Reformatting my PC?
#1
Reformatting my PC?
so my mom bought here 2000 dollar gateway multimedia beast of a computer...
so now this one is in my room and I want it to run like new..
I want to reformat it...how do I do that? In detail please
Thanks in advance
so now this one is in my room and I want it to run like new..
I want to reformat it...how do I do that? In detail please
Thanks in advance
#3
Originally Posted by Badfish
so my mom bought here 2000 dollar gateway multimedia beast of a computer...
so now this one is in my room and I want it to run like new..
I want to reformat it...how do I do that? In detail please
Thanks in advance
so now this one is in my room and I want it to run like new..
I want to reformat it...how do I do that? In detail please
Thanks in advance
first off do you have all the drivers and a windows cd and everything else you need to set it back up?
#4
Originally Posted by floppy
first off do you have all the drivers and a windows cd and everything else you need to set it back up?
#5
Originally Posted by floppy
first off do you have all the drivers and a windows cd and everything else you need to set it back up?
#9
Originally Posted by Badfish
will lose all my files?
yeah you're gonna lose everything, back it all up first. burn cd's or whatever you gotta do. or just dont reformat. clean up your computer instead. remove programs you dont lose etc etc... and all the stuff stanger00 said
#12
Just go buy a stick of ram and Windows XP. Pop the ram in there, pop the CD in there, when it says "Click any button to boot from CD" hit the spacebar (or anything). Once it boots up, hit enter or whatever button it wants for to install XP, then it'll ask you where, choose your C: drive, then I'm pretty sure it'll ask you if you want to format, say yes, then pick NTFS (Quick) for the type of partition.
To keep it running fast, DON'T INSTALL A BUNCH OF CRAP. People don't seem to understand that installing 4 virus programs, toolbars, weatherbug, google desktop, and 10 other programs that all need to startup on bootup is what makes their computer unbearably slow. Just install Firefox, iTunes, AIM and WMP10 and then leave the rest alone.
To keep it running fast, DON'T INSTALL A BUNCH OF CRAP. People don't seem to understand that installing 4 virus programs, toolbars, weatherbug, google desktop, and 10 other programs that all need to startup on bootup is what makes their computer unbearably slow. Just install Firefox, iTunes, AIM and WMP10 and then leave the rest alone.
#13
Originally Posted by CCM
Just go buy a stick of ram and Windows XP. Pop the ram in there, pop the CD in there, when it says "Click any button to boot from CD" hit the spacebar (or anything). Once it boots up, hit enter or whatever button it wants for to install XP, then it'll ask you where, choose your C: drive, then I'm pretty sure it'll ask you if you want to format, say yes, then pick NTFS (Quick) for the type of partition.
To keep it running fast, DON'T INSTALL A BUNCH OF CRAP. People don't seem to understand that installing 4 virus programs, toolbars, weatherbug, google desktop, and 10 other programs that all need to startup on bootup is what makes their computer unbearably slow. Just install Firefox, iTunes, AIM and WMP10 and then leave the rest alone.
To keep it running fast, DON'T INSTALL A BUNCH OF CRAP. People don't seem to understand that installing 4 virus programs, toolbars, weatherbug, google desktop, and 10 other programs that all need to startup on bootup is what makes their computer unbearably slow. Just install Firefox, iTunes, AIM and WMP10 and then leave the rest alone.
k you guys are confusing me...
what disc do I need to reformat? the drivers disk or the windows disc?
#14
Originally Posted by Badfish
what do I need the stick of ram for?
k you guys are confusing me...
what disc do I need to reformat? the drivers disk or the windows disc?
k you guys are confusing me...
what disc do I need to reformat? the drivers disk or the windows disc?
#15
Originally Posted by CCM
Just go buy a stick of ram
Plus he might not have room on the motherboard for more memory, and he might have enough the way it is. A gig is plenty (1024Mb).
So do you have Windows XP or something else Jon?
#16
Originally Posted by customstang
Whoa whoa whoa.... just a second it's not that easy. Don't tell him things like that, he might go buy some random stick of memory that doesnt work . He has to know if it's PC2100, PC2700, PC3200 etc.
Plus he might not have room on the motherboard for more memory, and he might have enough the way it is. A gig is plenty (1024Mb).
So do you have Windows XP or something else Jon?
Plus he might not have room on the motherboard for more memory, and he might have enough the way it is. A gig is plenty (1024Mb).
So do you have Windows XP or something else Jon?
#17
im not gonna buy any RAM...and it is xp...
Im gonna reformat it in a lil, I saved all the files i wanted to keep and I have all the original cds i need incase anything goes wrong
Im gonna reformat it in a lil, I saved all the files i wanted to keep and I have all the original cds i need incase anything goes wrong
#18
just do what i said then once you find out everything you need. then go buy another stick of ram. those guys think you are some computer whiz. i know im not but i do the preventive crap to keep the comp optimal. i dont need it mind blistering fast because all i do is surf the web and store music and pics and videos.
