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Author Topic: erase hard drive  (Read 3211 times)

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dahni

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    erase hard drive
    « on: January 20, 2009, 10:46:29 PM »
    Had crash of xp home edition.  tried to install win xp pro over it.  i can get the xp pro system up, but only after strange pathways.  no way to enter dos system to get clean use of it.  i've tried several free downloads to erase the disk entirely to do a clean install of xp pro, but none work (access denied)/  want to erase disk entirely and do a clean install of xp pro.  I also have xp pro upgrade.  any help out there?
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    Carbon Dudeoxide

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    Re: erase hard drive
    « Reply #1 on: January 21, 2009, 01:47:20 AM »
    Do you have the Windows XP Professional CD?
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    dahni

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      Re: erase hard drive
      « Reply #2 on: January 21, 2009, 02:14:31 AM »
      yes.  basic , no patches.  do have xppro upgrade, though.  With the over install of home edition, i have to boot through he, then i get pro...works fine when up, but not right with booting process.  I've been trying to get the CMOS Utility setup data for the computer, which is a HP 753.
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      Carbon Dudeoxide

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      Re: erase hard drive
      « Reply #3 on: January 21, 2009, 02:18:38 AM »
      I'm sorry but....

      Quote
      yes.  basic , no patches.  do have xppro upgrade, though. 
      Yes to what?
      Basic what?
      Patches for what?
      Does the Disc say XP Pro Upgrade Disc?

      Quote
      With the over install of home edition, i have to boot through he, then i get pro.
      Boot through what? What's 'he'?
      What's Home edition?
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      dahni

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        Re: erase hard drive
        « Reply #4 on: January 21, 2009, 11:07:20 AM »
        umm.. computer came with xp home edition installed.  crashed.  couldn't revive, so tried to overinstall with xp pro.  now when i try to boot i get 'boot disk error, insert boot disk and press enter'.  playing with this gives me a choice of booting with xp pro or xp home (he = home edition) (xp pro = professional edition).  if choose xp pro get original error.  if choose home edition (he) get booted ok, but xp pro opens and runs ok.  restart works ok to get back to xp pro.  turn off and restart gets original error.

        I've downloaded boot disks for both home and pro, but...

        while xp is running, I get command prompt and try to reformat the hard drive in preparation for reinstall of xp from legit disk.  error saying all variations of format c: , and format c: /s, etc not recognizable.

        computer is HP 700; 4 years old.   i've downloaded two programs saying they will do a hard disk erase and reformat for xp pro reinstall, but they are denied access to system.

        I want to clean erase and start over with my new win xp pro disk and win xp pro upgrade disk if it is needed.
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        Geek-9pm


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        Re: erase hard drive
        « Reply #5 on: January 21, 2009, 11:25:42 AM »
        Get. Put. Set. Boot. What?

        Get in a HDD that was formatted on another machine.
        Put in the HP.
        Set the BIOS to first boot from CD.
        Boot from  CD.
        What exactly does it say?


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        squall_01



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          Re: erase hard drive
          « Reply #6 on: January 21, 2009, 11:44:56 AM »
          use a seperator reformatter or do it in the os you want to have installed on the HD.  In other words when you go to install it, it will allow you to remove whats on the drive.  The reason for the dual boot is cause you didnt do this.
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          dahni

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            Re: erase hard drive
            « Reply #7 on: January 23, 2009, 08:32:30 PM »
            thanks for the advice.  I finally found a program that did completely erase the hard disk.  I then installed xp pro.  restart worked.  everything good until I turned it off and tried to reboot from a cold start.  got error 'boot disk failure, etc'  .  nothing worked until I hit Alt-Ctrl-Del, then it  continued to boot and run perfectly!

            I disconnected and reconnected the ide cables, etc.  no change.  did 'reset defaults' at the BIOS site.  no change.

            ????I'm thinking....
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            Carbon Dudeoxide

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            Re: erase hard drive
            « Reply #8 on: January 23, 2009, 09:18:21 PM »
            Okay, as long as you're happy, we're happy. ;)

            It's possible something went wrong with the bootloader.
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            Geek-9pm


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            Re: erase hard drive
            « Reply #9 on: January 23, 2009, 10:29:25 PM »
            He changed something and
            he does not know
            what he changed
            but it works somehow.

            So everybody is HAPPY  :o
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            squall_01



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              Re: erase hard drive
              « Reply #10 on: January 26, 2009, 10:02:45 AM »
              mite be what he used to format the drives happened to me.
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              BC_Programmer


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              Re: erase hard drive
              « Reply #11 on: January 26, 2009, 10:51:04 AM »
              the drive isn't spinning up fast enough. That would be the likely cause.


              Quote from: squall_01 on January 26, 2009, 10:02:45 AM
              mite be what he used to format the drives happened to me.
              doubtful. a boot sector that isn't written correctly won't boot regardless of the number of times the PC is restarted; a correct boot sector will fail to boot the first time if the HD doesn't spin up fast enough, and succeed on subsequent attempts.


              This could mean the drive is failing... however, I would suspect the power supply first and attempt t o use a separate Molex connector and see if that helps. Of course- if it does, that means a New power supply should be considered.
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              squall_01



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                Re: erase hard drive
                « Reply #12 on: January 26, 2009, 11:08:01 AM »
                I didnt see that, I know that when I first got my sata drive I used maxblast 4 an ran into this kind of issue an difficulty then I got a copy of 5 from the near by reapair shop an its worked since.
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                BC_Programmer


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                Re: erase hard drive
                « Reply #13 on: January 26, 2009, 11:37:26 AM »
                Quote from: squall_01 on January 26, 2009, 11:08:01 AM
                I didnt see that, I know that when I first got my sata drive I used maxblast 4 an ran into this kind of issue an difficulty then I got a copy of 5 from the near by reapair shop an its worked since.

                you got the error every time you tried to boot from the drive. not just before it span up.
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                squall_01



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                  Re: erase hard drive
                  « Reply #14 on: January 27, 2009, 10:48:43 AM »
                  before the xp boot screen yes.
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                  If I fall who is there to pick me up now.  I stand alone but I stand as the gaurdian for whom I wish to protect.  The sound of my blade utters my name as you fall.  For I shall not move.  For those that forsake the very people are wosres
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