How to format a Netbook?

When I was looking into slipstreaming my xp install I also had the bright idea to install it from a flash drive. I'm assuming this is pretty much all you need to do because the install disc has its own format utility when you set it up.
Here's a guide to explain how to do that. Also, I highly suggest you use nlite first and add service packs/hotfixes/drivers/addons so you don't have to later. Make sure to make an iso in the end and load it up with daemon tools and when it asks for the cd just point it there.
Hope this helps. I'm not sure about the motherboard drivers but I assume the generic drivers should have it covered.

http://www.eeeguides.com/2007/11/installing-windows-xp-from-usb-thumb.html

What is the number of the netbook? ASUS EEEPc? ACER? HP? DELL? ... There are many netbooks out there. About formatting.. you can use the howto.

what kind of symptoms?
usually you almost never have to format a computer, there is almost some way to bypass the formation and get it working whitout losing all data.

and what OS is the netbook using?

I guess the OS is XP (since it became slow. The pre-installed Linux won't do that.) The other thing, sometimes formatting can't be evaded. When something ruins registry, etc, there is no way of going back.

Well, most of the users still reformat their PC because they think that will make it faster. Since they erase everything, the few first boot will be fast for sure, but after they install every application what they need.. (I just laughed my ass off when a newbie linux user reformatted his pc .. since he installed few unneeded application... lol :))

ps.: Data lost: Backup to another PC using LAN, usb hdd, pendrive, anything. It's not that hard. You can make two partitions at the new install (C: for win+system apps , and D: for personal stuff (music,video,etc)).

In during a netbook is just another computer so reformatting it shouldn't be any different.

True. But it haven't got CD/DVD drive..so its a bit different.

No cd/dvd drive? well then i would say that you cant format it because once formatted you will lose the os and the only way to boot up again would be to insert a windows/linux cd and install the new os. The only thing i could think of is to create a full backup of the system then install that backup onto an external drive and then set it up so your computer will boot either the external drive or the laptop. then reformat the laptop harddrive and then take the backup and install it to the hard drive. Only problem is that you still have the same hard drive and if your problem is a virus or something it will still be there. Other then that i have no clue how you would reformat and reinstall the os without a cd/dvd drive.

It would help if you could explain what was wrong with the laptop mabe theres a way around reformatting.

BIOS > Boot Device Priority > Removable Media

You want to completely empty the hard drive and then reinstall your OS?

Use dban for nuking your harddrive. http://www.dban.org/download
Head for the Stable releases and download which you need.
For CD's etc:
- You'll get a .iso file. Burn it on your CD.
For USB's and floppy:
- Install dban on your floppy or usb.

!!Then backup all the stuff you want to keep. Files, Documents, hentai or whatever. Back it up using whatever software you want or do it manually.!!

!!NOTE: Using DBAN is IRREVERSIBLE! This is pretty much a last chance action!!

Shut off your netbook. Plug in your usb. Go and select it as your boot device. It'll start up. It's pretty easy so usually be careful. But now you're going to nuke all of it anyway... (note: you can also nuke particular partitions ;) )
Select your HDD. Pick the fastest method. Just plain 0000's and 1 recheck. Recheck is to check to see if there are really only 0's in this case. (With other method's its just doing another random overwrite.)

Then your HD is 'clean'. (FBI can still recover some parts with this method. lol)
Remove your USB/CD. Put in your install cd/dvd. And get to some installing.

Then put all your backups back. ;)

If this is not what you're looking for then I'll post it anyway just in case.

It just reread your post and it said your netbook has no cd drive. To bad. But no sweat if you have a 5 GB or more USB. http://netbooks.modaco.com/content/msi/261632/installing-xp-via-a-usb-stick/


P.S.: It really worked great on my pc. 250GB HDD in 1.5/2 hours all clean. I didn't have to install motherboard drivers.

P.P.S: My pc went so much faster after the format and reinstall. So it does speed up your pc/laptop/netbook. But my OS install (xp) was 4 years old. :D

Sounds awfully the same to me.

And yours is the same as mine!

I'm just wondering if this VGuy will come back or not.

Whoops. In any case, thread starter seems to have disappeared so I think it's a non-issue now.

You first have to place your OS install on your USB. That program formats your usb and 'burns' it onto your usb for you. Then you start from the usb by doing that.

Or you could just extract the iso file onto your USB key.



And here all of us were giving you advice to use a USB key. Hah.

Maybe that'll work to extract the iso in the usb directly. But I figure they didn't make that proggy for nothing. I think it has something to do with the bootsector. I don't use it so I don't care anyway. :p

So we helped you fix this? ^_^

Hurray for us! *claps*