Hi! I have some hopefully simple questions for you DOS experts. I very much appreciate if someone takes the time to answer ASAP. Having Windows 98 and formatting the C drive in DOS, is it as easy as some webpages make it sound with just a few steps? Am I missing something here. Other than the harddrive being emptied of all files including windows programfiles, are there any sort of basic system settings that will be removed and require some advanced programming knowledge in BIOS or DOS or something like that? I'm sorta new to DOS. Does the wrong kind of action bring the computer back to the stoneage, so to speak? There's some talk about partitioning and FDISK. It sounds complicated. In what case do I really need to use that? After I format C, will my computer not find all hardware, like the CD-rom drive in order to install Windows 98 from the CD? These are some steps I've found, let me know if it's missing anything (and also, what is fdisk /mbr in step 5 for?): 1. Place the bootable diskette inside the computer and reboot to get to the DOS prompt. In some cases you may need to boot the computer with CD-ROM support or press a key to boot from the disk. 2. At the MS-DOS prompt type format c: /s 3. The computer will ask you "Are you sure you want to erase everything on drive c:" if you are ok with doing this press "Y" for yes and press enter. 4. After doing this, the computer will begin the formatting process. 5. Once the format process is completed successfully, at the MS-DOS prompt type fdisk /mbr and press enter. This should return you back to the MS-DOS prompt with no message. This step is not required but recommended. 6. Once back at the MS-DOS prompt, reboot the computer with the boot disk still in the computer. 7. Once back at the MS-DOS prompt, insert either the diskettes for MS-DOS, or the CD for Windows 98 and click the appropriate link.

Your question would be more appropriate in the actual Windows forum (ASAP) "is it as easy as some webpages make it sound with just a few steps?" Much depends on the individual We've heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true

After I format C, will my computer not find all hardware, like the CD-rom drive in order to install Windows 98 from the CD? Yes, your computer will not find any drivers unless you install their dos drivers. For the CD-ROM, the Windows 98 bootdisk comes with generic CD-ROM drivers which may not be the best/fastest ones, but work. If you plan on installing Windows 98 from the CD after formating start it from the bootdisk rather than the newly formated hard disk with DOS (/s option with format copies the MS-DOS basic system files to the HD). Just remember, when using the Windows 98 bootdisk the CD-ROM will be one letter above your current one due the RAM-DISK it creates to store the uncompressed tools (scandisk, edit and etc.)

Butterflyscissors??? Is this a pseudonym for Mary from the Easy Dos forum.