Win ME formatting hard drive

[Applyheat]

First, please do not flame me for running ME.  I do not care that your OS is supperior to mine.  

Second, I am trying to format my hard drive to reinstall ME.  (yes I am keeping it)

I have tried through restarting my computer and pressing "2" to use a startup disk.  Through that, it gives me the option to format the hard drive.  Using that way, I run into a problem at 65% completion, "SUWIN caused a General Protection Fault in module VERX.DLL at 0002:24AE."  The ignore function will not let me skate around it.

Also, I have tried to go through RUN to get to DOS.  Inputing "format c:", I get halted with the device is in use.  I tried "format C: /s", and that was marked as outdated.

Please Advise

[Raptor]

1. Download a new bootdisk from http://bootdisks.de/

2. Set BIOS to boot from Floppy (Or detect floppy at startup)

3. It should ask you wheter you want to start with or without CD-ROM drive support. Choose with

4. It should now take you to a DOS prompt.

5. Type Format C:\

Do not try to fromat whilst Windows is still running. If you do it the way as described above, it can not go wrong. Well it has never gone wrong here, so, relax

[merlin_2]

where are you in windows!

loacate the c:windows\options\cabs folder

next to the scanreg icon..........is one called set-up..clickl this it will re-install winme........

i have tried winxp/home /pro/and new........

still i stick with winme..........msoft have no control over me!

what make model/system is this.........do you have recovery disks....

[johnboi]

  I am having a similar problem.  
I have an AMD Athalon 900mhz and just installed a second hard drive to transfer certain folders to for back up before I reformatted the old one with my OS ( also ME). I went to create a boot disk and all kinds of files were missing!
I went to bootdisk and downloaded one for ME OEM. ( I believe this is the one to use with the upgrade version of ME). When I reboot the computer, it says it is a non system disk. I have to eject it to finish booting. It will not let me reformat, any ideas? Should I just reinstall ME and try again?

[Raptor]

Have you set the first boot device to FDD?

[michael------]

win me dos was hided you cant format /s a hard disk

[merlin_2]

does the pc come with restore.......disks.......unless you have created a boot.......problems will arise.......one should use nero6 and create an image of the old/new drive.....so what is the settup........old drive no operating system? did you reformat the drive seems it so............does the new drive have an o/s  on it?

[Applyheat]

Raptor:  I tried to download the boot disk from the site and there is an error on the web page.  I can get to DOS, but it will not format using the resource CD for windows.

Merlin:  Trying to search for file using the search option, there was no file found.  So I could not format drive that way.

No luck yet, any ideas?

[JohnK]

Or you could just be having problems because you are using Windows ME.  

[Raptor]

Raptor:  I tried to download the boot disk from the site and there is an error on the web page.  I can get to DOS, but it will not format using the resource CD for windows.

Suggestion:

1. Obtain a bootdisk at http://www.bootdisk.com

Question:

1. Are you accessing a DOS prompt from Windows?
-- This will not work as Windows is still operating and therefore cannot be removed.

[merlin_2]

more info on system.........is this an upgrade to winme .....from win98<.http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000293.htm....>...you have  restore disks......use them......change the bios to default setting.......hold down the del key........if you have formated the drive 65% why did use a floppy.......if you have restore disks?

[Applyheat]

Raptor:  I have tried both through wondows and start up to get to dos prompt.  Neither will let me format.  Also, bootdisk.com had an error on the web page and would not let me download a boot disk.

Merlin :  I am running Win ME as my OS and it is not an upgrade.  My BIOS is set and the restore CD will only gets to 65% and then has the error described in my first post.

[Raptor]

Raptor:  I have tried both through wondows and start up to get to dos prompt.  Neither will let me format.  Also, bootdisk.com had an error on the web page and would not let me download a boot disk. /quote]

You can not use the format command whilst Windows is active and operating.

It is imperative that you use a Bootdisk. See if http://www.bootdisk.de does allow you to download a Bootdisk.

If that does not work, I suggest you visit http://bootdisk.org/

I detect no errors on http://www.bootdisk.com

[merlin_2]

reattach you old hard drive and see if this will restore it back to winme>>>http://www.bitmart.net/   before changing any hard drive thta have an o/s install on it...one you use norton ghost......or drive image.....do you have a win98 install disk.......you could rip the winme disk.....onto the win98 install system......

[Applyheat]

Raptor:  The second link lead me to a place where I could find some infomation on boot disks, however I do not know which one I am after.  Maybe You could help me find which boot disk I need.  Which bootdisk would help me run dos to format my hard drive?  How would I find which version of dos I am running?

Merlin:  I am not upgrading my windows OS.  I am simply (lol) trying to erase all of the crap that is ruining my system.  I do not need to save anything on my hard drive.  Everything I need is backed up.  My OS is WinME and I have the resource CD.  When I try to use it to format my hard drive, it quits at 65% citing the error in my first post.  No other hard drive has ever been on my computer, and it is still wired from the original configuration that it came with from the Dell factory.