Format NTFS hard drive to FAT32?

When I turn my computer on I get a message saying We apologize for the inconvenience, but windows did not start successfully. When I try to start Windows normally, my computer restarts itself and when I try to start in safe mode a bunch of multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)patron(1)\Windows messages fill up the screen. After I get those errors, a blue screen pops up for a second then the computer restarts itself. What I%26#039;m trying to do repair install windows by





1) Boot from CD


2) Select Start PC with CD ROM Support


3) Change to Optical Drive A:\%26gt;D: [Enter] where D: is optical drive


4) Change to Win98 directory (win9x for ME) D:\%26gt;CD\WIN98 [Enter]


5) Run Setup D:\WIN98%26gt;setup [Enter]





but after step 5 I get a message saying Cannot create a temporary directory. If you have HPFS or NTFS installed on your hard drive, you will need to create a MS-DOS boot Patron to set up Windows. I was told I would have to format my hard drive to FAT32. Is this true? How would I go about doing that in Windows 98se with DOS commands? Would I be able to do this without loosing any data on my hard drive?|||You%26#039;re describing a failing hard drive. The boot sector is corrupted. You%26#039;d do better to put a new one in, install Windows on that and hook the old one up as a slave to recover the data. Formatting the drive from DOS will wipe it out.|||Windows 98 will not install on an NTFS partition. It has to have FAT32.





After step 2 I presume you have a DOS prompt? (a:\)





At that point you need to type fdisk which will allow you to delete the NTFS partition and create a new partition on your hard drive.





I would disagree that this indicates a failing hard drive. Your description of the issue looks more like a corrupt operating system and I am confident that you are heading in the right direction to solve your problem.





Hope this helps.|||Well, If you really have an NTFS HD, then 100% you will loose all all data in the drive as you need to Repartiotion your hardisk to be able to format it into Fat32.





You could partition your HD by using FDISK first then issue format...





and why are you still using Win98se?





Isn%26#039;t it too old. I think you should consider ubuntu linux.

Missing a MS DOS command?

In dos, any version, I get stuck in my target folder. The CD command wont allow me to get out of the folder or return to my root directory. For example say I want a file called Olly, this is %26quot;my%26quot; respective path, Compile and MSDOS are my choosen folder names.Id go...


c:


c: cd msdos


c: cd compile


c: cd olly


Now im where i want to be. All the files here are exe. or bat.


How do I go back to my msdos or Compile file folder.


When i type %26quot;cd compile or cd msdos%26quot; it says %26quot;unable to change to :msdos. or unable to return to : compile.





In windows Id click the back button.


Is there a command other then cd that I should have used?


Thanks|||use CD.. or sometimes just ..

I have a file that even in dos mode will not delete, I do not want it any more how do I delete it?

I downloaded a tool that became one of those nightmarish bunch of crap, do nothing you want it to, pieces of crap and I deleted the install file and the directory all but this one last file, it will not let me, I even changed the name , permissions, and then went to ms dos and tried del command, and that did not work either surely I got supreme control somehow on what I will have and will not have on my computer, ok is there a deletion tool out there to help or someone got any other suggestions|||Try the free unlocker. I have never had it fail me.


http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/





Once installed, right-click the file and choose unlocker. It will either show what is locking the file and give you the option to unlock (and then you can delete) or if there is no lock it will give you option to delete.|||what you%26#039;re looking for is called a shredding tool. there is one that comes free with mcafee suite. This goes through and deletes any file you want and makes several passes over the hard drive so resurrection after deletion isn%26#039;t possible.|||You can%26#039;t remove it because you deleted the install and uninstall command. You didn%26#039;t uninstall this program, you tried to delete it. The ONLY way you can get this off is to reinstall the program, then remove it correctly by UNINSTALLING IT. Then you can go back and remove any leftover pieces.|||When you say %26quot;delete%26quot; you mean you just went you the folder and press %26quot;delete%26quot; button? You suppose to un-install the software properly when you install it using the windows installation wizard and not just deleting the file. Files are connected to registry and when it%26#039;s in use, there%26#039;s no way you can delete it. The best thing to do is to re-install the software tool then reboot your PC and then un-install the software using the %26quot;Add/Remove Programs%26quot; in %26quot;Control%26quot; Panel%26quot;.|||Try booting into dos in safe mode and running the


attrib filname -s -h -r


command, then delete.

How to create this batch file in DOS?

