This tutorial is for formatting a single hard drive with one FAT32 partition using the entire hard drive, copying the install files to the hard drive and installing Windows from the hard drive not the cd-rom.
A printer friendly version is also available
The boot floppy used is a standard Windows EBD boot floppy with the addition of a program called Wipe Out that can be found near the bottom of this page: http://www.lurkhere.com/~nicefiles/index.html
If your cd-rom is not D: then change to the proper drive letter.
Download Wipe Out from the above link to somewhere you can find it, Downloads folder, Desktop, etc. Unzip the folder and copy WipeOut.exe and the ReadMe file to the EBD boot floppy.
Now to make sure the EBD boot floppy works on the computer you're going to use it on. Turn on the computer with the EBD boot floppy in the floppy drive. When prompted to choose with or without cd-rom support choose with cd-rom support. Right before you get to the A:\> prompt your cd-rom drive letter will be assigned, this will be right above the A:\> prompt. We will assume it is D: but it could be different, if it is use that drive letter instead of D:
If you receive an error message that no cdrom drivers where loaded you will have to stop and find out why.
Put the Windows cd in the cd-rom, wait for the cd-rom light to stop blinking and at the A:\> prompt type: D: and press Enter. It will look like this:
A:\>D:
At the D:\> prompt type: dir It will look like this:
D:\>dir
A list of the contents of the cd-rom should be displayed.
Remove the cd-rom.
At the D:\> prompt type: A: and press Enter. It will look like this:
D:\>A:
WARNING: The next step will wipe all the data from your hard drive. You will not be prompted, when you press Enter it is to late to go back.
At the A:\> prompt type: wipeout c: /nq /np and press enter. It will look like this:
There is no space between the > and wipeout, there is a space between wipeout and c:, there is a space between c: and /nq, and there is a space between /nq and /np
Wipe Out will say Drive C: has no partition, remember to run fdisk and format. It will then go back to an A:\> prompt.
Restart leaving the EBD boot floppy in the floppy drive.
After restarting you will be prompted to start with or without cd-rom support. Choose without.
At the A:\> prompt type: fdisk and press enter. It will look like this:
You will be taken to a screen that asks if you want to enable large disk support:
Make sure Y is selected and press Enter.
That will take you to the Fdisk Options screen:
Make sure 1 is selected and press Enter.
That will take you to the Create Primary DOS Partition screen to verify the disk:
After the drive is checked you will be asked if you want to use the maximun available size for a Primary DOS Partition and if you want to make the partition active:
Make sure Y is selected and press Enter.
The drive will be verified again:
You will then be taken to a screen that says you MUST restart your system for the changes to take effect. Any drives you have created or changed must be formatted AFTER you restart:
Press Esc to get back to the A:\> prompt and restart leaving the EBD in the floppy.
After you restart you will be prompted to start with or without cd-rom support. Choose with cd-rom support.
When you are at the A:\> prompt type: format c: /u and press Enter. It will look like this:
There is a space between format and c: and between c: and /u
You will be warned that all data will be lost, select Y and press Enter. The format will start:
After formatting is complete you will be prompted to name the partition. Name it if you like or leave it blank and press Enter:
You will be taken back to an A:\> prompt.
You are now ready to install Windows from the cd-rom or you can copy the install files to your hard drive and install from there.