Nuking Xp and 98SE from a machine
square/circle
I have a secondary machine, of which I have sort of been trying to build
in readiness for when this one fails.
It has XP and 98SE on it, but is having problems already, things I am
just not ready to address, and am simply not interested in as they are
'merry-go-round' things in a group like this.
One in particular that I noticed last night was regarding the fact that
I couldnt even play music on it,,, whether xp or 98. It kept on spitting
out errors regarding 'cdnotify' auto this and auto that. I have seen
this type of thing addressed here before, but cannot remember any advice
given. So, I spent hours upon hours on 'this' machine (internet active)
trying to find out about this problem,,,, was like going on a
hurdy-gurdy, and I have just been on one of those regarding 'this'
machine and right now I dont want that sort of thing again for a while.
So, since neither XP no 98SE will play a CD, and since both O/S's state
that my Motherboard doesnt support On-Board Sound,, I've decided to
nuke them both.
(btw, the motherboard is an ASUS which clearly states in its documention
that it supports 'on board sound',, and the fact that I have been to its
Phoenix bios to make sure that option is selected.... (auto) I decided
to give the hard-drive the flick.
(Also, when I got the machine, it apparently had a sound card, and hence
I went to bios to tell it to now disregard that and simply use its
motherboard,,,,, but, no way will it listen to me.)
Another reason is I want to put on linux/98se dual on that machine as a
learning thing.. (and god knows, I am running out of brain capacity for
learning anymore after what I have just been through, but nonetheless, I
want to do it.)
Bottom line, what is the absolute best and quickest way to to make that
hard drive look like it came out of the shop in brand new condition? No
mbr on it, no relationship to anything but the packaging it came in?
Can I do it from that machine? Do I use XP (turn your head pcr, I am
just as disgusted as you are) to do it?
Thanks
S/C
philo
If you want to completely "nuke" your drive then use dban
Don Phillipson
news:uk6AZjHO...@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> So, since neither XP no 98SE will play a CD, and since both O/S's state
> that my Motherboard doesnt support On-Board Sound,, I've decided to
> nuke them both.
> (btw, the motherboard is an ASUS which clearly states in its documention
> that it supports 'on board sound',, and the fact that I have been to its
> Phoenix bios to make sure that option is selected.... (auto) I decided
> to give the hard-drive the flick. . . .
> Bottom line, what is the absolute best and quickest way to to make that
> hard drive look like it came out of the shop in brand new condition?
You have two distinct problems:
-- Operating system(s) generally unsatisfactory.
-- Unsatisfactory sound or no sound.
These are (probably) distinct, viz. should be tackled
separately, which is easy since you mentioned no
need to save data.
1. Test the hard drive with its manufacturer's utilities
and reuse this drive only if it tests OK in all respects.
Repartition and format the HDD before use.
2. Reinstal whatever is your preferred OS. Flash the
BIOS too if there is an update you think you need.
3. Sort out the sound system. This can be difficult
because there are so many variables from plugging
speakers into the wrong socket to failure of Sound-on-
Board (circuitry on the motherboard.)
No. 3 requires a comprehensive agenda in logical
order (cf. the need to select SoB in BIOS Off if you
add an audio card). The list in PC Help Desk in a
Book (Que.) has to date been reliable.
--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)
Jeff Richards
diagnostic pack. It will include tests that do not damage your data, and
tests that come with big warning "Running this diagnostic will delete all
existing data on disk drive X. Are your sure?" or something similar.
That's the one you want.
But make sure your machine can boot from your installation CD before doing
this.
There are also many freeware utilities that do the same thing (search under
Disk Wipe) but the advantage of the manufacturer's diagnostic is that you
will also get a report on the health of the drive.
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
"square/circle" <n...@line.org> wrote in message
news:uk6AZjHO...@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
Buffalo
Geez, have you tried installing new sound card drivers yet?
Buffalo
PS: Perhaps your onboard sound card is bad. Why not re-enable the add on
sound card in the BIOS and re-install the latest drivers for it.
Is your CD player connected to the soundcard?
square/circle
The Sound Card has been removed,, it doesnt exist. This is why I have
been trying to tell the Bios to just use the on-board.
(but have had no luck so far, I have looked all around in the phoenix
bios and cant find anything that says its still using a card.)
