I remember the old days, all I had to do was go to DOS type FORMAT C and it was that easy.
Now I have Vista and don’t know how to do it?
I was told “F11” at startup would let me, but I see no format option.
I want to wipe the “C” drive clean and start from scratch. I tried to format it once via internet instructions. But I when I opened Properties the hard drive was still full.
This is not a question why I want to format it; it is a question how to format the hard drive.
Update:I already have a recovery drive, it is “D” and it came this way when I bought it.
How do you get to DOS from Vista? I don’t think it’s possible.
So how do I do a recovery from my existing “D?”
I have some disks I made when I bought the computer. Do plug those in and start clicking?
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
Any Windows installation CD/DVD will give you the option to format a drive before installation. Insert your Vista DVD and choose installation then choose custom. When it finds the drives on your HD below the list is "Other Drive Options" or "Format".
Or download Partition Manager ISO for bootable CD. Burn to CD using imgburn's "Write Image File to Disc" option. Boot from the CD, right click C: and format. Last link at bottom: http://www.partitionwizard.com/download.html
You can't format the drive if you're running an operating system that's installed on it, it won't let you. You need to boot the computer from another drive or CD, such as a floppy, USB memory stick, a DOS CD, a Linux CD or the Windows installation DVD.
well you can still boot to DOS and format c.
do you have a floppy drive? if so, you cna get DOS off the internet, plop it on a floppy, and like the old days, boot from disk, all slow like, and format c.
For me, I just go to My Computer and right click on the C: drive, and there is a "Format" tab to click.
get Boot and Nuke. this is the best way to wipe a drive to bare.