see that loads of files have not been erased when I've re-installed. I am unable to use the format command in DOS as I get an error that the disk does not support format, my cdrom drive is not bootable so I use a floppy to reinstall winodows. I really want to make sure I've wiped the hard drive clean-any ideas?

[Computer_Commando]

...I am unable to use the format command in DOS...

1st-fdisk
2nd-format (format to FAT32 instead of NTFS)
FDISK SIMULATION

[Computer Hope Admin]

Because Windows XP was installed on this computer it's likely that you've got it running NTFS, a file system that is not going to support the format command. You're going to need to get your CD-ROM to boot otherwise you're not likely going to be able to resolve this issue. If you really can't get a bootable floppy you could try creating a Windows XP bootable diskette. But I strongly suggest getting the bootable CD working.

Additional information and details about creating a Windows XP and other Windows boot disks can be found on the below link.
http://www.computerhope.com/boot.htm

Additionally if you're running format from within Windows you'll also get this error.