How To Format PC Using a USB Drive

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Need to format PC but have some problem with damaged CD ROM drive? Well the solution is very easy. All you require is a USB Flash drive and a computer with a working CD ROM drive. There are some tools you will require.This tutorial will help you to install XP in them as well.

There are various steps to the above procedure and you must follow each step.

Before we begin download and unzip the following file:

BootSect and USBPrep8 :

Ready, GO! :

• When downloaded is finish,there is two folders with the name of BOOTSECT and the other USB_Prep8 in it.
• Go to the Usb_prep8 folder and open the file USB_Prep8.cmd file. This will bring up a command prompt window.
• The window will ask you to press any key and when you do so a new USB_Prep8 window will open. Remember do not close the command prompt window now.
• Now set the path of your USB drive in the USB_Prep8 window and begin formatting your pen drive. DO NOT close any of the windows open.
• Now open a new command prompt window,
• Now navigate to the bootsect folder in this window.
• Once you reach the bootsect folder type “bootsect.exe /nt52 g:” where g is the letter attached to your USB flash drive.
• Once you do this you will see a message that bootcode was updated. Now you can close this command prompt window but not the other one as yet.
• now go the PeToUSb window and close it. Again do not close close the USB_prep8 command prompt window.
• After you have closed this window you should see a list of 8 options in the command prompt window.
• Select the first option and enter the location of your windows installation disc.
• The second option will ask you to enter a drive letter. Assign random letter to this option as this will be a virtual drive. Do not assign a letter that is already attached to a drive on your computer.
• Select option 3 and enter the drive letter for your flash drive.
• Select 4 and follow the instructions as they build up on your computer screen. Rest is easy following.

After the process completes in15-20 minutes you will have a USB drive that will be similar in action to a windows installation disc. Now we begin the procedure for installing XP on your netbook or your computer with the damaged cd rom drive. Remember your computer must be able to boot from the usb drive mode. Once you have set your computer to boot from USB follow the given steps:

• Insert the USB drive you have prepared just now into any of the USB ports on your computer.
• Let your computer boot from the USB drive
• From the two options select option 2 and let start the text based installation.
• Remember delete all the partitions on your hard drive lest it will result in hal.dll or other issues.
• Now let the format go on and once setup restarts boot again from the USB drive and now chose the GUI option to boot.
• Again after the installation completes you may face problems while booting from the hard disk. If you face a problem, boot again from the USB Drive and GUI option. Now when XP boots type msconfig in run and go to boot.ini. Check all boot baths may solve your problem. If it does not get solved, try changing the boot path in your boot.ini file into something like this:‘multi(o)disk(0)rdisk(o)partition(1)\Windows=”Windows XP Pro” /fastdetect’.
  
  

Follow the steps and you will see that it is as easy a procedure as a windows installation disc. Hope this help.