deleting a partition

[Guest]

I have XP pro installed on a SATA HDD. I am now encountering boot problems. I am in the recovery console, and I see that one of the commands is diskpart. This will allow me to delete a partition, correct? I only have one partition on the HDD. my question is that if I delete this partion will it delete all the files, including the master boot record, so that I can do a clean install of XP pro again?

I tried to chkdsk and it told me that "the volume appears to contain one or more unrecoverable problems"
I tred to fixmbr and it said "the old master boot record cannot be read"
I tried to fixboot and it said "The file system on the startup partition is NTFS" "fixboot cannot open the partition"

I think that I have a corrupted NTFS file system. I just want to start all over with the install, because it doesn't look like I can repair it. Also when I look at the directory of the C: I see the boot.ini, ntldr , netdetect.com files. All other folders ,e.g. c:\windows, show 0 bytes of data which means that it is empty, right? I'm not sure what is going on, but I know that I need help!!!
thanks brett

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

The Windows XP CD is bootable and contains all the tools necessary
to partition and format your drive. Follow this procedure and allow
Windows XP to partition and format your drive:

NOTE: It would be best to physically disconnect all your peripheral hardware
devices, except for you mouse and keyboard, before installing XP.

1. Open your BIOS and set your CD Drive as the first bootable device.

===> Accessing Motherboard BIOS
===> http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm

2. Insert your Windows XP CD in the CD Drive and reboot your computer.
3. You'll see a message to boot to the CD....follow the instructions.
4. The setup menu will appear and you should elect to delete the existing
Windows partitions, then create a new partition, then format the primary
partition (preferably NTFS) and proceed to install Windows XP.

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

[Courtesy of Michael Stevens, MS-MVP]

6. After Windows XP is installed, visit the Windows Update website
and download the available "Critical Updates".

7. After installing the critical updates, be sure and visit the support website
of the manufacturer of the computer to download and install any
available Windows XP compatible drivers, such as video adapter
and audio drivers.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


| I have XP pro installed on a SATA HDD. I am now encountering boot problems. I am in the recovery console,
and I see that one of the commands is diskpart. This will allow me to delete a partition, correct? I only
have one partition on the HDD. my question is that if I delete this partion will it delete all the files,
including the master boot record, so that I can do a clean install of XP pro again?
|
| I tried to chkdsk and it told me that "the volume appears to contain one or more unrecoverable problems"
| I tred to fixmbr and it said "the old master boot record cannot be read"
| I tried to fixboot and it said "The file system on the startup partition is NTFS" "fixboot cannot open the
partition"
|
| I think that I have a corrupted NTFS file system. I just want to start all over with the install, because
it doesn't look like I can repair it. Also when I look at the directory of the C: I see the boot.ini, ntldr
, netdetect.com files. All other folders ,e.g. c:\windows, show 0 bytes of data which means that it is empty,
right? I'm not sure what is going on, but I know that I need help!!!
| thanks brett
|