I can't get my head around this

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Jeff Romard

Jeff Romard

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Sep 4, 2006
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OK I'm not a newbie to installing Windows I've done well over 1000 installs on desktop machines everything from 3.1 to Windows 7, Linux and Solaris. Most times without a hitch.

Now here I am with a laptop. It's a Dell Inspiron 1525. This is the secont time in a year or so it's been installed (MM took a dump on me tonight thank god for backup) The first time I noticed after a fresh install I only had 100 or so gig of a 160 gig HD available. Now I didn't do this install myself a friend did it but he is more well versed than me. It was him that taught me actually so I trust him. I let it go and never really thought of it again.

Tonight after a "fresh" install I had 30 gig left. I did some snooping and all the stuff I had on y drive for the last two installs comes up in search. When I was installing it never gave me the option to format or wouldn't let me delete the partition.

Has anyone ever run in to this problem?
 
It depends on how you do the install... most of the time, I'm assumeing XP, if you slide the install disc in XP will generally ask if you wish to wipe the partition or not.... if you're using restore discs they should also do this... but there are those odd times when they forget especially with the restore discs to include a format C:\ command...

Best bet is to boot to a DOS prompt and Format the drive and start over.... be sure you back up what you want to save....
 
jokerswild said:
It depends on how you do the install... most of the time, I'm assumeing XP, if you slide the install disc in XP will generally ask if you wish to wipe the partition or not.... if you're using restore discs they should also do this... but there are those odd times when they forget especially with the restore discs to include a format C:\ command...

Best bet is to boot to a DOS prompt and Format the drive and start over.... be sure you back up what you want to save....
Click to expand...

Well this is where it gets wierd. I guess it's a restore disc technically but no matter what I do I can't get it to format or delete the partition.

I have it back up and running just restoring the music on it now I'll try again next time I guess
 
When you boot next time boot to a DOS prompt instead of windows.... press F8 just after the bootstrap.... that will give you a boot menu with choices such as Normal Windows Startup to Startup to Prompt..... choose Prompt then when you get a C prompt type Format and press enter.... this will format C drive... you can do this from within Windows by clicking on Run and entering cmd but it's better to do it without windows loaded seems to format better.
 
If it's partitioned, it's not lost. Either reformat like Rob mentioned or see if there are now two hard drives under "My Computer". The second one contains all the back-up files of the old install(s). You can delete everything in that partition and use it to host your music.
 
use partition magic and regain what you lost on the partition

i use portable partition magic and works a treat :)
 
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