Reformat Hard Drive

C

Cindy

Can anyone please tell me how to reformat the hard drive on my son's
computer? It's an old HP with ME. He has the reinstall CD but I can't
remember how to reformat.
 
M

Mart

The simplest answer is to boot - using the WinMe (floppy) Startup disk - and
at the A:\> prompt, type " format c: " (no quotes and notice the colon
after the letter c)

That should format the C: drive.

However, if you want a more detailed instructions, a couple of very useful
documents are on your WinMe CD (and probably on your C: drive too) called
setup.txt file and cleanhd.txt which are well worth reading. You should also
and print out and have handy a copy of the cleanhd.txt file - a copy of
which you can also see here :-
"Windows Millennium Edition Cleanhd.txt File Contents"
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/271673/en-us

Also, be sure that you've still got a copy of the 25 digit product key,
before you start and any 'machine specific' drivers (often on a separate CD)
which *may* have come with your PC. (Don't worry too much if you haven't any
drivers as there's usually some work-around available)

Mart



"Cindy" <Cindy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:4B9C2BA6-764E-43D6-8E11-BF5DAA61A543@microsoft.com...
> Can anyone please tell me how to reformat the hard drive on my son's
> computer? It's an old HP with ME. He has the reinstall CD but I can't
> remember how to reformat.
 
C

Cindy

Thanx Mart! I appreciate your help!

"Mart" wrote:

> The simplest answer is to boot - using the WinMe (floppy) Startup disk - and
> at the A:\> prompt, type " format c: " (no quotes and notice the colon
> after the letter c)
>
> That should format the C: drive.
>
> However, if you want a more detailed instructions, a couple of very useful
> documents are on your WinMe CD (and probably on your C: drive too) called
> setup.txt file and cleanhd.txt which are well worth reading. You should also
> and print out and have handy a copy of the cleanhd.txt file - a copy of
> which you can also see here :-
> "Windows Millennium Edition Cleanhd.txt File Contents"
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/271673/en-us
>
> Also, be sure that you've still got a copy of the 25 digit product key,
> before you start and any 'machine specific' drivers (often on a separate CD)
> which *may* have come with your PC. (Don't worry too much if you haven't any
> drivers as there's usually some work-around available)
>
> Mart
>
>
>
> "Cindy" <Cindy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:4B9C2BA6-764E-43D6-8E11-BF5DAA61A543@microsoft.com...
> > Can anyone please tell me how to reformat the hard drive on my son's
> > computer? It's an old HP with ME. He has the reinstall CD but I can't
> > remember how to reformat.
>
>
>
 
M

Mart

You're welcome Cindy. I hope all goes well.

Mart


"Cindy" <Cindy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:FD0DE41E-1C1A-40C9-AF0A-317984F9658A@microsoft.com...
> Thanx Mart! I appreciate your help!
>
> "Mart" wrote:
>
>> The simplest answer is to boot - using the WinMe (floppy) Startup disk -
>> and
>> at the A:\> prompt, type " format c: " (no quotes and notice the colon
>> after the letter c)
>>
>> That should format the C: drive.
>>
>> However, if you want a more detailed instructions, a couple of very
>> useful
>> documents are on your WinMe CD (and probably on your C: drive too) called
>> setup.txt file and cleanhd.txt which are well worth reading. You should
>> also
>> and print out and have handy a copy of the cleanhd.txt file - a copy of
>> which you can also see here :-
>> "Windows Millennium Edition Cleanhd.txt File Contents"
>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/271673/en-us
>>
>> Also, be sure that you've still got a copy of the 25 digit product key,
>> before you start and any 'machine specific' drivers (often on a separate
>> CD)
>> which *may* have come with your PC. (Don't worry too much if you haven't
>> any
>> drivers as there's usually some work-around available)
>>
>> Mart
>>
>>
>>
>> "Cindy" <Cindy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:4B9C2BA6-764E-43D6-8E11-BF5DAA61A543@microsoft.com...
>> > Can anyone please tell me how to reformat the hard drive on my son's
>> > computer? It's an old HP with ME. He has the reinstall CD but I can't
>> > remember how to reformat.
>>
>>
>>
 
D

Desmond

Hi all,is there a way to get a disc so I can reformat my old HP with ME on.I
have the CD key still but the disc etc has long gone.Thankyou.

