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Question

How do I clean/format 3 hard drives to use for 98

Jul 23, 2012 11:34PM PDT

I have 2 laptops running Win 7 and another running Linux.
I have three spare HDD's that I would like to completely reformat and clean so that I can install Win98 and XP on them for my old Dell tower.
Help, please.
Thanks.
Richard.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Do this the same way you did back then.
Jul 24, 2012 1:30AM PDT

You connect them to some PC and delete the partitions off those drives. Now they are clean.

You can't format without a partition to format and since that is done when you install the OS, I don't need to write more.
Bob

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How do I clean/format 3 hard drives to use for 98
Jul 24, 2012 1:55AM PDT

Thanks for your reply.
I understand and will try again but the PC's do not recognise the drives so it is difficult to delete partitions that Windows does not see. They have all had NTFS on them so 98 will not install without them being totally clean. When connected by USB my old Toshiba with XP recpgnises the external caddy but not the drive.
I hope I make sense.
But thanksagain.

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That is some other issue.
Jul 24, 2012 2:04AM PDT

What I noted does work. When you have other issues to solve, be sure to include those in your top post or they won't be discussed in the first reply.

Good luck and do try the usual drive erasers and for other odd partitions, I use GPARTED booted from its LiveCD.
Bob

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That is some other issue. - New!
Jul 24, 2012 5:03PM PDT

Sorry, Bob
I will remember the rules next time.
many thanks
Richard.

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Not so much as rules.
Jul 25, 2012 2:08AM PDT

But if you don't tell such a thing, I can't factor that into my reply and in fact may be completely wrong.

I'm OK with being completely wrong since other members are here to correct me.
Bob