Fdisk/ formatting Problems

[joeyroland]

Help, I am trying to get rid of EvErYtHiNg on my computer...including my HD partitions. One problem, when I go to display partition info or any of that, I get a line that says:
Current Fixed Disk Drive: 1

That's it! Nothing else happens. When I go to create logical drives and all, same thing. Set active a partition...same thing!
I can delete though, whatever difference that makes.

I have checked ms.com and can't find a resolution. All I want to do, is get everything off of my computer! Is there anyway I can get rid of all of my HD partitions and just have one with the maximumm, (40.6GB). I don't care about losing anything...made reliable backups. Please help! Thanks in advance.

[G]

Hi,
The following instructions below are for FDISKing, partitioning, and FORMATing a single or multiple HDDs. This should answer your questions. Make sure that you copy your important data over first. If you are still stuck after reading this, post away.

Using Fdisk.

If you wish only to have one HDD as primary then the process should be simple.

This is the procedure, which should allow you to format your hard drive as painless as possible.

1. Place a bootable diskette (Win98 Start-up, or Windows Boot Diskette) in to the floppy drive immediately after power on (make sure that your bios settings, start-up options/sequence indicates that the first start-up drive is the floppy drive or a:\>)
2. You will be presented with the a:\> prompt
3. At the a:\> prompt type dir Hence, you will have a:\>dir (Press enter (return key))
4. A screen will appear with the contents of your bootable floppy disk.
5. The file which you require is called Fdisk
6. At the a:\> prompt type Fdisk Hence, you will have a:\>Fdisk (Press enter (return key))
7. A screen will appear stating at the bottom ‘Do you wish to enable large disk support (Y/N)’. Indicate Y for yes, unless you wish to have FAT16 (limit 2GB).
8. The next screen represents Fdisk options. These range from 1-4 (but you may have fives options if you have more than one HDD connected to your computer)
9. To establish the state of your hard drive, go to option 4 (Display partition information)
10. This screen will either show that you have a partitioned hard drive or that no partition(s) were detected. If a partition is detected it will inform you which partition is the active partition. If you have partitions already, I would recommend deleting each one, rebooting, and then recreating partitions. (See below).
11. If no partition(s) were detected, and bearing in mind that you will need a partitioned hard drive in order to format your hard drive; press Esc to get out of this screen and back to the Fdisk option screen.
12. Press Fdisk option 1 (Create dos partition or logical disc drive)
13. The Create dos partition or logical disk dive menu screen appears
14. Press create dos partition or logical disk drive option 1 (Create primary dos partition). It is necessary to have a primary partition otherwise you will not be able to install Windows. You can stipulate the size you would like your primary partition to be (a maximum of 2GB if you want FAT16). Any other partitions you wish to have will be up to you.
15. Press Esc and go back to the Fdisk options screen
16. Press Fdisk options 2 (Set active partition). You will need to do this if you wish to install Windows. Follow the instructions. It is self-explanatory. (Create an active partition or change it.
17. Press Esc until you arrive back at Fdisk options.
18. Press Fdisk options 4 (Display partition information)
19. You should find that you now have one primary partition, which is ‘active’. (This procedure will help you to manipulate the active partition of a single HDD).
20. Press Esc until you arrive at the a:\> prompt
21. Warm boot (reboot) your computer without the floppy in the floppy diskette drive and you should now be able to go in to Windows using your HDD as the only HDD connected to your computer.
22. If you wish to have additional partitions these can be in the form of three additional primary partitions (four in total is the limit) or create an extended partition and multiple logical dos partitions.
23. Each time you create a partition I would recommend that you exit FDISK, reboot, and then continue.

Using format for one or more partitions

24. At the a:\> type format c:/s (This MS-Dos switch may not happen because c:> will not have any system files on it and for the simple fact that no Ram will make it impossible to use this switch). The difficulty here is that if you are using an EBD (Emergency Boot Disc) you will need to insert your EBD, restart your computer, and change directories to the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive (usually one drive letter ahead of where it typically resides because of the RAM drive created by EBD). If EBD still does not boot your CD-ROM then the drivers on your EBD do not include your CD-ROM device driver or a generic device driver to do the job instead. You will need to edit your Config.sys file adding the necessary line for your CD-ROM device driver and maybe even the CD-ROM device driver on to the EBD). However, if all is well continue as instructed below.
25. Hence, you have a:\>format(space)c:/s (Note also if you receive a ‘Bad command’ or ‘Bad file name’ error message, you will need to extract the Format.com tool to boot your disc.
26. Type at the prompt , hence, a:>extract(space)ebd.cab(space)format.com
27. After Format.com is extracted to your boot disk and the MS-Dos command prompt is displayed, type format c:/s Or type format drive: for partition(s) not marked as your active partition. Follow the instruction on the screen . I have already explained what to do in the above explanation so I will not repeat myself, and bore you to tears.
28. The /s switch will copy system files to the ‘c’ partition on your hard drive. The system files are essential if you wish to install Windows. Without the system file, the partition will not be recognised. Otherwise forget the sys switch and simply boot from the Windows CD-ROM (CD-ROM must be inserted, BIOS change to CD-ROM as the first start-up device).

