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Is there any way to completely format(erase) the hard drive so I can try to put in win95??
Got an old computer with 125,possibly compressed,MB's of non usuable shi_ ! Have tried CMOS format all kinds of different ways. Now I think it would be easier to just blank EVERYTHING out and start again. Can it be done? Then just what do I need to get it up and running with win95(I have on disc) or at least something.Just running the bootdisk don't help cause hard drive has been CMOS formatted which I thought would do the trick.
SO the mission: COMPLETE DELETE of the hard drive and enough to reboot win95. Can it be done?
make sure you have somekind of a boot disk, either win95, or dos 6.xx (or what ever dos you are using now) would be fine.
if you have win95 on cd, make sure you can access it first using the boot disk.
then try using format c: /q
this will wipe your c drive, then just run win95 setup from your installation.
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Well thanks for the tip, it didn't help. Keep getting "invalid media reading drive C" There are some compressed files that have to come out but how?? I dont care if goes all the way back to factory setting or even less as long as I have something to work with.There just has to be a way to completely swipe the hard drive memory.Then reboot with dos, win??, or something.
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At the boot floppy Dos prompt type FDISK, create a DOS PRIMARY PARTITION, use all the disk. Make partition ACTIVE. Esc to Dos prompt. Reboot with boot floppy in, at prompt type FORMAT c: /u/s.
Reboot without boot floppy in drive.
Bingo the HD should boot.
Good Luck
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That didn't do anything different. Still get the"invalid media type reading drive C"Need to just erase the whole drive (easy for most people, but not me.)Would it help to have the company name on the drive?? Maybe the maker of the hard drive might have a command or method to zap it clean? It is a seagate, and that's all I no.(it's burried way under everything with no easy way to get to it.)For now though, it's back to the drawing board. Thank you.
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using a win95 boot disk, try this, use fdisk, delete the partition, reboot.
use fdisk to create a partition, reboot
use format c:
(you don't have to use /u /s, /u is a dead switch under win95, and /s copies the system files, but setup does this for you anyways)
if you are still getting that message, your drive may have been set up wrong in the cmos.
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try this command.
fdisk /mbr
There may be some sort of software on the master boot record. This will clear it.Hope that helps,
-Michael
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OK when I start with the 95 bootdisk in and let it set up (Just to the A prompt) I used the "FDISK/MBR" . The a started running and then flashed this warning "Boot Sector Write !!!Possible VIRUS: Continue (Y or N)?"
On yes it runs the floppy and returns to the A prompt.On the no it comes up with this "ERROR writing fixed disk. The master boot code has not been updated." SO now what?? And what does that mean?? Can this be fixed?? At least it is showing me a different message (so tired of the other one)
Still haven't lost all hope, yet.
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I think you're barking up the wrong tree.
1. Invalid media type means the computer can't access the hard drive at all because the BIOS settings that tell the computer how to access the hard drive are set wrong. Or, the hard drive is not properly connected to the computer. Or, the drive isn't partition and ready to use. Or, the drive is damaged and won't respond to the BIOS.
Invalid media type errors has nothing to do with what files/compressed files are on the drive. Your computer can't even access the drive to read a file in this state so worrying about deletions is not needed.
2. The virus warning is also from the BIOS. It is meant to protect the hard drive from being infected by a boot strap virus. Again, you need to go into your BIOS setup and turn off the virus protection.
After you're sure your BIOS setup has identified the hard drive, and the BIOS virus protection has been turned off, boot using a Win95 boot diskette.
Once you've booted up using the Win95 boot diskette, your can check the hard drive to see whether it has been partitioned and whether it needs formatting. Use fdisk and format from the diskette.
www.bootdisk.com
has downloadable boot disks for all the versions of Windows.
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