Formatting hdd without windows

[Illusionist]

I just built a new computer system, trying to install windows xp, but getting a fatal error, so I would like to reformat the hdd, and start over again, but don't know how, with no os.

Thanks for any suggestions.

[FulciLives]

You want the System Rescue CD

Follow this link ---> http://www.sysresccd.org/

Download and burn to a CD-R disc. Now boot the computer with that CD-R in the main drive. It will boot into a working Linux environment which includes a variety of tools including those allowing you to re-format the drive in whatever format you want (NTFS for MS Windows).

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

P.S.
Try to burn "slow" when you burn the CD-R ... 16x speed is a good speed.

[Illusionist]

Thanks for reply, I figured it out. I yanked the hdd, put it on another computer, reformatting the drive. Thanks for all your help.

[FulciLives]

I forgot to mention that there is another similar tool called Parted Magic

Here is the link ---> http://partedmagic.com/

I thought I would mention this because the file size of the ISO is only 46MB whereas the file size of the System Rescue CD ISO is about 198MB so if you are stuck with dial-up internet you might want to try Parted Magic as it won't take as long to download.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[FulciLives]

Thanks for reply, I figured it out. I yanked the hdd, put it on another computer, reformatting the drive. Thanks for all your help.

I'm glad to hear you got it all worked out

Having said that you might still want to download one or both of the tools I mentioned as you never know when they might "come in handy" for future use.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[Midzuki]

Boot-floppy images are much smaller,
and their files also work when properly copied onto
CDs or USB-drives.

[Nelson37]

It is always best to partition and format the HD in the PC in which it will be used, with the tools from the intended OS.

I would be far more concerned about the Fatal Error and format failure in the brand new PC. Something is very, very wrong. There is absolutely no reason this should not function in a working PC with a valid XP boot disk. The workaround you have achieved is simply masking a much more serious problem.

Double-check power and data cables, HD controller setup, and confirm CD bootability. Find an old HD scratch drive and confirm ability to format on the new PC. Continue troubleshooting until you can format the new drive on the new PC, using the XP disk.

Additional text of the error message might be helpful.

This PC would under no circumstances leave my shop for a customers business without resolving the reason for this error.

[SLK001]

It is always best to partition and format the HD in the PC in which it will be used, with the tools from the intended OS.

I would be far more concerned about the Fatal Error and format failure in the brand new PC. Something is very, very wrong. There is absolutely no reason this should not function in a working PC with a valid XP boot disk. The workaround you have achieved is simply masking a much more serious problem.

Double-check power and data cables, HD controller setup, and confirm CD bootability. Find an old HD scratch drive and confirm ability to format on the new PC. Continue troubleshooting until you can format the new drive on the new PC, using the XP disk.

Additional text of the error message might be helpful.

This PC would under no circumstances leave my shop for a customers business without resolving the reason for this error.

He'll be back. Since this can easily be done with the XP setup disk (not using an automated setup script), I suspect that the OP has little experience with PCs. Maybe he's trying to format an IDE drive on a SATA interface.

[TBoneit]

As I read it the OP has no OS disk, and is using a used Hard Drive. Fatal error could be from it trying to boot off of the used hdd from a different machine.

My 2cents worth of input.

[Number Six]

It is always best to partition and format the HD in the PC in which it will be used, with the tools from the intended OS.

Absolutely true!! I once took the easy road and formatted a drive in different computer than the one I was installing it in - it worked perfectly, except for the fact that it would not boot . I had to do the whole thing all over again when I realized that the intended motherboard did not like the geometry configuration on the drive. Sometimes you can format a drive in one computer and move it into another without any problems, but it is not worth the aggravation.

[Nelson37]

Tbone, I think you may be right, after reading the post again.

But then what is he going to do after getting it formatted?

[Illusionist]

The error I was recieving was from Windows OS, at first I tried to load xp pro, but couldn't find the serial key, remember putting it on a case, I threw away, so I restarted and tried installing Windows xp home.

During windows preperation section of the install, is when the error kept popping up, I wrote it down, but didn't keep it after everything was up & running.

But new computer is working well now, I used my other computer to reformat the hdd and installed windows correctly the 2nd time on new system.

Thanks everyone.