Cant say much more, as I in a hurry, and I have lots of other
posts/replies to answer.
S/C
square/circle
>> Thanks
>>
>> S/C
>
>
> If you want to completely "nuke" your drive then use dban
>
Thank you Philo...
I have done done research and downloaded it,, I also found it is a part
of a utility I downloaded a while back called 'Eraser'.
As for 'nuking' the hard-drive, I hope youself and others didnt get the
wrong impression from my post;
I simply wanted to 'delete' XP and 98SE from a computer that I have as a
sort of 'back-up' computer. (mainly because I cant play music on it)
So, 'nuke' was a word I used as the topic because I dont know how to get
rid of xp using the same computer that xp is loaded onto. Others have
told me that I have to remove the physical hard-drive to another
computer and format/delete it from that computer once my h/drive is set
up as 'slave'. I know I can 'nuke' 98SE simply by using f-disk, but
apparently xp doesnt listen to that.
Hope this spelled out my problem with a little more detail.
Have only recently loaded on the two O/S's and got the same msg each
time I tried to play music on it/them.
Msg was something about 'cdnotify' and 'auto' and something else. I did
quickly do some research and got confronted with with thousands of hits
regarding this issue...
That computer is not on the internet at all, so the only thing I could
think of was Bios didnt relate... due to a Sound Card at one stage had
been installed on it. (it is a second-hand computer but well worth
keeping due to it not being old and having a great video card, large
cpu, asus m/board, and etc,, is there anything you can identify
with this 'cdnotify' thing that may help?.
Anyway, thank you for dban, I now have it just in case.
S/C
philo
the reason I suggested "dban" was simply because you had wanted to
"nuke" the drive...and in the event of a root kit or some other malware
in the boot sector...then with dban you should be starting fresh.
however, the usual hardware diagnostics are always a good idea
such as a RAM test the the harddrive manufacturer's diagnostic.
If you are simply having a problem with your cdrom however.
it's possible the drive is just bad.
for better help the full and exact error message would be helpful
Robert Macy
before it locks up, I insert my Win98 boot floppy and merely
> format C:
That wipes the disk clean, leaving all the data on the other section D:
\
After reinstalling WinXP, I then transfer the files I need, and I'm
done.
I used to do this every month when I needed WinXP, but now I hate
WinXP so much, it's been over 6 months
Robert
Jeff Richards
When you nuke it using FDISK you are actually only replacing the existing
partitioning with new partitioning. Depending on the version and the
existing partitioning you might find that FDISK doesn't recognise the
existing partitions and won't remove them. If XP doesn't 'see' what FDISK
did then it's because FDISK didn't do anything
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
"square/circle" <n...@line.org> wrote in message
news:enOvEI4O...@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
square/circle
> I used to do this every month when I needed WinXP, but now I hate
> WinXP so much, it's been over 6 months
>
> Robert
Now that I 'can' relate to Robert,, because I am like PCR, and I simply
dont like xp, and there is not much more to say on the subject.
S/C
square/circle
Jeff Richards wrote:
> Nuke is a fairly descriptive term ;)
>
> When you nuke it using FDISK you are actually only replacing the existing
> partitioning with new partitioning. Depending on the version and the
> existing partitioning you might find that FDISK doesn't recognise the
> existing partitions and won't remove them. If XP doesn't 'see' what FDISK
> did then it's because FDISK didn't do anything
>
Yes Jeff,,
Not being a real comp' boffin, I now understand that xp doesnt relate to
fdisk, and visa-versa.
Thats why I was asking what is the best way to 'nuke'/'delete'/'format'/
or whatever so that I end up with a h/drive in a condition similar to
one I may have just purchased from a retailer.
If I messed up my intent in my explaination, then above is what I want
to do.
S/C
(btw, I have heard the 'boot-manager' from xp never really gets
deleted, is this so? Are there other 'things' or 'items' that are
still on the h/drive after a complete format/dban?
So much to learn, so little time.)
Robert Macy
format using thw Win98 boot disk so it cleans all off
Jeff Richards
utility that simply removes a partition might not remove the boot manager.