If you have two HDDs installed (note you will have to configure the HDDs as instructed by your motherboard manufactures HDD manual), place you EBD or Windows installation boot disc in to the floppy diskette drive. Boot your computer. Go to
1. ‘Start computer without CD-ROM support’ and press enter.
2. Place a bootable diskette in to the floppy drive immediately after power on (make sure that your bios settings, start-up options/sequence indicates that the first start-up drive is the floppy drive or a:\>)
3. You will be presented with the a:\> prompt
4. At the a:\> prompt type dir Hence, you will have a:\>dir (Press enter (return key)
5. A screen will appear with the contents of your bootable floppy disk.
6. The file which you require is called Fdisk
7. At the a:\> prompt type Fdisk Hence, you will have a:\>Fdisk (Press enter (return key)
8. A screen will appear stating at the bottom ‘Do you wish to enable large disk support (Y/N)’. Indicate Y for yes, unless you wish to have FAT16 (limit 2GB).
9. The next screen represents Fdisk options. These range from 1-5. (Note, 5) = Change current fixed disk drive (this option is only available if you have more than one physical hard disks correctly configured in your in computer)
10. In order to set the new HDD primary partition with the OS installed press option 5 (Change current fixed disk drive (this option is only available if you have one physical hard disks correctly configured in your in computer). Indicate which drive you wish to focus on. You will need to indicate your new drive. You will need to get a display, which lists the five options as before but instead for the new drive. Now set the primary partition with the OS installed as active for the new HDD. Follow the instructions for partitioning a single HDD. Note you do not necessarily have to have a primary partition. You could have logical dos partitions which originate from the extended partition on HDD number one for example and so do not have to be set ‘active’ either.
11. To establish the state of your hard drive, go to option 4 (Display partition information)
12. The following screens should indicate to you the physical HDD (s) and their status.
13. Press Esc and go back to the Fdisk options screen and then Esc out of Fdisk and Restart your computer.

As you would expect, there are many complications that may arise, and many configurations that may be involved. The information I present above to you is for the well behaved, hassle free HDD(s) and the like, within reason.

If there is anything, which is unclear, do not hesitate to get back in contact. I will be happy to augment these instructions further if necessary and hope to have a more thorough and comprehensive version to post in a week's time.

I hope that this will be of some use to you. Let me know how you get on.

Happy FDISKing and FORMATting.

Incidentally, it may be very beneficial for you to purchase PartitionMagic V7.0 - awesome, as is Drive Image V5.0 for the long term.

G

[joeyroland]

Hey G


First of all, thanks for getting back to me so quick. However, I am somewhat familiar to fdisk. My problem is when, let's say I go to display partition summary, I am getting the message:
Current Fixed Disk Drive:1
No options and the computer is as good as frozed.:confused:

What I am trying to do is get rid of everything...any trace of the partitions, etc. Anymore suggestions. Thanks in advance!

[G]

Hi,

I’m not sure. I think I read something about this problem ages ago but except for using FDISK to create a primary partition on a clean hard disk drive (HDD) I use PartitionMagic V6.0 nowadays. The last time I used FDISK was in January of this year. My memory just isn’t what it use to be. Therefore, FDISK’s idiosyncrasies are rather vague now. I would recommend that you go to your HDD manufacturer and get their high low-level formatter (pseudo low-level formatter in other words). It may be that FDISK is having difficulties with some type of corruption that it cannot deal with. That should sort things out.

Post me your HDD manufacturer and model and any other details and I will have a look for you.

I wish I could give you the FDISK switch fix but if there is any corruption meet by FDISK it tends to do what its doing to you. Not a lot.

G

[joeyroland]

Hey G,

Thanks again for getting back to me so fast. Okay, my HD is a

Maxtor 40GB Ultra100 5400rpm 2M

I hope this helps in coming up with a solution to this problem. Thanks again in advance for any more solutions you may suggest!
Joey

[G]

I have the file(s) you need so if you private message me with your email I will send them to you.

Let me know if they arrive.

G

[bill1971]

G:
Very nice of you to go through all the trouble to post this valuable information as new to some, and as a refresher for others. It is much appreciated.

[G]

Well thanks bill1971. I am working on a comprehensive script on FORMATing, FDISKing, and partitioning but it will be a while until it is finalised.

All the best,
G

[Psycho Logical]

"I am working on a comprehensive script on FORMATing, FDISKing, and..."

I hate to dampen your enthusiasm, but it's already been done to death. Why re-invent the wheel?

The Four Steps Needed to Make a Hard Disk Usable
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q66706

MS-DOS Partitioning Summary
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q69912

How to Use the Fdisk Tool and the Format Tool to Partition or Repartition a Hard Disk
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q255867

[silversurferman]

the mbr is certainly corrupted.

u must erase the mbr, its backup, the fat, its backup, and then
zero - fill the drive. (just to start)

the drive must be zeroed,
else the drive will keep the information on it 4 ever.

generally,
fdisk didn't do the trick. not even fdisk/mbr (a command).
microsoft does not manuf hdd's - but ibm invented them, so
and ibm's os2 warp4 3 diskettes cleared the disk 4 me.

generally,
there is some freeware software that does this.

specifically, your drive manuf (MAXTOR) gave you a drivemgr
program. u should refer to it before anything else,
even though your computer mobo does not require
the DDO (dynamic drive overlay).

sincerely,

silversurferman.

ps hope i dont sound like my statements indicate: pompous.
this problem might stick to the disk for a long time. its sticky.
the mbr was updated by some virus. that is how it starts.
how it ends is disk=noshow in future.

[PhilipOK]

Yo !

I use acronis OS selector(www.acronis.com) instead of Partition magic and system utilities. It's far much better in it's abilities and much cheaper. UI is a very nice one. Shorter, it's a cool stuff ;-) .

Phil

[Vernon Frazee]

How to KILL a stubborn hard drive partition (http://www.comp-air.com/vfrazee/kill_hd.htm)