I need help creating a batch file in DOS for one of my classes. I have watched tutorials and asked my classmates and I still can%26#039;t figure it out. This is what is required:





(2). Create a file called 1.BAT in the A: root directory that will perform the following tasks:





1. Do not allow ANY commands to be displayed on the screen.


2. Change your directory to the root directory of the A: drive


3. Change your directory to the MYWP subdirectory.


4. Clears the screen.


5. Displays the contents of the file MYWP.TXT


6. Pause until user strikes any key.


7. Returns to the root directory of the A: drive.


8. Clear the screen and display the MENU.TXT file screen again.








This is what I have in the batch file:





echo off


f:


cls


dir /MYWP


type MYWP.txt


pause


f:


menu.bat





What am I doing wrong? When I try to execute the batch file, I get %26quot;Invalid switch MYWP%26quot;.|||You want this slash \ for MYWP


dir \MYWP





This is what you need. Try it out:





@echo off


a:


cd \


cd MYWP


cls


type MYMP.TXT


pause


cd \


cls


type MENU.TXT|||CD MYWP rather than DIR /MYWP





DIR would list the contents and /MYWP is an invalid switch to the DIR command. the / denotes the switch





F: should be A: right? Since you want to be scanning the floppy?


Add %26quot;cd \ %26quot; after F: line to force return to root. Otherwise, if the letter had been accessed before it may bring up a subfolder|||echo off


cd..


a:


cls


cd MYWP


type MYWP.txt


pause


a:


menu.bat|||The %26quot;dir%26quot; command does not take you to a directory, but rather display the one you are currently in. To change to the directory %26quot;mywp%26quot; you need the command %26quot;cd%26quot; (for Change Directory).





Also you do not need the / in front of the name. A / in Dos means that whatever follows it is going to be a %26quot;switch%26quot; for the dir command. As there is no such switch as %26quot;MYWP%26quot;, you are getting that error.





Change the line to: cd MYWP|||Open a text editor.





Type in:





@echo off


A:


cd \


cd mywp


cls


type mywp.txt


pause


cd \


cls


type menu.txt





Save it as 1.bat to the A: drive.|||echo off


a:


cd MYWP


cls


type MYWP.txt


pause


cd ..


cls


type MENU.txt

External hard drive not listed in My Computer. How to fix?

For some reason, my external hard drive is not listed in the My Computer section of Windows. It used to show up but now isn%26#039;t. I know it exists as I can drive to it through DOS and files can be retrieved from it. But when I try to change directory through the address toolbar to the letter it maps to, it refuses to find it still. Anyone know how to fix this?|||I have things not show up like that when the computer needs restarted. Running low on memory or something.|||Connected thru USB?

Need some help with a DOS program GW Basic??

Okay, I%26#039;ll try to be as clear as possible.





I am working from a strictly DOS machine at work to do the company billing.





I export a file from QuickBooks place it on a 3.5 floppy and load it onto my DOS machine by using this command:





copy a:pb0507.csv \qbxfer





I then am suppose to change directories





cd \bprog





then





gwbasic





this loads the program I do my billing with.





I enter the imported file name PB0507.csv





I get path not found respons





Okay so it%26#039;s not finding the file in the QBXFER directory I%26#039;m guessing.





I did c:\dir and I see QBXFER but it doesn%26#039;t have it as a %26lt;DIR%26gt; like some others are listed.





When I try to run a dir on QBXFER all it says is %26quot;1 file%26quot; and how many bytes it has.





So my question is I want to get this file into QBXFER because the GW Basic program is looking in QBXFER for the file.





Too confusing??? Any Help???





Thanks!|||%26quot;copy a:pb0507.csv \qbxfer%26quot;


If on your screen was the prompt %26quot;c:\%26gt;%26quot;


you just managed to rename the file on your floppy into qbxfer in the root directory of C:





suggestion:


first


del c:\qbxfer


md c:\qbxfer


Now that is done you never do this again.





cd c:\qbxfer (and if your prompt was a:\%26gt; type c: )


Now type


copy a:pb0507.csv


cd \bprog


gwbasic|||Add the directories containing the file to the PATH statement in Confgsys or Autoexec.bat

Can you perform more than one command in DOS?

Can you perform more than one command at once in MS DOS? And if so, how do you do it?





Im trying to make two directories, then change my current directory to one of the newly created ones at the same time, is that possible?





Im trying:





E:\md one two; cd one|||You%26#039;re talking about executing multiple commands on one line like in Unix? Try %26quot;%26amp;%26amp;%26quot; instead of %26quot;;%26quot;|||Yes, simple command structures are %26quot; Format C:\ U%26quot; this means your formatting C drive with no conditons or replace U with S to copy system files when formatting. etc... If you use a start disk you%26#039;ll see that a ram drive is created to hold the tools needed etc... you cant make the directory (MD) if E dosn%26#039;t exist also E wont be a dos system partion anyway you need to make it so with Fdisk so with what I%26#039;d say is limited knowledge then stay clear. Suggest you download or read up on dos 6 or above 6.22 for instance, perhaps find an old pc to muck about with load the dos and use help funtion and text contained to learn more about dos.|||Yes, type %26quot;help%26quot; [Without quotation marks] and you will see a complete list of commands|||Can%26#039;t be done|||put the commands in one text file and save the file with the extension as bat





and double click it|||You can create an MSDOS batch (.bat) file with the commands you want to execute and then run that batch file from the command prompt or by double clicking in windows explorer.


There%26#039;s a good introduction here with examples


http://www.computerhope.com/batch.htm