COMPTER BASIC FORMATTING SECRETS

This post can help you to
a) perform formatting ... remove any OS from your system
b) installation made easy
c) reconfiguration of hard disc in terms of Size , space or Number of partitions....

Firstly get some of the boot up tools like
a) windows 98 boot up disc
b) Partition Magic (Boot up version & full version) -- full version will still not work while running windows XP as being NT system it will not allow you to access the HDD formatting or reconfiguration.
you will get it at symantic site
http://www.symantec.com/norton/products/
c) Steller Phoenix data recovery software - in case u do the wrong operation & format inportant data ( this would be the best recovery software which i have used hope to be best for you also) -- you might have to buy this software in case you loose all your important data (some precious things ought to be bought as i did else would have costed me 10k for recovery) or you could get it from some of your friend.
d) Norton Partition magic (might be required by some) -- will not be discussed.

Steps required...
1) Firstly burn a CD with Partition magic
( If option is available of BOOT disc & that only of windows 98 boot up disc do make that else goto step 2)
(do not use windows XP boot up as it will need windows 98 boot up configuration)
Make sure you have done proper backup of your data before proceeding further.

2) Insert the boot up disc & boot up to DOS
3) Now remove the disc & insert the disc containing Partition magic (in case it is installed in another disc)
4) if the CMD prompt is showing "a:\>" or "A:\>" search for the partition magic location
in different drives (else it will be displayed at the startup of DOS from win 98 CD)
by typing
> C: [will only be required in case all your drives are of NTFS type]
> dir
to get the folders of C Drive
similarly search for Partition magic folder in other drives till it is not found

When you get the partition magic folder open it using command
cd partition_magic
[in case folder name is partition_magic]

pmagic.exe or simply type pmagic
[ else again search for .exe file available in the folder using dir command]

execute the partition magic & wait for the execution to complete

A new window will open showing the
a) different drives available
b) partitions available in each drive with space available & space used

Now you can right click on any drive in which you will get different options including
resize , convert from FAT -> NTFS [in case of FAT32 or FAT16 partitions] ,
convert from NTFS -> FAT32 [ in case of NTFS partitions]

so choose the options according to your needs ..


& explore more of it


you will definitely get to learn more of it will practice

* NOTE :-
1) In case you have burned the softwares in a DVD & some experimenters might be installing windows 3.1 or similar ....There will be a great problem for u all...
2) In case of windows 3.1 -- it will remove the basic low level drivers from your HDD due to which it will stop detecting any DVD disc inserted in DVD drives...so be careful
In that case there is only one possible solution ....you should have a Windows XP or higher version of windows installation CD available with you (windows ME or NT will do).
Start installing any of them so as to update low level drivers...
Now on you can make your PC read your DVD, so thus you could FORMAT it as done previously
(please do not ask details of these low level drivers)

In case of any confusion do contact me .....leave the specific comments for the same.....

GRUB will be discussed next....