Getting into DOS on a laptop I am trying to format the hardisk on a laptop and need to get into DOS before windows loads up....... is there a way to do this by pressing a key or something or will i need some sort of boot disk? Its a Semiens....
get a boot disk from www.bootdisk.com, a win98 will do. use fdisk to remove the partition, u re-installing xp?
yeah XP. What kind of file system do i want it current has one that I normally dont use (cant remember what its called)....... begins with N......
NTFS is XP/W2K and Fat32 is dos/win98 stick with NTFS here's what i'd do : first, make sure u can boot to the XP disk, then, 1) boot to the floppy 2) run fdisk 3) remove all the partitions 4) reboot and boot to XP when XP setup runs, let it find the unpartitioned space and it's prompt you to create one, using NTFS
make sure you've got the drivers for the laptop - XP has most of PC drivers, but not always Laptop ones, you should be able to get them off the siemens website
so i shouldnt really be using Fat32 anymore????? I have only stopped using WinME this year I really should start buyijg ComputerActvie again
NTFS has more security options added onto the files, FAT32 is less and less supported nowadays XP Setup will give you the option, it'll be Format NTFS and Quick format NTFS - personally, an older machine, i'd not do the quick format
all he needs to do is put the xp disc in and it'll will do everything for him. by this i mean it will ask him everything that needs to be done then it will format and then install.
1) you use fdisk to delete the partitions, it's more straight forward AND displays ALL partitions 2) XP can be confusing when installing it, it can create a different partition and install XP there if u're not careful
You sure that fdisk shows NTFS partitions?? My win98 boot disk version definetly doesn't as DOS can only read FAT..
it shows them as 'non dos' partitions, XP sometimes doesn't see ALL previous partitions i.e. if they're a small system recovery partition (as u sometimes get on laptops, business Pcs, etc) they aren't displayed correctly fdisk is a better utility than relying on XP setup to do it for you. Aslong as u get the version of fdisk that supports partitions/drives larger than 64g
right, iv got a fucking problemo. iv formated the bitch and i boot up using a winme bootdisk but i get the EM: Non system disk press any key. Iv vhanged bios so it should try and boot from CD and then autorun win setup but this dosnt happen...... the dvd light flicks for a second but there is no access sound or cd spin..... it then trys to boot from floppy and get to EM: I am guessing its cos the start up disc isnt enabling the DVD drives drivers so it cant see the drive? How can i get around this? I have driver discs etc but they all wont run from DOS.
I dont think the WindowsME cd is bootable :spangled: I may be wrong.... but if u need a guide to booting from it here's one! http://www.geocities.com/mark_ashworth1/me_boot/winmeboot.html
opps i used the winME to get into dos and format now the Laptop wont auto run ANY cds MOS U BASTARD REPLY
what? so, you've got a formatted harddrive and a WinME disk? in the BIOS, can set/change the boot order to CDROM as the first boot device? i'm sure Win ME IS bootable - i've just never used it. has it got a floppy drive? get the Win ME boot disk, boot to that with the CD in the drive - there will be DOS IDE drivers for the CD Rom ppfffftt, CHECK PM's!
mos iv changed CD ROM to first boot do u think i am a idiot!! lol The drive light on the cd rom dosnt even access, it flicks on for half a second and dosnt give any "whirling noise" is this cos iv wiped the drivers out??? ps. iv got no more monitors
can u boot to a DOS floppy? Then change to the CDROM drive, and run 'setup' - does that work? the BIOS should check that the MDR of the CD is bootable - i#'m not sure if this is the case with ME THIS is the boot disk u want http://spock.uccs.edu/pub/bootdisks/bootme.exe - boot to it with the ME CD rom in
