Formatting without a monitor

[legacy-suttonator]

Hi, quick question (parents nagging for comp use). I have to format my computer, but there is no Graphics card/onboard on it. So i cannot use a monitor. I was just wondering if there is any way of formatting it without the use of a monitor.

thanks. oh, if it helps, im running XP Home...

[Gomjaba]

It depends ...

Sure, there is a way. Find on the web about a million partition manager which coming with floppy disks. Take a look on a working computer which arrows, commands etc. you need to erase a harddrive and do it on your pc.

BUT: I don't think that your PC would boot up without graphics, proparbly your bios would deny it with millions of beeps.

By the way, not quite UT2k4 realted, is it

[legacy-{Xero}DASD]

why dont u just buy some haggard $30 graphics card and install that on the machine so u dont have to worry about it....and then ull have one for it :up:

[Apathy]

I'd pay to see someone reformat without visuals.

[legacy-0verclocked]

Pull the drive out and stick it in your other computer, then reformat it as a slave drive in the other computer within windows and put it back in the other computer

[legacy-Killavirus]

i could get a HDD reformatde no problem without visuals ...


its kinda easy

[Plumb_Drumb]

Originally posted by Killavirus
i could get a HDD reformatde no problem without visuals ...


its kinda easy

must be easier than it is to explain, eh?

[legacy-Killavirus]

nope

repetition

[legacy-And I Fall]

you can listen to the drive ticking away. boot off a floppy and when it boots up, just to make sure go to A:\. type format C: and then hit y for yes. when no sound's going on for about 5 minutes or so, it's most likely done.. honestly it's been so long since i've formatted, i've forgotten what comes next, but i'm pretty sure it's turn off and install windows... though that might be a trickier prospect

[legacy-Killavirus]

yup that would be all you may also have -q added to have a quick install

[T@F]

If it is possable to format without a monitor.

Then the easy way would be to put in a win98 boot disk.(if you have one)
Press 1 or 2 to pick with or without cd-rom support,wait till it stops reading the floppy.
Then type format c:
Then y
wait till the hd stops,takes a while.
Then type Drive c press return.

Switch off comp.

[legacy-{GOG}R4d4]

So your parents are nagging for comp use, so to appease them you are going to format a comp w/out a graphics card. How is this going to appease them? And if you are going to get a graphics card for it wouldn't it just be easier to wait until you get it?

[legacy-olobley]

um...
1) Buy a sun box, do everything via the serial port...mmm
2) Buy a rILO card and do it via the network
3) Format it in the PC that you wrote this thread on?
4) Why would you want to just format the drive? Surely you've then got to try & install something on it, also without visuals, which would be a lot more difficult?

Good luck,

Olly.

[legacy-Zentak]

Easy way : get the lame HD out of the box, format it on another PC (point 3. of the post above mine)

While you're at it, let the HD in the other comp, as I don't see how the f*ck you would be able to use a computer (primarly installing an OS) without a screen. Or you plan to make it a server and only connect by ssh, but that would still require you to install an OS without any screen :weird: