Thinkpads Forum

After uninstalling Win98 I couldn't format the harddrive as I did with my normal home PC with just entering "format c" on the boot screen. Well, I guess this laptop has a different style to do it, so how can it be done? I didn't find any clue in the BIOS menu for that.

Now it just boots to a random screen, where it gives some problems with the current system(The following file is missing or corrupted: COMMAND.COM).

I've tried to format with my WInXP disc, but also there it gives some sort of error. Or did I screw up with just uninstalling the previous Win98?

So, I've come to the conclusion that I have to format the harddrive manually, but don't know how to do it.

Thanks for the help.

If you delete all the files, the format program is gone.

You should just delete all your partitions and boot your XP disc (if that's what you want to install) and let it format for you.

Personally, I really like Ranish Partition Manager (www.ranish.com/part).

Any DOS or Windows boot floppy can boot, and if it has fdisk, use that and delete all the partitions. WindowsXP will format a bootable Win98 diskette, but I don't think it has any software on it (like fdisk or format).

If you want to play with Linux, Knoppix (www.knoppix.com) is a cool bootable CD that just runs from the disc... it doesn't install to your hard disk, so you can run fdisk from there too.

Lots of ways to skin this cat.

sounds Like you deleted the format files, so basicly your screwed, if you can find some sort of program that restores your files then great, otherwords buy a new hardrive.

Laptop_wizard wrote:sounds Like you deleted the format files, so basicly your screwed, if you can find some sort of program that restores your files then great, otherwords buy a new hardrive.

This is utter nonsense!

For the OP, just BOOT the unit from the OS CD of your choice (98SE, W2K, XP) and install the new OS. No need for a new HD.

Regards,

James

And I don't see why people are telling you about fdisk or repartitioning your HD. You shouldn't even need to reformat unless you want to convert to NTFS (recommended) file system when you install XP

I told him how to format because that's what he asked.

I agree it's best to let the new OS do it, so that's why I suggested removing all the partitions. Using XP's partitioning tool is not exactly intuitive for someone of the apparent experience of the original poster.

As far as formatting goes, a quick format is the fastest way to delete all the files on the drive, and a regular format is a good safety measure to ensure the drive doesn't have failing sectors. Not an awful thing when you're installing a new OS on a five or six year old hard drive.

Laptop_wizard wrote:sounds Like you deleted the format files, so basicly your screwed, if you can find some sort of program that restores your files then great, otherwords buy a new hardrive.

I uninstalled Win98 from the "add/remove progs" section. I'm a newbie, but was that really enough to screw the whole harddrive?

I'm basically asking this, because the WinXP boot disk doesn't work. After the "Press any key to continue" command it gives a message saying something is missing in the INF-file.

Thanks for the tips whizkid, will look for the Linux if I can get this laptop working again.

Edit.

I downloaded the first red hat ISO file and booted with it. Should I now delete all the partitions with fdisk?

The hard drive is NOT damaged. It's just confused.

It sounds like your machine is not booting from the CD, but is trying to boot the now-confused hard disk. Go into the EZSetup and change the boot order. (It sounds like you know how to get in.... hold F1 while turning on the machine.) You can select a boot order, or just clear it and let it use its default (which is reasonable), or press F12 when booting the machine (royal pain when installing an OS).

There is a power on boot order and a network boot order(?) so take care and set the power on boot order. I like floppy, CD, hard disk.

Download the 600X User Guide from IBM/Lenovo for more detail.

Not all CD's are bootable. For XP, you need a retail or OEM disc. A recovery CD from another system will likely not work on the 600X, and the 600X did not come with XP.

Oh, just read your edit. You can delete all your partitions if you like, but I don't think that will write the table until you're ready to install, so you have to make partitions for Linux. Go ahead and do that if you want! Be sure to reserve a good-sized partition for XP though, if you want that too.

I have already changed the boot order. The XP CD is an OEM-version and booted just fine before the error.

I'm now going to install Red Hat and am now at the last next-button before the install and have a question. I just started downloading the last three ISO-files and it will take it's time to get them all. Is it safe to keep the machine waiting for some hours, when you have to change discs. OR is it better, if I just wait for all of them to arrive? The installation needs all 4 discs, right?

Sorry for the offtopic, I'm not sure this is a Linux forum

There is a Linux section.... but what the heck.

It should be very safe to let the machine sit for hours. I would just make sure the machine is open (to help it stay cool) and on AC (because no power management is used). The CPU is on full speed all the time and the machine will get warm, but it should be perfectly fine.

I mean, the worst that would happen is that you have to start over. And you can certainly start with the first disc. Depending on your selected options, you may only need the first two. The install usually takes more time than Windows, but you get more applications.

I would not recommend Red Hat Linux 9 or any earlier version. They are unsupported. Fedora Core 4 is a good option, as is Red Hat Enterprise Workstation, or whatever they call it. Many versions work perfectly on the 600X.

Fedora Core 4 is the version I'm going to install. Looks like it was a good choice.

I just picked the basic setting for the applications to be installed,so what would you say, will the first two discs be enough?

There's the basic user... maybe Desktop, and I think that takes 1 and 2.

There's Developer, which might take 1, 2 and 3. And I think Server takes all of them, as can Custom.

But it will tell you which ones you need just before you begin.