Re-installing Windows

[Laurel]

I've read that it's a good idea to wipe out one's hard drive and re-install
the operating system and programs every couple of years or so. I'd like to
practise this on a virtual machine I've created. How does one wipe out
one's hard drive?

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Delete the partition, create a new one, format it, and install Windows.
See:
http://www.windowsxphome.windowsreinstall.com/sp2installxpcdoldhdd/indexfullpage.htm

It is not a good idea to periodically reinstall Windows. That is done by
folks too lazy to maintain their computers right in the first place.
Instead, see:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/maintain/default.mspx

 

[Laurel]

Thanks. Two questions, though.

1. Re the first link, it is very specific in several places about "Home
edition." I have XP Professional. Will these instructions work here as
well?

2.Since I want to practice this on my virtual machine, when the list of
partitions is displayed, will it show disk space only for my VM, or will it
show disk space for the host as well? If the latter, how can I be very,
very sure I'm selecting only the partition for the VM?

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

It's always good to be very specific when describing your system.

The procedure is not significantly different from Home, but here is the link
anyway:

http://www.windowsxpprofessional.windowsreinstall.com/sp2installxpcdnewhdd/indexfullpage.htm

Like Las Vegas, what happens in a vm stays in a vm. Remember a vm is just
like a whole other computer and the only diskspace you see in the vm is the
virtual hard drive space that you created when you set it up. The vm knows
nothing about the host's file system.

To ensure that you are dealing with the vm and not the host click once
inside the vm to be sure that the vm window is the one that is active. When
you capture the XP cd with the vm's virtual cd drive reset the vm from the
Action Menu and you will get a smooth boot of the vm using the cd.

Good luck.