How do you format a new hard drive?

[Josh42]

I have a hard drive in a new system that needs to be partitioned and set up correctly. Then win98 needs to be put on. I have NO experience with DOS so be easy on me! =) Thanks!

J. Ciolkosz

[alann]

We need more information about your harddrive: how big? how many partitions need to be configed?

[wildbuffalo]

During boot up go into BIOS setting, and select boot up from Floppy drive. Pop in your Win98 boot up disk (if you don't have one then you need to make one from another computer that has Win98 running). At command prompt type ' fdisk', its a MSDOS utility which will let you create partitions on your new HDD. Follow the directions on screen, if as you say the HDD is new, hence no data to loose, even if you do something wrong (though chances are very less if follow the directions on screen).

Next you can format your new partitions from command prompt, e.g. A:\format c:\u, the \u at the end makes sure that if there was anything on the HDD (even if new), it won't come haunting you later.

Once formatted type A:\e: (assuming your cd rom has letter e), then E:\setup, rest the Win98's installation will guide you through.

Wild

[Josh42]

Apparently, my boot disk doesn't have everything on it that I need. I got fdisk at a friends house but I don't have that format file. Can I get anything off of my Win98 Cd or do I have to go out again?

Note: I'd prefer two partitions. It's an 18.2 Quantum drive.

[Josh42]

Apparently, my boot disk doesn't have everything on it that I need. I got fdisk at a friends house but I don't have that format file. Can I get anything off of my Win98 Cd or do I have to go out again?

Note: I'd prefer two partitions. It's an 18.2 Quantum drive.

[Paul Hubrich]

Go to bootdisk.com and you should be able to download a file to create a windows 98 boot disk that will work for you.

[Dave_H]

This should help you set up your drive into 2 partitions.
All About Partitioning (http://www.hardwarecentral.com/hardwarecentral/tutorials/42/2/)
Dave

[Mr. Mojo Risin]

yes, Format and all the other commands you need after boot-up are located on the Win98 CD-ROM either right in the root directory or mabey in the "setup" folder. I can't remember exactly, although I just did it a few hours ago at work... but I know that it's on there.

http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by Mr. Mojo Risin (edited 08-18-2000).]

[Chainsaw]

For Win98SE you will find format.com in the \win98 directory on the CD.
Not sure if that is true for Win98, but I think it is the same.
Later,
c:::CHNsaw