Hi
I'm hoping somebody can help me. I have a laptop with Windows XP, and over
the last 3 years I've clogged up my C: drive with loads of junk. I now want
to reformat the whole drive and reinstall Windows XP from scratch.
But I don't know how to do it. I've done it before when I had previous
versions of Windows, by typing 'format c:' in MS-DOS. But XP doesn't have
MS-DOS.
Anyone know how to do this? Thanks.
Carl

Hi

Depending on which type of XP CD you have, please see the following article
by Michael Stevens:

"Clean Install Windows XP "
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

--


Will Denny
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
Please reply to the News Groups

"Carl" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:C5F03CF6-5ED3-4C61-B48C-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi
> I'm hoping somebody can help me. I have a laptop with Windows XP, and
> over
> the last 3 years I've clogged up my C: drive with loads of junk. I now
> want
> to reformat the whole drive and reinstall Windows XP from scratch.
> But I don't know how to do it. I've done it before when I had previous
> versions of Windows, by typing 'format c:' in MS-DOS. But XP doesn't have
> MS-DOS.
> Anyone know how to do this? Thanks.
> Carl

i would suggest you use the recovery disks that should have been provided
with your laptop..... You may not be able to regain control of your laptop
if you delete special drivers required by your machine..... Also, you might
have a hidden drive with the critical data to restore you laptop if it ever
crashed.... You should check out your laptops website and do a little
research....
--
~~~~~~~~~~~
"To be a 0 or is it to be the 1 ?
That is the data".......W.Gatespeare


"Carl" wrote:

> Hi
> I'm hoping somebody can help me. I have a laptop with Windows XP, and over
> the last 3 years I've clogged up my C: drive with loads of junk. I now want
> to reformat the whole drive and reinstall Windows XP from scratch.
> But I don't know how to do it. I've done it before when I had previous
> versions of Windows, by typing 'format c:' in MS-DOS. But XP doesn't have
> MS-DOS.
> Anyone know how to do this? Thanks.
> Carl

Carl wrote:

> Hi
> I'm hoping somebody can help me. I have a laptop with Windows XP,
> and over the last 3 years I've clogged up my C: drive with loads of
> junk. I now want to reformat the whole drive and reinstall Windows
> XP from scratch.
> But I don't know how to do it. I've done it before when I had
> previous versions of Windows, by typing 'format c:' in MS-DOS. But
> XP doesn't have MS-DOS.
> Anyone know how to do this? Thanks.


Just boot from the Windows XP CD (change the BIOS boot order if necessary to
accomplish this) and follow the prompts for a clean installation (delete the
existing partition by pressing "D" when prompted, then create a new one).

You can find detailed instructions here:
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

or here http://windowsxp.mvps.org/XPClean.htm

or here http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm

If your laptop didn't come with a Windows CD, but with a manufacturer's
recovery CD instead, follow the manufacturer's instructions for using it
(read the manual or call them).

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup

Carl wrote:
> Hi
> I'm hoping somebody can help me. I have a laptop with Windows XP, and over
> the last 3 years I've clogged up my C: drive with loads of junk. I now want
> to reformat the whole drive and reinstall Windows XP from scratch.
> But I don't know how to do it. I've done it before when I had previous
> versions of Windows, by typing 'format c:' in MS-DOS. But XP doesn't have
> MS-DOS.
> Anyone know how to do this? Thanks.
> Carl


After backing up any data that you want to preserve, simply boot
from the WinXP installation CD. You'll be offered the opportunity to
delete, create, and format partitions as part of the installation
process. (You may need to re-arrange the order of boot devices in the
PC's BIOS to boot from the CD.)

HOW TO Install Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default...B;en-us;316941

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm

Then reinstall your applications and restore the backed up data.



--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrum Russell