How do I format c:?

[Ex-biker]

I want to format the drive that the operating system is installed on.

How do I do it?

[munter]

If your doing a clean Windows Install and thats why you want to do the Format. Just boot from the CD and at the appropriate moment tell it to format the hard disk before installing Windows.

[RobDickinson]

Which operating system?

As said on install windows will let you destroy the current HDD partition and re-create it, format it and install. You have to select this tho, otherwise it'll just install/repair.

[Ex-biker]

I bought a hdd to use as an external usb drive.

I couldn't format it this way, so installed the drive into my laptop, partitioned and formatted it using a win xp install.

Now I want to get rid of the operating system.

[Ex-biker]

I bought a hdd to use as an external usb drive.

I couldn't format it this way, so installed the drive into my laptop, partitioned and formatted it using a win xp install.

Now I want to get rid of the operating system.

I'm thinking that the best way my be to install it in the usb case then try formatting it the partition windows is on.

[paolow]

Ex-biker said:

I bought a hdd to use as an external usb drive. I couldn't format it this way, so installed the drive into my laptop, partitioned and formatted it using a win xp install. Now I want to get rid of the operating system. I'm thinking that the best way my be to install it in the usb case then try formatting it the partition windows is on.

xp can be tricky becuase it 'wont let go' when you try to uninstall it. there are however applications like killdisk you can get from download.com that will run through a format from dos so that you can shift xp while its 'not looking'

[_dobbo_]

If you've got an old windows 98 install disk hanging around, just boot that up into a command prompt, then you can just format c: from the prompt - and you're good to go.