"Mart" wrote:

> You're welcome Cindy. I hope all goes well.
>
> Mart
>
>
> "Cindy" <Cindy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:FD0DE41E-1C1A-40C9-AF0A-317984F9658A@microsoft.com...
> > Thanx Mart! I appreciate your help!
> >
> > "Mart" wrote:
> >
> >> The simplest answer is to boot - using the WinMe (floppy) Startup disk -
> >> and
> >> at the A:\> prompt, type " format c: " (no quotes and notice the colon
> >> after the letter c)
> >>
> >> That should format the C: drive.
> >>
> >> However, if you want a more detailed instructions, a couple of very
> >> useful
> >> documents are on your WinMe CD (and probably on your C: drive too) called
> >> setup.txt file and cleanhd.txt which are well worth reading. You should
> >> also
> >> and print out and have handy a copy of the cleanhd.txt file - a copy of
> >> which you can also see here :-
> >> "Windows Millennium Edition Cleanhd.txt File Contents"
> >> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/271673/en-us
> >>
> >> Also, be sure that you've still got a copy of the 25 digit product key,
> >> before you start and any 'machine specific' drivers (often on a separate
> >> CD)
> >> which *may* have come with your PC. (Don't worry too much if you haven't
> >> any
> >> drivers as there's usually some work-around available)
> >>
> >> Mart
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> "Cindy" <Cindy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> news:4B9C2BA6-764E-43D6-8E11-BF5DAA61A543@microsoft.com...
> >> > Can anyone please tell me how to reformat the hard drive on my son's
> >> > computer? It's an old HP with ME. He has the reinstall CD but I can't
> >> > remember how to reformat.
> >>
> >>
> >>
>
>
>
 
M

Mart

*IF*, .... and that's a big IF, your existing disk (C: drive) has an almost
working copy of WinMe on it AND it contains a folder (e.g.
C:\Windows\Options\Instal or CABS) containing a copy of approx 150Mb worth
of all the installation files required for WinMe AND you are able to copy
and burn those files to mem-stick or CD or some other such media, then you
just *might* be in with a chance.

NB - Being an OEM version of WinMe, I'm not sure whether HP were permitted
to allow these files to be installed/copied on their machines. The MS Retail
version of WinMe does.

Otherwise search ebay or similar.

On the other hand, if you only want to format the drive, that's easy, got to
:-
http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm
and select the WinMe OEM version, and follow the instructions to make a boot
disk. Then use the DOS format command to format your C: drive.

But you'll still need a WinMe installation CD (or at least the files - see
above) to install a fresh installation of WinMe.

Mart


"Desmond" <Desmond@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:34F44B3F-2BE6-4120-9945-D596FF0DBAF7@microsoft.com...
> Hi all,is there a way to get a disc so I can reformat my old HP with ME
> on.I
> have the CD key still but the disc etc has long gone.Thankyou.
>
> "Mart" wrote:
>
>> You're welcome Cindy. I hope all goes well.
>>
>> Mart
>>
>>
>> "Cindy" <Cindy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:FD0DE41E-1C1A-40C9-AF0A-317984F9658A@microsoft.com...
>> > Thanx Mart! I appreciate your help!
>> >
>> > "Mart" wrote:
>> >
>> >> The simplest answer is to boot - using the WinMe (floppy) Startup
>> >> disk -
>> >> and
>> >> at the A:\> prompt, type " format c: " (no quotes and notice the
>> >> colon
>> >> after the letter c)
>> >>
>> >> That should format the C: drive.
>> >>
>> >> However, if you want a more detailed instructions, a couple of very
>> >> useful
>> >> documents are on your WinMe CD (and probably on your C: drive too)
>> >> called
>> >> setup.txt file and cleanhd.txt which are well worth reading. You
>> >> should
>> >> also
>> >> and print out and have handy a copy of the cleanhd.txt file - a copy
>> >> of
>> >> which you can also see here :-
>> >> "Windows Millennium Edition Cleanhd.txt File Contents"
>> >> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/271673/en-us
>> >>
>> >> Also, be sure that you've still got a copy of the 25 digit product
>> >> key,
>> >> before you start and any 'machine specific' drivers (often on a
>> >> separate
>> >> CD)
>> >> which *may* have come with your PC. (Don't worry too much if you
>> >> haven't
>> >> any
>> >> drivers as there's usually some work-around available)
>> >>
>> >> Mart
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> "Cindy" <Cindy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> >> news:4B9C2BA6-764E-43D6-8E11-BF5DAA61A543@microsoft.com...
>> >> > Can anyone please tell me how to reformat the hard drive on my son's
>> >> > computer? It's an old HP with ME. He has the reinstall CD but I
>> >> > can't
>> >> > remember how to reformat.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>>
>>
>>
 
