[techtalk] Low level formatting

[Wood, Mary]

Having exhausted all other options, I am going to try a low-level format on
a hard disk.   The ultimate goal is to install Window$ 2000 (don't hurt me
... it's someone else's machine!).  Yes, I realize that is a little off
topic and sacrilegious for a Linux group, but I take it a format done from
BIOS is non-OS specific, making this topic fair game, right?  

Anyway, I've been scrounging the 'net for a tutorial, help page, cheering
section, anything at all to hold my hand through this apparently delicate
process.  All I get is a unanimous cry of "Don't even think about it you
mere mortal.  You'll destroy the Hard Drive."  Well, if I don't do it, the
Hard Drive is toast anyway, so what have I got to lose?

Can anyone point me to someone, somewhere on the net who's willing to say,
"If you really want to do it, here are some useful tips..."?

As Window$ 2k is on a CD ROM and the BIOS will only boot from A or C, I've
tried installing NT and 2 versions of DOS from floppy, all of which stall
saying unable to write to the hard drive.  PartitionMagic gives me the same
response and trying to run ScanDisk or FDISK from a bootable floppy tells me
I can't access the Hard Drive (but it's there ... I know it!  The PC detects
it!).  So, if anyone has any suggestions besides a low-level format, those
would be greatly appreciated also.

- Mary Wood; in BIOS hell.