Crazy XP reinstall...what does this all mean???

[Jim]

Quit yer cryin' Timmy. Don't you see that your tears are like blood
to a shark??

I plonked Tim weeks ago .

 

[Daave]

-- I am at my wits end! I have been trying all day to do a reinstall
of XP. It should not be this hard to do, but I am running into all
kinds of problems. I have a Dell xp reinstallation cd that Dell sent
me. I have a Dell dimension 4600 computer.
I started the installation this morning and I cancelled the install
after I received this message: "You chose to install xp on a
partition that contains another operating system. this may cause the
other operating system to not function properly. It is not
recommended to install multi systems on a single partition."
The only choices available for me to choose were Fat or NTFS...I
chose NTFS. I was told to delete the windows partition and recreate
it. after that I will be given the option to reformat the drive.
Well that didn't work either. here is what I got when I tried to
delete the partition: "Setup is unable to perform the requested
operation on the selected partition. This partition contains
temporary setup files that are required to complete the
installation." I Had to cancell the installation once again. So, I
decided to do a restore using F11 even though it wouldn't be a clean
install like I originally wanted...by this time I was getting
desperate and willing to settle. Guess what? That didn't work either!
It just took me back to the same place that the Dell cd had me.

My question at this point is: what good is the darn Dell
reinstallation cd or the restore thru F11 if it won't let you
reinstall!!!!? I guess you can tell I am not too happy right now.

My next step was to put the reinstallation cd back in and try again
with the unrecommended choice of selecting the NTFS partition again
with the warning coming up "It is not recommended to install multi
systems on a single partition." But it does give the option to go
ahead with the install anyway, so I chose that option. This what it
said after I chose it "A windows folder already exists that may
contain a windows installation. If you continue, the existing Window
installation will be overwritten. All files,subfolders, users
accts.,applications, security & desktop settings for that Windows
installation will be deleted. The 'My Documents' folder may also be
deleted.

To use the folder & delete the existing windows installation in it,
PRESS L

To use a different folder, PRESS ESC.

F3 to quit setup

Guess what I chose? Yeah F3 again! Oh woe is me, I can't believe this
day!

Should I have just selected L and deleted the existing Windows? I
almost did, but I chickened out and decided to come here first for
advice.

Anyone...tell me what to do? Besides throwing this computer out the
window! Thanks for all your help!!!

Not all Dells have the "Dell PC Restore by Symantec." If yours does,
however, that will be the easiest course of action for you. And it's
pretty darn close to a Clean Install. Once you perform this restore, I
would recommend going into Control Panel and then Add or Remove Programs
and uninstall all the crap that you don't want. What you will have left
will be very similar to a Clean Install. And you will have the added
benefit of having all the hardware drivers in place. Just use the
instructions from page 48 from this guide:

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim4600/en/4600i/OM/G72790LRs.pdf

BTW, it's Control+F11 (not F11).

That method is *much* quicker and easier than the Clean Install.

If you want to perfrom a Clean Install, more work is involved:

1. You will need to go to the Dell Web site to download the appropriate
hardware drivers for your PC and either burn them to a CD or perhaps
place them on something like a USB flash drive.

2. Instead of booting up your PC the usual way (that is, off the hard
drive), you will need to boot off the CD-ROM drive. You can either
configure your BIOS to do this or press F12 immediately after you turn
on the PC. Place the Reinstallation CD inside the tray and close it and
press the arrow key to select CD-ROM. This step is important. You really
want to make sure you boot off the CD-ROM drive!

3. Follow the instructions here for performing a clean install onto a
used hard drive:

http://www.windowsxphome.windowsreinstall.com/installxpcdoldhdd/indexfullpage.htm
(for SP1 or Gold, i.e., no service pack)

http://www.windowsreinstall.com/winxphome/sp2sp3installxpcdoldhdd/indexfullpage.htm
(for SP2 or SP3)

Skip the ads by scrolling down to Part 1!

You have to make sure all your data is saved before you perform a clean
install because your entire hard drive will be erased. Be sure to
include your e-mails and Internet Explorer favorites.

Once the install is done, you will need to install your hardware
drivers.

Then SP3. Then the subequent Windows updates. Then install all your
programs. It's quite an undertaking!

Or you can just use the Control+F11 method if that is available to you.
Follow the instructions!

For clarification, you earlier stated:

It just took me back to the same place that the Dell cd had me.

If you provide exact messages, we can give you better guidance. For
instance there are two manuals for your model, depending on whether or
not you have integrated video. If you're not sure, go to the Dell Web
site, click Support in the upper right-hand corner, and enter your Tag
Number. Good luck!

 

[st]

-- I am at my wits end! I have been trying all day to do a reinstall of
XP.
It should not be this hard to do, but I am running into all kinds of
problems. I have a Dell xp reinstallation cd that Dell sent me. I have a
Dell
dimension 4600 computer.
I started the installation this morning and I cancelled the install after
I
received this message: "You chose to install xp on a partition that
contains
another operating system. this may cause the other operating system to not
function properly. It is not recommended to install multi systems on a
single
partition."
The only choices available for me to choose were Fat or NTFS...I chose
NTFS.
I was told to delete the windows partition and recreate it. after that I
will be given the option to reformat the drive. Well that didn't work
either. here is what I got when I tried to delete the partition:
"Setup is unable to perform the requested operation on the selected
partition. This partition contains temporary setup files that are required
to
complete the installation." I Had to cancell the installation once again.
So, I decided to do a restore using F11 even though it wouldn't be a clean
install like I originally wanted...by this time I was getting desperate
and
willing to settle. Guess what? That didn't work either! It just took me
back
to the same place that the Dell cd had me.

My question at this point is: what good is the darn Dell reinstallation cd
or the restore thru F11 if it won't let you reinstall!!!!? I guess you can
tell I am not too happy right now.

My next step was to put the reinstallation cd back in and try again with
the
unrecommended choice of selecting the NTFS partition again with the
warning
coming up "It is not recommended to install multi systems on a single
partition." But it does give the option to go ahead with the install
anyway,
so I chose that option. This what it said after I chose it "A windows
folder
already exists that may contain a windows installation. If you continue,
the
existing Window installation will be overwritten. All files,subfolders,
users
accts.,applications, security & desktop settings for that Windows
installation will be deleted. The 'My Documents' folder may also be
deleted.

To use the folder & delete the existing windows installation in it, PRESS
L

To use a different folder, PRESS ESC.

F3 to quit setup

Guess what I chose? Yeah F3 again! Oh woe is me, I can't believe this day!

Should I have just selected L and deleted the existing Windows? I almost
did, but I chickened out and decided to come here first for advice.

Anyone...tell me what to do? Besides throwing this computer out the
window!
Thanks for all your help!!!

The first message means that Windows setup was unable to decide what
operating system is installed on selected partition. It does this to backup
boot sector if DOS or Windows 9x is present.

Second error message means that you're trying to reformat the drive which
was used to cache Windows source from CD.

The third error means that albeit Setup has not detected any suitable
windows install, it found something similar to it, but cannot upgrade it.
You could try to download & burn some Linux LiveCD and use it to backup your
profile folder from Documents and Settings, and then just reinstall Windows
over existing copy.