Windows Hard drive wont format? Help please!

Discussion in 'Tech Support' started by numanoid, 13 Feb 2010.

  1. numanoid

    numanoid Modder

    Joined:
    26 Apr 2009
    Posts:
    3,309
    Likes Received:
    101
    hi guys
    my mate just rang me, he is trying to format his girls laptop, its got vista 32 bit on it at the mo, but when he puts the vista disk in it wont give him the option to format, it just re-loads vista back onto the hard drive, he tried putting his xp pro disk in, yet when it comes to loading xp on, it says it cant find a hard drive ???????
    any ideas guys
    thanks
    take care
     
  2. Landy_Ed

    Landy_Ed Combat Novice

    Joined:
    6 May 2009
    Posts:
    1,428
    Likes Received:
    39
    Sounds like XP will need a compatible driver, and for Vista I'd suggest simply going into the recovery console first & formatting from command line.
     
  3. Krikkit

    Krikkit All glory to the hypnotoad! Super Moderator

    Joined:
    21 Jan 2003
    Posts:
    23,615
    Likes Received:
    454
    What do you mean "just reloads vista back onto the hard drive"?

    What brand of laptop is this? This sounds like a recovery partition kicking into action.
     
  4. numanoid

    numanoid Modder

    Joined:
    26 Apr 2009
    Posts:
    3,309
    Likes Received:
    101
    hi guys
    kit
    the laptop is a dell, thats all i know, he just said he wants to format it but the vista disk that came with it just loads vistaover vista if you know what i mean, he just wants to format it and do a clean instalation,
    landy, he wont know how to do that m8,
    thanks guys
    take care
     
  5. Jux_Zeil

    Jux_Zeil What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    30 Apr 2009
    Posts:
    493
    Likes Received:
    17
    Krikkit is right. Dell have an automated recovery partition that you can only format with a full copy of the OS and not the recovery disc that they supply to the customer. I suppose they do it so you have to go to them if you want to install another OS on the PC/laptop, but it's very anoying that they don't give you a full OEM copy of the OS considering you have paid for it.
     
  6. numanoid

    numanoid Modder

    Joined:
    26 Apr 2009
    Posts:
    3,309
    Likes Received:
    101
    its a bloody nightmare, theres nowt he can do, he tried with departed but that cam up with error
    thanks anyway guys
    take care
     

Share This Page