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General discussion

help please: reformat win 2000 with unknown C drive label

Nov 22, 2004 7:42AM PST

hi guys i bought a second hand comp... now i dont have a password to get into windows 2000 and whoever put it on the comp changed the label of the C: drive to something unknown?... is there a dos prompt that you can use to see what the C: drive label is?? thats all i need to find out what they labeled the c drive and i can reformat... please anyone can you help asap?? Sad

thanx guys
kelly

Discussion is locked

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Re: help please: reformat win 2000 with unknown C drive labe
Nov 22, 2004 7:54AM PST

Kelly,

If I were you, I would start from scratch. Start with a clean slate. Create a new partition entirely, then reformat. If you've got the Windows 2000 CD, place it in the CD-Rom drive, (make sure that the BIOS allows the CD to boot before the hard drive), then restart the computer. Choose the option to eliminate the current partition, then create a new one. The link below should help with that:

Install Instructions for Microsoft Windows 2000

Hope this helps.

Grif

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Re: help please: reformat win 2000 with unknown C drive labe
Nov 22, 2004 12:00PM PST

thanx for the reply... i am so trying to start from scratch... but i dont have a disc with windows 2000 pro on it and i dont know what they ahve labeled the hard drive... its not C: and i dont have a pass word... i was about to attempt using kill disk then putting in a win95 boot disk? do you think this will work?
thanx again
kelly

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Re: help please: reformat win 2000 with unknown C drive labe
Nov 22, 2004 7:01PM PST

If you don't have the Windows 2000 pro operating system CD, you can't start from scratch. What did you get with this second hand computer?

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Not a newbie adventure, but here's what I would do.
Nov 22, 2004 8:24PM PST

Go to http://www.bootdisk.com and get the DOS boot disk from there. I run the w98se.exe to make a clean boot disk, then I also download DELPART.EXE and copy that to that boot disk.

I may have to delete something from the boot disk to make it fit, but DELPART should make quick work of this.

After that, I can install what OS I want.

In closing, if you don't have an OS CD, you will have to find a solution to that.

Bob

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i have a new problem now
Nov 23, 2004 6:57AM PST

i used killdisk... worked like a charm... then i used a win95boot disk and installed 95, then used a win98 upgrade disck worked perfect... now my screen only shows up in 16 colours and everything is the size my granny needs to read...(big) any suggestions?... i am not advacned enough to open the comp and look for whatever a vid card/graphics card looks like... and i know the screen is a Ipex but i cant find a driver (screen is old comp is a pentium III 128 mg ram and 12.6 gig hard drive... thats all i know)

any suggestions...??
btw the comp came with nothing... rang the guy and he gave me attitude so no help from him Sad
thanx guys
muchly appreciated
kelly

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Re: i have a new problem now
Nov 23, 2004 8:18AM PST

Kelly,

To find the video card and the driver needed...RIGHT click on "My Computer", choose "Properites', then click on the "Device Manager" tab. When that loads, click on the + sign next to "Display Adapters". A specific video device will appear. Highlight it, then click on the "Properties" button, then click on the "Driver" tab. Write down the manufacturer/provider, driver version, and driver date. You should be able to visit the card manufacturer's site and find the driver. If you have any troubles post the information back here and we should be able to help:

By the way, you'll probably need to install ALL other drivers to make it work correctly...audio, modem, ethernet, etc. The same method can be used to detect the providers for those drivers as well. If the computer is a brand name, visit the company's website and see if they have the available drivers.

Hope this helps.

Grif