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Format hard disk & erase partitions on HDD with EZ-bios on. Partiotion magic hangs machine.
Hello.
4GB disk used to have 3 partitions on and EZbios. I want to erase all partitions and merge into one but the last partition refuses to budge.
PQ Partition magic 7 kept telling me it could not read the partition information or something and now when I start PM7 the whole PC hangs.
The disk was in a 98 Packard Bell box but is now on secondary master IDE in my 2000 machine.
Win 2000 can read and see part of the disk, a partition of around 1.3 GB.
I would like to install 98 on this disk an put it back in the Packard Bell box, but I think PB needs to have the disk partitioned into sub-2GB chunks.
My question is, how do I totally wipe the disk so that I can start again?
Many thanks
Daniel Clarke
4GB disk used to have 3 partitions on and EZbios. I want to erase all partitions and merge into one but the last partition refuses to budge.
PQ Partition magic 7 kept telling me it could not read the partition information or something and now when I start PM7 the whole PC hangs.
The disk was in a 98 Packard Bell box but is now on secondary master IDE in my 2000 machine.
Win 2000 can read and see part of the disk, a partition of around 1.3 GB.
I would like to install 98 on this disk an put it back in the Packard Bell box, but I think PB needs to have the disk partitioned into sub-2GB chunks.
My question is, how do I totally wipe the disk so that I can start again?
Many thanks
Daniel Clarke
Bob Stone
You have to uninstall ez-bios first then you can do whatever you want to the disk. I think you can download it from Western Digital site or I have several copies.
I can't find EZBios on WD site but it looks like Data Lifeguard may work. If not I can email you a copy of EZ Bios
ASKER
That would be grand if you could let me jhave it. Does it come with instructions on how to uninstall it?
What is an email address that you can post here?
ASKER
experts-exchange-public@da
Thanks.
Thanks.
if u boot from a clean bootable, u should be able to clear ezdrive by remving all the partitions...
ASKER
experts-exchange-public@da
Thanks.
Thanks.
ASKER
experts-exchange-public@da
Thanks.
Thanks.
ASKER
Ooops
Didn't mean to keep posting that!
Didn't mean to keep posting that!
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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boot Your system from w98 startup disk and run fdisk, choosing the questoned phisical HFF. Carefully read the pgm comments and instructions especially about deleting logical drives and extensions. It will inform You about the problem and what to do.
lekan
lekan
When you boot off a disk when EZ-bios in installed it will not see the HD. You MUST uninstall EZ-Bios first.
Zap or Wipe from IBM should do the trick.
Now that IBM has merged with Hitachi, the Disk Manager Program has tools for solving your problem.
http://www.hgst.com/hdd/support/download.htm#DFT
Now that IBM has merged with Hitachi, the Disk Manager Program has tools for solving your problem.
http://www.hgst.com/hdd/support/download.htm#DFT
ASKER
Thanks all for your comments.
I'll try them this weekend an award accordingly on Monday.
Many thanks
Daniel
I'll try them this weekend an award accordingly on Monday.
Many thanks
Daniel
> PB needs to have the disk partitioned into sub-2GB chunks.
that is limit of old dos fat, early NT & 98, not PB although it probably has bios too old for big HD.
I think a good diskwipe of first sector is in order. Then review bios settings for HD. Then get back in business.
Time is money. Too much time on this teeny thing, when you could be window-shopping, many really substantially larger units now for less than $1000 USD, even < 500 !
that is limit of old dos fat, early NT & 98, not PB although it probably has bios too old for big HD.
I think a good diskwipe of first sector is in order. Then review bios settings for HD. Then get back in business.
Time is money. Too much time on this teeny thing, when you could be window-shopping, many really substantially larger units now for less than $1000 USD, even < 500 !
http://www.meixler-tech.com/pzapper It will wipe the disk no matter how big and what is on it. The reason for the multiple partitions was FAT16 format required by W95A. The largest partition with that format was 2.1gb for DOS, W95A, and all the earlier Windows versions except NT, which used NTFS and was a law all to itself.