M

MedRxman

Hope im not to late:

If you have the HP restore CD all you have to do is place the CD in the CD
Drive and restart the computer and follow the on screen directions and the
PC will be rertored the way you originally took it out of the box.


"Cindy" <Cindy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:4B9C2BA6-764E-43D6-8E11-BF5DAA61A543@microsoft.com...
> Can anyone please tell me how to reformat the hard drive on my son's
> computer? It's an old HP with ME. He has the reinstall CD but I can't
> remember how to reformat.
 
H

Heather

And I hope I am not wrong......but the gurus here say not to overlay
WinME without removing IE6 and something with Windows Media Player.

My WinME took a lightning hit and I was going to do what you suggest and
Mart told me I would end up with "version soup"......a phrase coined by
Noel Paton.

I trust I have that straight, seeing as I use XP.......Heather

"MedRxman" <medrxman@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:OCCvQ5A$IHA.4816@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> Hope im not to late:
>
> If you have the HP restore CD all you have to do is place the CD in
> the CD Drive and restart the computer and follow the on screen
> directions and the PC will be rertored the way you originally took it
> out of the box.
>
>
> "Cindy" <Cindy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:4B9C2BA6-764E-43D6-8E11-BF5DAA61A543@microsoft.com...
>> Can anyone please tell me how to reformat the hard drive on my son's
>> computer? It's an old HP with ME. He has the reinstall CD but I
>> can't
>> remember how to reformat.
>
>
 
M

Mike M

Heather,

"version soup" and "dll hell" have origins lost back in time and pre-date
Noel's postings here. As for removing IE6 and renaming wmploc.dll to
wmploc.old this is essential if someone is going to try and re-install Win
Me over itself.
--
Mike M


Heather <figgyd@nospam.invalid> wrote:

> And I hope I am not wrong......but the gurus here say not to overlay
> WinME without removing IE6 and something with Windows Media Player.
>
> My WinME took a lightning hit and I was going to do what you suggest
> and Mart told me I would end up with "version soup"......a phrase
> coined by Noel Paton.
>
> I trust I have that straight, seeing as I use XP.......Heather
 
M

MedRxman

If you do as I suggested, your hard drive will be reformated, then restored
to its original
condition. You will not be overly anything. Look at ike M's response

"this is essential if someone is going to try and re-install Win
Me over itself."

You are doing a restore not a re-insyall.

Good Luck

"Heather" <figgyd@nospam.invalid> wrote in message
news:%23gJTiAC$IHA.6132@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> And I hope I am not wrong......but the gurus here say not to overlay WinME
> without removing IE6 and something with Windows Media Player.
>
> My WinME took a lightning hit and I was going to do what you suggest and
> Mart told me I would end up with "version soup"......a phrase coined by
> Noel Paton.
>
> I trust I have that straight, seeing as I use XP.......Heather
>
> "MedRxman" <medrxman@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:OCCvQ5A$IHA.4816@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>> Hope im not to late:
>>
>> If you have the HP restore CD all you have to do is place the CD in the
>> CD Drive and restart the computer and follow the on screen directions and
>> the PC will be rertored the way you originally took it out of the box.
>>
>>
>> "Cindy" <Cindy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:4B9C2BA6-764E-43D6-8E11-BF5DAA61A543@microsoft.com...
>>> Can anyone please tell me how to reformat the hard drive on my son's
>>> computer? It's an old HP with ME. He has the reinstall CD but I can't
>>> remember how to reformat.
>>
>>
>
>
 
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