I want to completely restart my computer, I think it's called formatting.

Not my new one, of course, but there's an old one upstairs, and its' a mess. I really want to know how to completely and utterly wipe the thing and start over, even getting rid of virus files that the anti-virus programs cannot remove.

Is this possible? And if so, how? Is there a button on the computer, or perhaps an icon in My Computer, or maybe I have to be in DOS?

Simply put, the A drive is finished, everything fails or freezes, the thing's a wreck and can't even connect onto the internet, and is swarming with viruses that have become impossible to remove. I just want to completely begin anew and use it for word-file storage, DVD-watching, and maybe some simple computer games.

What operating system does it have?

It's hardly worth it, I would assume.

Windows 98

Go into programs under the start menu, click on the MS-DOS promt. Type in:

C: then the C:>\ will appear, then type in Format. Then Reinstall windows and all hardware and software. Make sure you have a disk with bookmarks and important files on it.

Don't worry, Kas already told me what to do.

Eat formatting you virus-filled scum! AIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

"Say, is that Dolash dancing through the fields swinging a fly swatter?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"You probably don't want to know."

PAIN, PAIN AND TORTURE OF THE WORST DEGREE.

I can't get the damn thing to work.

I created the boot-disk floppy. I got out the windows 98 install CD. I put both into their respective things. I restarted the computer. I chose boot from disk. I chose boot with support from disk. I went to fdisk. I deleted the partitions that were on my computer. I created a new primary one, I set it as the active partition.

Then, I restarted the computer like it asked. I chose the boot with support thing again. I then tried - without avail - to:

-format the new c-drive from my floppy-drive. That ended with "Invalid command"

-format the new c-drive from my disk. Ditto for this.

-reinstall windows without formatting. It just told me I need more bytes, which I assume means I need to format.

WHAT AM I DOING WRONG HERE?????????

I used these sources:

www.compguysinc.com/techw..._run.shtml
www.cyberwalker.net/faqs/...in98.shtml
www.dansdata.com/sbs30.htm

so I'm definetly going the right way, but it just won't firking format.

I found out what's wrong, everything, but too late now, I actually killed the computer.

It'll be turned over to my dad's professor buddies and - maybe -will come back alive.

-format the new c-drive from my floppy-drive. That ended with "Invalid command"

-format the new c-drive from my disk. Ditto for this.

-reinstall windows without formatting. It just told me I need more bytes, which I assume means I need to format.

These all point (at least in my eyes) to the fact that there is probably something wrong with your CDROM drive, or your boot disk.