how to run format

[ricky1me]

Hi and thank you for the information,

I want to run format /s on a single xp home partition.
I have created an ms dos start up floppy from instructions from Microsoft and added command.com to it.  When I enter command.com, then format it says "“bad command or file name”

[merlin_2]

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=313348

[ricky1me]

Microsoft gives instructions to completely format the entire hard drive. I need instructions to format only a single partition with  "format /s". This adds system files that are needed for boot.

Thank you very much for your help.

[Mac]

That is the Windows '98 way of doing things. Even ME doesn't accept the /s parameter.

With Windows XP you need the full six Home or Professional Bootdisks or use the XP CD to format the "entire" C: drive.

If the partition you want to format is NTFS then you could try doing a straight format to get it to FAT32 first of all.

Are you trying to install '98 as a dual boot with XP?

[merlin_2]

or the king of them all>http://www.majorgeeks.com/download2812.html

[ricky1me]

Hi and thank you very much for your help.

My goal is to do a recovery of an image
(using r drive-image)
of the system partition
(which was put on another partition on the same hd)
back to the original c: partition.

I have tried this and the system is unbootable.
I believe if I first format the original c: partition with format c: /s,  and make it active with fedisk or whatever,
from a ms dos start up floppy then do the recovery it will boot...

Thank you

[merlin_2]

 no using format c: /s>http://www.pcguide.com/proc/setup/hdd-c.html this command with delete all your files?do you have the drive image? burn it to disk using nero? if you wish to play there is this>http://www.partition-recovery.com/download.htm   and winxp does not use command.com win9x does..

[Mac]

Did you make a system disk whilst using the original install?

Did you try booting the system to the recovery console to effect a repair?

What went wrong with the R-Drive Image restore? (I use Terabyte Unlimited's Image for DOS, which I guess is similar, with a bootable Floppy or bootable CD-ROM)

You would normally use fdisk first to partition a drive, then set the Primary DOS drive (drive C: ) , active "A" , and only then re-boot the system to format the drive.

Using a '98 bootdisk will format the drive to FAT32.

Using the XP CD should allow you to format the C: drive  to NTFS on its own.

Was it formatted to NTFS originally?

Does the computer come with any restore CD(s)?

How many partitions do you have?

[ricky1me]

I made an image of the system partition using r drive-image to another partition on the same hd.

Using the r drive-image start up disk, I then copied the image back to the original c: partition to do a full system recovery.

When this finished all was gone. I could not boot the system.

I had to use the HP system recovery that came with the pc.  

I do not have a xp install cd from ms, the system came with the pc.

[merlin_2]

so if you have a recovery disk  copy and burn it as a back up  and make a  winxp boot floppy there is no need for an iso ...if you do this..unless you have not got a burner...are trying to do this >http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp1_cd.htm

[Raptor]

You can also format by using the Windows XP CD as a bootdisk and selecting the Windows Install option. It will prompt you to choose a partition or harddisk and grant you the option to format.

[ricky1me]

Hi again and thank you again,

The purpose of using the saved image is to have an exact copy of your customized system.  
All of the settings that you like, your desktop, and all the other settings that can take hours to set up originally will be saved.

Hp system recovery only offers a default system just like the one bought from the store - with all the advertisements and programs you do not want - and need to delete.

And I do not want to buy another HD. I have 120gig and I will problably never use it all to begin with.

That is why I want to have the saved image on the same HD and recover it back to the original c: partition or simply make the saved image active and boot from that...


Has anyone ever done this or heard of it being done?

Thank you very much for your help.

[Mac]

That is precisely what I do using TeraByte Image for DOS. I prefer to image the C: drive from DOS as it is not active and you get an error free image.

When all is installed and tuned and all personal settings, passwords, and software is installed and the system FULLY updated, I then check everything very thoroughly to ensure that it is virus and Trojan free, make three copies of the registry in that condition and then make TWO images.

One is burned to CDRs and the other is made to drive E: so that it there are any major updates or other changes I can keep a running copy until, about every four months I make another set of CDs.

I find that I can restore the C: drive after formatting from the E: drive using the TeraByte Image for DOS bootdiskette, just that it is safer to have a reliable image on CDRs and OFF the HDD in case of total drive failure.

Sure enough, and only two weeks ago, heavy clicking followed by ... nothing.  The 60Gb Quantum Fireballp (2Mb drive-cache) had failed totally.

So I put in this 80Gb Maxtor Diamondmax with an 8Mb disk-cache, fdisked, formatted the four drives and re-installed the full install of the C: drive with no problem at all.

As yet the old drive proves to be unrecoverable so it'll need to go to a professional with special equipment to run the platters on a rig.

As this is a Packard-Bell OEM computer, or rather was, I now don't have to use their TATTOO or use the hidden sector, so I get the full drive size.

The downside is that I now cannot use the original Smart-Restore Master CDs unless I wipe the drive, kill the boot sector, and TATTOO the drive to the original Packard-Bell specification, then fdisk, partition and format the four drives all over again.

[ricky1me]

Hi Mac,
Thank you very much for your help with my pc project of having a fully customized xp home system partition image saved and then being able to restore it back to the original c: system paritition and of course boot off of it successfully.

If you would be so kind, I have some other questions about your reply to me on The computer hope forum:

You wrote:
"I find that I can restore the C: drive after formatting from the E: drive using the TeraByte Image for DOS bootdiskette, just that it is safer to have a reliable image on CDRs and OFF the HDD in case of total drive failure."

My question:
Before you restore the saved image of the c: drive back to the original partition do you format it first with format /s? Isn't the original format /s still on the partition?

Can't a restored image just be written back to the original paritition and have it still be formatted with the /s switch and remain active? How does a restore change these settings?

Thank you very much for your reply. Please email me with your answer.
Have a great day.

[ricky1me]

Hi Mac, is this the url for the Terrabyte Image for Dos you mentioned?

http://www.btsoftware.com/products/imaged.htm