However, the area where the boot manager resides _is_ overwritten if you
create a new primary partition. It will usually also be wiped by a disk
cleaner or eraser utility, or by a diagnostic utility that tests the whole
disk surface.news:%232Q8u2e...@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> snip <
Jeff Richards
may appear to clear out the disk, but will leave any NTFS partitions
untouched. This is similar to the issue with FDISK, although at least FDISK
provides an indication that there are partitions that it doesn't recognise
and won't remove. The other utilities mentioned above will ignore
partitioning and simply delete everything.
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
news:811fbfe1-d6ff-48aa...@f33g2000vbm.googlegroups.com...
square/circle
>> S/C
> Geez, have you tried installing new sound card drivers yet?
> Buffalo
> PS: Perhaps your onboard sound card is bad. Why not re-enable the add on
> sound card in the BIOS and re-install the latest drivers for it.
> Is your CD player connected to the soundcard?
Hello again Buffalo,,
I have managed to get sound now, but the JBL speakers sound like they
are not even here.
There are no volume controls on them, and the volume and etc are fine
with the computer.
Its as though they need an amp, like the one I use on this
computer(which is an Altec Lansing system with amp built into sub woofer
box).
Does the Mobo of my other one have a built-in amp? I get the usual boot
'voice' telling me that I passed the 'post' test and that 'windows is
now booting etc'. But I am more concerned about playing a music cd,, it
simply sounds like crap. no volume at all, and nowhere to adjust
anything.? I am now wondering if pehaps the speakers were bundled with
an amplifier, but connections and wires dont show that.
I know I got them for free, but, being a name like 'jbl', and being
large stylish speakers, I would have thought I could at least get more
oooooomph out of them than a cats meow.
Thanks for help if you are a audio type.
S/C
J. P. Gilliver (John)
<n...@triangle.org> writes:
[]
>I have managed to get sound now, but the JBL speakers sound like they
>are not even here.
>There are no volume controls on them, and the volume and etc are fine
>with the computer.
>Its as though they need an amp, like the one I use on this
>computer(which is an Altec Lansing system with amp built into sub
>woofer box).
>Does the Mobo of my other one have a built-in amp? I get the usual boot
>'voice' telling me that I passed the 'post' test and that 'windows is
>now booting etc'. But I am more concerned about playing a music cd,,
>it simply sounds like crap. no volume at all, and nowhere to adjust
>anything.? I am now wondering if pehaps the speakers were bundled
>with an amplifier, but connections and wires dont show that.
>I know I got them for free, but, being a name like 'jbl', and being
>large stylish speakers, I would have thought I could at least get more
>oooooomph out of them than a cats meow.
>
>Thanks for help if you are a audio type.
>
>S/C
>
were commonly unpowered, and sound cards (I think I'm talking ISA days!)
often had an output rated in watts (usually 1 or 2). Subsequent ones,
when speakers started to appear with amplifiers in them, just have a
"line level" output. I remember at least one, transitional stage,
soundcard that had links on the card, which you moved depending on
whether you wanted speaker drive or line out. (Why would you want line
out? Well, an amplification stage adds more noise and distortion to the
signal, so if you've got amplification in the speakers, you want the
option of skipping the stage in the card.)
You say the speakers' "connections and wires don't show" that they "were
bundled with an amplifier". Do they have a mains lead (in USA I think
"power cord"), or a socket for an external power supply, or a battery
compartment (sometimes only in one speaker)? If any of these, then yes
they contain an amplifier. Usually such speakers _do_ have an on switch
and a volume control, though not always. (In early ones, the on/off
switch - especially if they were battery powered - gave the _option_ of
just routing the signal straight through to the speakers, i. e. letting
the sound card drive them.)
Have you tried the speakers on something like an mp3 or CD player with a
headphone output?
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
** http://www.soft255.demon.co.uk/G6JPG-PC/JPGminPC.htm for ludicrously
outdated thoughts on PCs. **
"Forget computers; it's hard enough getting humans to pass the Turing test."
- David Bedno
Bill Blanton
"square/circle" <n...@triangle.org> wrote in message news:OhI554rP...@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
It's not very likely that your sound card will have a built in amp sufficient to
drive a decent speaker . There may be some esoteric cards that do, but
most "consumer" cards don't.
If the speakers don't have a volume control on them, then they aren't powered
by there own amp. What model JBLs?