How to Format a Computer with Windows 95, 98, or ME

How to Format a Computer with Windows 95, 98, or ME

To reinstall Windows, you will need a Startup Diskette and a Windows Installation CD.

Note: We recommend using the Startup Diskette available on this page. Other Windows Startup Diskettes may not work with the following steps.

1. Once you have your Startup Diskette, insert it into the floppy drive and restart your computer.
   
   
   
2. Select option #1 - Start the computer with CD-ROM support.
   
   
   
3. After a minute or so, you will see "A:>_".
   
   
   
4. Type "fdisk" and press Enter.
   
   
   
5. If asked to enable large disk support, select Y for Yes. (Note: Some versions of Windows 95 may not be compatible with large disk support. Select N here if it does not support the FAT32 file system.)
   
   
   
6. Select Option #1 - Create DOS partition or Logical DOS Drive.
   
   
   
7. Select Option #1 - Create Primary DOS Partition.
   
   
   
8. The drive integrity will be verified.
   
   
   
9. Unless you are planning to make multiple partitions, select Y when asked if you want to use the maximum available size for the partition and to make the partition active.
   
   
   
10. The drive integrity will be verified again.
    
    
    
11. When completed press the Esc key to exit fdisk.
    
    
    
12. Without removing the floppy disk, press the reset button on the computer or press the keys Ctrl then Alt then Delete and release them together. This will restart the computer.
    
    
    
13. Again, select the option to Start the computer with CD-ROM support.
    
    
    
14. When you see A:>, directly above it is a message about your CD-ROM drive. It will tell you the letter assigned to your CD-ROM drive, take note of it.
    
    
    
15. At the A:>, type "format C:" and press Enter.
    
    
    
16. Press the Y key then the enter key when asked if you want to proceed with the format.
    
    
    
17. The format will probably take some time, so be patient.
    
    
    
18. 
    
    You will be asked to choose a Volume Label, which is a name for your hard drive. It has no effect on the operation of your computer, you may choose any name you like.

 

 

How to Reinstall Windows XP

1. To reinstall Windows XP or 2000, imply insert Windows CD and restart your computer.
   
   
   
2. If your hard drive has not been formatted, Windows XP will walk you through the formatting process described above
   
   
   
3. Your computer will automatically boot from the CD and begin the installation process
   

How to Reinstall Windows 95, 98, or ME

1. After formatting your hard drive as described above, insert the Startup Diskette into the floppy drive and restart your computer.
   
   
   
2. Select option #1 - Start the computer with CD-ROM support.
   
   
   
3. After a minute or so, you will see "A:>_".
   
   
   
4. Place the Windows Install CD into the CD-ROM drive.
   
   
   
5. Type "E:" (where E is the letter assigned to the CD-ROM drive) and press the Enter key.
   
   
   
6. Type "dir" and press Enter. You will see something like the following:
   

   Volume in drive E is 020409_1121
   Directory of E:
   WIN98_SE <DIR> 04-09-02 11:21a
   0 file(s)0 bytes
   1 dir(s)0 bytes free
   

   
   
7. WIN98_SE is a directory, as indicated by the "<DIR>" after it.
   
   
   
8. Type "cd WIN98_SE", replacing WIN98_SE with the result from above, then press the Enter key.
   
   
   
9. Type "dir" and press the Enter key.
   
   
   
10. If you see: SETUP <DIR> somewhere in the output, then type "cd SETUP" and press the Enter key. Otherwise, skip this step.
    
    
    
11. Type "SETUP" and press the Enter key to begin the Windows setup program.
    
    
    
12. Simply follow the prompts to install Windows.
    
    
    
13. Remove the Windows Startup Diskette when prompted.
    

WipeDrive: Wipe All Data Before Formatting

Deleted files can be recovered even after a computer has been formatted!

A recent study of 129 old hard drives (many of them formatted) revealed more than 5,000 credit card numbers, medical correspondences, love letters, pornography, bank account information, and other confidential data. To protect yourself from identity theft, erase ALL data before formatting a hard drive.

Do you need to know:

• How to format a computer before selling or donating a system.
  
  
  
• How to format a computer to erase personal data before returning it to an employer.
  
  
  
• How to format a computer with an operating system damaged by viruses or spyware.
  
  
  
• How to format a computer in compliance with government regulations (including HIPAA).

How to Format a Computer Securely With WipeDrive

WipeDrive is an easy-to-use disk sanitizing tool that boots from a CD or floppy disk.

Learning how to format a computer is as easy as inserting the WipeDrive disk and restarting your system. WipeDrive will automatically load with prompts indicating how to format computer hard drive data to Department of Defense specifications.