Solved problem formatting C drive

hi,

I created a Windows 8 recovery USB exactly as per tutorial.

i booted this and selected command prompt, i then tried to format C partition using the following command:

format C:/FS:NTFS it asked for volume label so i used VOL C: command and got volume label. i again used the format C:/FS:NTFS command and then entered the volume label exactly,it rejected it, i tried it many times,to no avail.

one thing though, the command prompt was system32> my system is 64 bit the way Windows works this probably not significant.

please advise.

ken

You don't have any spaces in the command: Format Drive command
When it asks for a volume label it's asking for you to give it a name, for example 'Backup'.

when i said it asked for volume label it was more specific: "enter current volume label for drive C", after i'd entered the correct volume label it said "an incorrect volume label was entered for this drive"

i tried entering your example of BACKUP but it still said "an incorrect volume label was entered for this drive"

please advise

Why not just format the drive during the install? No reason or need to do it ahead of time.

maybe i've got it wrong, but during clean install,actually i'm restoring from a system image on an external HDD either way, i believe a full format is not executed, i want a full format, to destroy any remains of a virus infection that may still be lurking on HDD if i just did a clean install or restore image from an external HDD the virus could still be on the once infected HDD even after successful use of good anti-malware as a full format does not take place and the virus may re- emerge or so some paranoid people think me being one of them

please advise

The format you are doing is a full format, not a quick format as is done during install so ti does take a lot longer and does a better job of cleaning up.

If your concerned about virus/malware left over then you would be better off to use DBAN (Darrick's Boot and Nuke) to wipe the drive. It can take along time if it's a large drive but it gets rid of everything. You end up with a raw, allocated, unformatted drive. Just be careful using it. Make sure on the drive you want to wipe is connected so there is no chance of accidentally wiping the wrong one as happened recently in one of the other forums.

thanks thats brilliant