format hard drive

If the XP install set the drive to NTSF mode, DOS cannot access an NTSF formatted drive. (neither can Me!)

What you will need to do, is to run fdisk from the Me startup floppy, and delete ALL logical drives and partitions.

Then, re-boot, run fdisk again, and set up the drive as desired.

Now, when you re-boot, you will be able to format the drive.

For further help with fdisk, check out the partitioning articles at www.aumha.org
and the links at www.fdisk.com/fdisk

Chas

My first suggestion is to go into BIOS and set the first boot device as the CD drive with your windows ME disk. During the setup process, it should ask you what partition you want to install on...delete the partition with Windows XP and then formatit and install Windows ME. The setup program should be able to take care of everything.

If that does not work, then just create a boot disk and boot up using the floppy disk. Run your format utility from there.

If you have any security concerns and want to make sure that you remove the data from the disk so that it is not recoverable, then try going to http://www.linux-kurser.dk/secure_harddisk_eraser.html and creating a boot floppy from there. That is what I use before selling a system so that people will not have access to sensitive information I might have at one time stored on the disk.