Wipe drive?

[Kenny]

Using XP CD can I completely format/erase a drive in a similar way to FDISK
without it wanting to Setup XP again ? Would it be easier downloading a
Win98 boot disk and doing it that way?
Reason is I am removing a drive to replace with a larger one which will be
having a clean XP install done. Will be using the old one for backup in a
different PC and want it "clean", security is unimportant.

 

[Mike Hall \(MS-MVP\)]

Kenny

Put the drive aside.. set up ypur new one by booting from the XP CD.. when
all is well, re-install your old drive as a slave to the new one.. copy
across all of your important stuff, eg e-mail, pics, music.. then just
delete everything on the drive..

 

[Kenny]

Thanks for the reply, was afraid that Windows would "see" 2 XP's. One
question, if I'm using Cable Select jumpers on the drives with the new one
at the end of the cable will it still see the old one as data only?

--
Kenny Cargill

Kenny

Put the drive aside.. set up ypur new one by booting from the XP CD.. when
all is well, re-install your old drive as a slave to the new one.. copy
across all of your important stuff, eg e-mail, pics, music.. then just
delete everything on the drive..

 

[Jim]

Thanks for the reply, was afraid that Windows would "see" 2 XP's. One
question, if I'm using Cable Select jumpers on the drives with the new one
at the end of the cable will it still see the old one as data only?

So, you have installed the new disk as master and the old disk as slave
using cable select...
XP will see both disks, but it will only boot from the new disk so long as
boot.ini is written correctly.
Jim

 

[Mike Hall \(MS-MVP\)]

Kenny

Change your jumpers to master and slave.. do it on IDE 2 as well..

If ever I have to re-install a system, I prefer to install to a 'new' drive
and then copy stuff over at leisure.. it works well, and nothing gets missed
or left behind.. ..

--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/User

Thanks for the reply, was afraid that Windows would "see" 2 XP's. One
question, if I'm using Cable Select jumpers on the drives with the new one
at the end of the cable will it still see the old one as data only?