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The "Not Quite Amiga but still computer related category" => Alternative Operating Systems => Topic started by: TheMud on June 20, 2008, 11:23:47 PM

Title: SOLVED - THANX !!! Boot CD for formatting
Post by: TheMud on June 20, 2008, 11:23:47 PM
Is there a Boot CD for pc's where you can format the harddrive directly after booting ? ... Shall be formated into NTFS ... Any free progs out there ?
Title: Re: Boot CD for formatting
Post by: odin on June 21, 2008, 12:17:16 AM
The G-Parted LiveCD (http://gparted.sourceforge.net/livecd.php) might be what you're after.
Title: Re: Boot CD for formatting
Post by: InTheSand on June 21, 2008, 05:09:24 AM
Or SystemRescueCD (http://www.sysresccd.org/Main_Page) will probably be of use. It contains GParted, NTFSTools and a whole heap of other useful bits and pieces.

No FFS support though!  :-)

 - Ali
Title: Re: Boot CD for formatting
Post by: TheMud on June 21, 2008, 10:23:04 AM
This is not what I am looking for. I just want a boot program so that I can format my Harddrive into NTFS, and install Windows afterwords...
Title: Re: Boot CD for formatting
Post by: DBAlex on June 21, 2008, 10:30:05 AM
The Ultimate Boot CD (http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/) can do this too... plus it has a load of other useful tools too (memory tests etc). It can also "nuke" a hard drive, filling it was 1's and zeros, which completely wipes a HD, even removing the MBR...

Alex.  :-D
Title: Re: Boot CD for formatting
Post by: TheMud on June 21, 2008, 10:37:53 AM
Thanx again People - Found a copy in the Office of Powersuite Pro 2008 - That helped :-)
Title: Re: Boot CD for formatting
Post by: jj on June 21, 2008, 10:51:06 AM
All versions of windows after 98se allow you to boot from the cd and will format the drive, so I dont get why you dont just use the windows cd.
Title: Re: Boot CD for formatting
Post by: alexh on June 21, 2008, 11:27:09 AM
Erm, surely you just boot off the Windows CD/DVD which allows you to format and partition prior to OS install?

Edit: Note to self : Read to end of thread before posting.
Title: Re: Boot CD for formatting
Post by: TheMud on June 21, 2008, 12:04:42 PM
The Problem is... I Formated the Harddrive with Ubuntu. Since then the Window Install cd says - Can't find any harddrive :'( ... Even after I have formated it with Powersuite 2008, it doesnt help...

The window cd boots... And after a while it says it cant find the harddrive. Ubuntu can still find it though :-O ... Im sooooo lost :-(
Title: Re: Boot CD for formatting
Post by: Thomas on June 21, 2008, 01:11:22 PM

Connect the HDD to an Amiga and use HDToolbox to install it. By that all data on the HDD will be wiped out and the Windows CD should see the HDD as completely empty.

Bye,
Thomas
Title: Re: Boot CD for formatting
Post by: odin on June 21, 2008, 01:17:35 PM
*shrug* GParted shouldn't have any problems wiping that HD, but whatever.

You have only the one HD in the PC? You want both the Ubuntu install and any other OS'es completely gone?
Title: Re: Boot CD for formatting
Post by: TheMud on June 21, 2008, 01:47:28 PM
I installed Ubuntu on The Whole Harddrive ... Now I want Windows back :-S ... But Ubuntu has formated the complete drive into something that the Windows Install cd doesnt Recognize.

I tried formatting with Powersuite into NSTF and it said ok and saw the HD...

But still the windows install cd doesnt find it :-( ...
Title: Re: Boot CD for formatting
Post by: Flashlab on June 21, 2008, 01:59:30 PM
Do you happen to have a SATA harddisk? XP doesn't see those by default as it has no drivers for it.

If that's the case then search in your BIOS for IDE compatability mode for your SATA settings and XP will see the drive.
Title: Re: Boot CD for formatting
Post by: TheMud on June 21, 2008, 02:03:59 PM
It is SATA ... Have tried finding this in BIOS but didnt succesed... Guess im dumb :-D ...

I'll try again
Title: Re: Boot CD for formatting
Post by: cantido on June 21, 2008, 02:09:18 PM
Quote

TheMud wrote:
The Problem is... I Formated the Harddrive with Ubuntu.


Problems with terminology; Ubuntu hasn't formated the drive, it has created or modified the existing MBR and partition table and created a filesystem(s) on a partition(s).
It doesn't matter what filesystem Ubuntu has formatted the partition(s) with, the Windows installer should still be able to read the partition table and see the sizes and locations of the partitions on the drive. IIRC it will say the partition is of an unknown type if it doesn't recognise the partion's magic number... if the drive doesn't have a partition table it recognises the installer will offer the whole drive up as unpartitioned space.

Most likely the Windows installer needs extra drivers for your chipset, you need to turn on some emulation option in the BIOS, or you have a knackered drive.
Title: Re: Boot CD for formatting
Post by: Flashlab on June 21, 2008, 02:17:07 PM
It's SATA that's the problem; if there's no IDE compatability mode in the BIOS then you need to load the drivers from a floppy (press F6 when the XP install tells you so for external drivers).

Or when you have a laptop or other preinstalled computer just use the recovery CD/DVD.

You can also make a XP cd with the drivers included. I believe it's called slipstreaming.
Title: Re: Boot CD for formatting
Post by: Piru on June 21, 2008, 02:18:25 PM
1. Download the drivers for your motherboard SATA controller, or locate them from the motherboard driver CD-ROM.
2. Copy the driver files to a floppy.
3. Boot the Windows XP Installation.
4. When prompted hit F6 to install additional drivers. The installation will read floppy in A: for the drivers.
5. Select the correct driver (often you have couple of different options to choose from, say 2000, XP 32bit, XP 64bit) and hit enter.
6. Continue the installation process as usual. Leave the floppy into the A: drive (the installation will copy the files couple of times)
Title: Re: Boot CD for formatting
Post by: TheMud on June 21, 2008, 02:24:20 PM
Thank You Guys !

I changed the thingy with the IDE and wupti ... Windows Installed :-)

YOU ARE MY HEROS :-P
Title: Re: Boot CD for formatting
Post by: Flashlab on June 21, 2008, 03:26:29 PM
Do know that when you change it back Windows won't boot anymore! There are ways to install the SATA driver afterwards but that requires some tweaking.
Title: Re: Boot CD for formatting
Post by: TheMud on June 21, 2008, 03:33:50 PM
Ehmmm... it boots fine still. :-p
Title: Re: Boot CD for formatting
Post by: Flashlab on June 21, 2008, 03:50:50 PM
Did you change SATA back to AHCI?
Title: Re: Boot CD for formatting
Post by: TheMud on June 21, 2008, 04:49:52 PM
First no ... And it could restart fine. I then installed the missing drivers and now it boots also when I change it back ... :-)