What does it mean to format a hard drive?

Go to www.download.com and type in Glary Utilities. Do the 1-Click Maintenance with this software. This is a spam free program and also free to use. It will clean up your computer first and then backup your files for safekeeping.

Then if you wish to reformat, do so after you use Windows Restore in Control panel.

Backup to tape in case you break something important.

Okay, not get a command prompt and type format c: /y

Press [Enter]

When this is done, type sys d: c:

Press [Enter]

You are done.

If you have Windows: yes

1.Backup your data. yes

2.Get a Windows CD (not a restore disk).

3.Make a boot disk. yes to all

4.Boot with the boot disk.

5.Type fdisk, see here:

http://hardwarehell.com/fdisk.htm

6.Type "format c:" or "format c: /s" Here are more answers and opinions from other Wiki s Contributors:

• Another way to format your hard drive is to do the following: I am supposing you are going to install the operating system after you have formatted the drive, you must have the Operating system CD (that is Windows 98, Windows 2000 or Windows XP.Go into the BiOS settings of your PC, usually by pressing the delete key in a clone computer, the F1 key in an IBM and the F10 in a Compaq when you first start the computer. You have to set the start up options to CD first, floppy or removable drive second, and the hard drive third. Save the settings and come out of the BiOS settings. Place the CD in the CD drive and restart. The computer will recognize the CD drive and begin copying files. You will be prompted to install Windows in another location if the system recognized another operating system. It will also ask if you wish to format the drive and will give the option of FAT32 or NTFS. NTFS affords more security options and works better, although it is not compatible with older systems that use FAT32. Format the drive and continue with the installation of the operating system.

• 1. Backup your files.

2. Backup your VGA/sound drivers. (if stored in the hard drive)

3. Place the bootable Windows CD on the CD-ROM

4. Boot on CD-ROM

5. on the command line, type CD win98 then press enter.

6. type format c:/s/u/v then enter

7. Wait for a couple of minutes.

8. Done.

• XP will format the disk for you. Just boot from the CD and tell it to format the disk.

I'm going to try to answer all of the questions here. First, if your OS CD is not bootable then the best way to format your computer is boot to a DOS bootable floppy and type format C: .

Second, reformatting will get rid of all viruses except for a boot sector virus, which if you had, wouldn't let you boot the computer to begin with.

Third, if you "reformatted" from the biOS, then you didn't reformat, you most likely just recreated the partitions, but did not format them. They would be visible as C: and D:, etc. but you wouldn't be able to write to the drives at all. As in the first answer above, boot to a DOS disk and format that way. You should be fine from there.

With great reluctance, and a great deal of bad language. The best thing I can suggest is that while you're thinking of it, and don't really have to do it right this moment, is to look in the help files, print out what you think you won't remember, and make a boot disk on floppy and keep it where you'll remember it. It's really not a terribly complicated process, but it usually needs to be done as the result of some catastrophe, like a virus infection or other serious issue that can't be fixed except by starting over fresh. You will be relieved, when this happens, to have prepared ahead of time. In and of itself, it's not terribly complicated, but it is almost always made necessary by a disaster, and your focus won't be helped any by being upset at just having lost Aunt Nellie's recipe's, or your Master's thesis. Be prepared for the time when..not if...it will be necessary. And, finally, don't forget the old saying that warns you to "save early and save often" when it comes to your work, and to remember always to have a schedule in place to back up your important files. Before I knew better, I lost two years of research once when Windows 95 decided to give itself a few days off. Don't let that happen to you, and don't go into a reformat unprepared. It's just not fun at all. Good luck.

Restart computer into dos mode Win98 Or use Floppy boot disk in Win ME

At the A:/ Type - Format C:

Then computer asks - Are you sure all data on C: will be Lost?

Type "y" then enter and drive will be formatted

Start or restart your computer in DOS mode and type in C:\ then when you are in C: you type in C:\ formatC: Make sure when it says C:\ you put a space then formatC:\ then just answer the questions. Hope this will help you Ray

Please anyone who needs to "re"format their computer--- DON'T! If you don't know how to format a hard drive you probably don't know how to boot an OS into your system. Just because you have a Win98 CD don't mean you have to do it every time you have a problem!

If you find you must reformat and reinstall the OS, ALWAYS REMEMBER TO BACK UP YOUR DATA first !!

Always back up data before problems arise. But after reformat and new install of OS You might need drivers that came with computer or was factory install. I have 2 cds that I made that has all the drivers my system needs. Don't count on your OS to have the drivers. Some of your answers are great for a system that is running, but what if He/She is replacing HARD DRIVE. That floppy reboot disk looks mighty good right about now. Plus not all of us ran out and bought full XP version. You need to install 95 or 98 first if got the service pack. Don't forget the pesky extras, like printers, Laser mouse, Ethernet cards, if your using cable then theres more software. Helps to burn all these to a CD, plus might not hurt to open notepad or Word pad and jot down those pesky passes needed for like my cable provider that's needed. I only use these when doing install. But might not use that for long periods and get forgetful.

* IF YOU EVEN THINK YOU MAY BE DOING SOMETHING WRONG, TAKE YOUR COMPUTER TO A PROFESSIONAL. *

---FORMATTING A HARD DRIVE WILL REMOVE ALL THE DATA, INCLUDING THE OPERATING SYSTEM---