#19
I tried to do "format C:"
but it says:
"Format cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. Format may run if this volume is dismounted first. ALL OPENED HANDLES TO THIS VOLUME WOULD THEN BE INVALID. Would you like to force a dismount on this volume?(Y/N)"
I press yes and nothing happens...what process could be using this "volume"
I also tried to just put in the Windows disc, and nothing happened there either.
but it says:
"Format cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. Format may run if this volume is dismounted first. ALL OPENED HANDLES TO THIS VOLUME WOULD THEN BE INVALID. Would you like to force a dismount on this volume?(Y/N)"
I press yes and nothing happens...what process could be using this "volume"
I also tried to just put in the Windows disc, and nothing happened there either.
#20
Guest
Posts: n/a
Originally Posted by Badfish
I tried to do "format C:"
but it says:
"Format cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. Format may run if this volume is dismounted first. ALL OPENED HANDLES TO THIS VOLUME WOULD THEN BE INVALID. Would you like to force a dismount on this volume?(Y/N)"
I press yes and nothing happens...what process could be using this "volume"
I also tried to just put in the Windows disc, and nothing happened there either.
but it says:
"Format cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. Format may run if this volume is dismounted first. ALL OPENED HANDLES TO THIS VOLUME WOULD THEN BE INVALID. Would you like to force a dismount on this volume?(Y/N)"
I press yes and nothing happens...what process could be using this "volume"
I also tried to just put in the Windows disc, and nothing happened there either.
or theres another way to do it during start up
#21
Originally Posted by Badfish
I tried to do "format C:"
but it says:
"Format cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. Format may run if this volume is dismounted first. ALL OPENED HANDLES TO THIS VOLUME WOULD THEN BE INVALID. Would you like to force a dismount on this volume?(Y/N)"
I press yes and nothing happens...what process could be using this "volume"
I also tried to just put in the Windows disc, and nothing happened there either.
but it says:
"Format cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. Format may run if this volume is dismounted first. ALL OPENED HANDLES TO THIS VOLUME WOULD THEN BE INVALID. Would you like to force a dismount on this volume?(Y/N)"
I press yes and nothing happens...what process could be using this "volume"
I also tried to just put in the Windows disc, and nothing happened there either.
Push any button and let it do it's thing. From there it's pretty self explanatory, but depending on the speed of your computer it's gonna take at least an hour to install XP. Make sure when you're picking what type of format you want to pick NTFS (Quick) otherwise it'll take even longer.
#24
Originally Posted by silverstang2001
did you get it to work? formatted?
btw im on a diff comp right now
#25
Originally Posted by Badfish
yeah everything formatted fine....but theres some setting thats on, and I cant find that wont let me type, when I press keys, they do other stuff, like open searches or minimize windows
btw im on a diff comp right now
btw im on a diff comp right now
#26
Guest
Posts: n/a
Originally Posted by silverstang2001
two possible problems. 1. you still need to install all drivers and software, especially if your keyboard requires a certain driver or program. 2. there are certain types of programs that allow you to do different things by using the keyboard instead of the mouse w/ windows. Its possible that this type of program might have been automatically installed with windows xp (not likely) or with the recovery disk (whatever you used to format and reinstall windows). If option (1) isn't the problem and you have all necessary drivers installed, then restart windows and immediately begin to hit F8... a DOS type screen will appear asking you to choose between a couple of options - choos the one that says start in safe mode (this allows you to start windows without loading unnecessary programs such as the one that might be screwing up your keyboard). If you start in safe mode and your keyboard is acting normal, then we need to figure out which program (when running) is causing this to happen. If you start in safe mode and your keyboard is still acting like a b*tch, then, well, we can cross that hurdle when you come to it.
#28
no...I figured it out...kinda
I went into the task manager (ctrl alt del) and looked at my processes...and there was one that looked fishy to me...it was called "mgsmsger" or something like that...I clicked end process and that fixed it.
the only problem is I have no idea what it is, where it is, and how to delete it
I went into the task manager (ctrl alt del) and looked at my processes...and there was one that looked fishy to me...it was called "mgsmsger" or something like that...I clicked end process and that fixed it.
the only problem is I have no idea what it is, where it is, and how to delete it
#29
Originally Posted by Badfish
no...I figured it out...kinda
I went into the task manager (ctrl alt del) and looked at my processes...and there was one that looked fishy to me...it was called "mgsmsger" or something like that...I clicked end process and that fixed it.
the only problem is I have no idea what it is, where it is, and how to delete it
I went into the task manager (ctrl alt del) and looked at my processes...and there was one that looked fishy to me...it was called "mgsmsger" or something like that...I clicked end process and that fixed it.
the only problem is I have no idea what it is, where it is, and how to delete it
#30
Originally Posted by silverstang2001
click Start --> Run --> type in "msconfig" and press ok --> go to the startup tab find the program called "mgsmsger" and uncheck the box on the left, then restart your computer. this will keep the program from loading at startup