How to re format?

[SEK]

I have Win 95. I got a virus (snowwhite/7dwarfs), and need to erase and re-format. I tried to run the recovery disk that came with the computer, but it returns a Fatal error.
Is there any way I can erase my disk and re-format? I don't know specifics on the FDISK command.

 

[edfair]

boot from floppy. fdisk. remove primary partition. (may require you to remove extended/logical drives first)
create primary. reboot. format c: /s
reboot without floppy. You'll be at c:
BUT THINK THROUGH THE RAMIFICATIONS FIRST.
How are you going to reload?
You jump into this without thinking and you'll not have a computer for a while. Ed Fair
efair@atlnet.com

Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply.

Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[jakrabit]

the only thing you might want to do before that, is make sure the floppy is write protected before inserting it to that computer... otherwise, you risk infecting other systems you take that floppy to... Shane
and now for the impressive abbreviations:
DOA, SOL, AWOL, PEBKAC, id10t, FUBAR

 

[SEK]

After a few attempts of trying different things yesterday(inexperience!!), when powered up with out floppy or CD, the screen is in Dos with A:\ flashing.
I can boot from a recovery disk (which should erase and reformat the drive) 2 minutes into it, there is a fatal error the says disk is full?????
Am I beyond a point of any return???

 

[jakrabit]

no... there is still hope... but... you need to Low Level format that drive (or at least remove all partition information)...

download this:

http://www.geocities.com/titaniumspork/geek/LLF.zip

then... put a floppy disk in a drive of a working computer... click start>run ... in the run window, enter "format a: /q /s" - without the quotes...

follow the prompts, when it asks if you want to do another, say no... then extract the zipped files to the floppy...

remember... this will REMOVE partition information... do NOT test this on a machine you wish to save information from... i did put some pauses in the batch so that you can have the opportunity to abort - but, just DON'T test it in a working system you want to keep the data from

when you are done, remove the floppy, reboot and try it again... Shane
and now for the impressive abbreviations:
DOA, SOL, AWOL, PEBKAC, id10t, FUBAR

 

[jakrabit]

ok... so i'm a dork... right click on that link and select save target as...

oops

>:O> Shane
and now for the impressive abbreviations:
DOA, SOL, AWOL, PEBKAC, id10t, FUBAR

 

[SEK]

Thank you to all who helped, I had to reformat everything anyways, but I'm up and working now.
Your advice was extremely helpful