It sounds like what you're describing might be perfectly normal, but
you have neither a copy of format on A: nor an appropriate path
statement in your boot sequence.

If that's true, there are many ways to solve the problem.  The
easiest is probably just to copy format.com from where it is now,
probably c:\windows\command\, to the same directory on a: where
you have command.com.  Then reboot from a: and do what you
just did.  You may also have to copy fdisk.exe to make format.com
work.  I'm not sure.

Tell us how it turns out.

> I am trying to reformat my c drive - have done it before but having problems. Here is what i am doing:
>
> 1. start with boot disk in a drive and come to a:\
> 2. type in "format c: /s"
> 3. I get "bad command or file name message"
> 4. same result using c:\
> 5. same result using "format c:" command

Thank you.
David Jonathan Justman

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