Cannot do it with Windows running. I want to do a “Clean install” for XP without having both OSs on same drive. Thanks for the help
I haven’t installed XP, so I’m not certain that it has the format command on the install CD. If it does, you can boot with the CD in the drive, cancel the install, then run format.
If that’s not an option with XP, you can create a bootable system disk, copy the format command to it, then reboot with the disk in the drive. This should take you to an A: prompt, at which point you can run format.
Make a start up disk if you are running Windows 98. Boot with the startup disk to the dos prompt. type the command, " format c" or “format c:” (can never remember if you need the colon or not 
)and there you go. If you have the upgrade version of XP I wouldnt advise you do this though since it needs to veryfiy that you have another version of windows installed before it will install XP.
Don’t they verify it still by asking you to put a windows cdrom in?
Why are you formatting? You know if you don’t format it properly you won’t be able to run any sort of setup disk at all…
You should be able to install it on top of whatever operating system you have now (which one?) without formatting. Then you get an option to save your previous operating system, say YES! to this…cause you can delete it later.
Hey Philp, it worked. The reason I formatted was to have a blank disk. This allowed for a “Clean Install.” Just my preference for the clean install instead of the upgrade. BTW WinXP, nothing works on it. Adaptec, Norton’s…et.c etc.
You did run the XP compatiblity checker first that’s on the cd, right? That would let you know what works with it.
Also, you can also force W95 mode for your programs to all work.