Formatting a hard drive deletes all data on it and is used in various cases, such as installing a new operating system or removing viruses. Unlike previous versions of the system, it is no longer possible to format a disk in Windows XP directly from the system.
Instructions
Step 1
You can format a hard drive directly from Windows XP only if it is removable and does not contain the system files necessary for the OS to work. Go to the "My Computer" folder and right-click on the name of the removable hard disk connected to the system, selecting the "Format" function. Then follow the instructions on the screen to complete the operation.
Step 2
To format the main system drive, you need to restart your computer. Make sure you save all the data you need to removable media, as formatting will erase all of it. Press DEL during boot to enter BIOS. Specify the CD-ROM or other media containing the operating system files that is the installation medium as the first step in booting the computer. Follow the instructions on the screen to get to the stage of formatting the hard drive.
Step 3
Specify the partition where the system will be installed when formatting. For example, you can split your hard drive into two or more partitions, each of which will have an operating system of one version or another, and then you can switch between them during the computer boot process.
Step 4
Select the file system under which the desired hard disk partition will work after formatting. You can specify FAT32 or NTFS. The latter is more reliable for Windows XP, but if your computer configuration is weak, choose FAT32.
Step 5
When prompted, press the F key on your keyboard to confirm the formatting operation. Wait for the end of the process and make sure that the installation of the system has continued. If any errors occur, restart your computer and try to format the disk with different settings.
