HPFS NTFS

FYI, to those recommending LLFs, this is only useful for MFM and RLL hard drives, not IDE, even though you can "LLF an IDE hard drive".

Find the application Delpart, this can remove any partion out there.  Every tech should have it!

Btw, it's Shareware.

gdisk (part of norton ghost) does the same thing and I don't think it's time limited or "nagged".  All command line driven, but very powerful.

You could also use the dos utility fdisk (this will dstroy any data on the drive) At a c prompt type fdisk
say yes to large disk support (this makes the file system fat32 instead of fat16 if you say no to large disk support)
go to choice 3
then to choice 4
delete any and all non dos partions

now you should be back to the first screen choose option 1 (create dos pation or logical dos drive)
Next choose option 1.  Follow the instrcutions.  If it tells you one exists that's ok, go back to the first screen again and choose option 3 (set active partion and make it active.

Now restart your computer and format the c drive (command is format c: at the dos promt)

Hope this helps

As Always
Mr Happy

marshell
when you format and it trys to recover allocation units ,you do in fact have bad clusters  and that is a sign that your HD 'MAYBE' going bad
you can repartition all you want but your still going to have those bad clusters. you have several options;
#1 you delete and repartition HD, format (and this is going to take awhile trying to reallocate those units) then run  scandisk and it will mark the bad clusters for nonuse, then reinstall your os (
#2 when you format and it starts wanting to recover allocation units right from the start ( replace HD )
#3 low level format ( I agree with Aleinss ) low level format is a make or break utitily, it sometimes repairs a drive but usely turns it into a trotline weight

I guess I'll try the LLF since it trys to recover allocation units from the start, I'll let you know what happens monday.

Going fishing if not stay away from low level format or you will have that trotline weight trekie1 was speaking of. Please check our profiles we have all been there.

Do a simple DOS level format after booting to a floppy. This will require a bootable floppy with format.com.

I have been trouble shooting hard drives for years. If you do a simple DOS level format using the FORMAT ?/U "? being the drive letter" It will attempt to recover any lost allocation units during the format. According to MS this switch is not needed because this is done by default now but I still use it. If it tries to recover even one allocation unit power down pull the drive and go buy another because the drive is going bad. There are people that will tell you to let it tag the allocation unit and use the drive and that is probably what happened last time. Well these things are like a fungus and once they start it is only a mater of time before it grows and spreads. If this is the case get that trotline and get another drive.

The one you have may be under warranty, if so just call them and tell them it is trying to recover lost allocation unit during a DOS level format and they will send you another.

I tried the LLF because I was out of options, it didn't work, lots of bad sectors. I once accidently used a recovery disk from one hard drive on another of a different size had the same allocation problem and the hard drive was reported as the wrong size,I tried fdisk, format still reported wrong, finally I think I used fdisk from dos 6.0 and it worked.But alas I believe this one is going to make a fine tackle box accessory:)