Another format question

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Guest

I have xp home sp2 upgrade version. If I format my hardrive will I be able to
install xp again if I do not have any other windows on the hd for it to
recognize??

Paul
 
Sure - if you have the CD from your previous version of Windows (after
Win95). When you install an upgrade version of Windows, you are asked to
insert the CD from your previous version of Windows, proving that you
qualify for an upgrade.
 
Paul said:
I have xp home sp2 upgrade version. If I format my hardrive will I be
able to install xp again if I do not have any other windows on the hd
for it to recognize??
Click to expand...


The requirement to use an upgrade version is to *own* a previous qualifying
version's installation CD (with an OEM restore CD, see below), not to have
it installed. When setup doesn't find a previous qualifying version
installed, it will prompt you to insert its CD as proof of ownership. Just
insert the previous version's CD, and follow the prompts. Everything
proceeds quite normally and quite legitimately.

You can also do a clean installation if you have an OEM restore CD of a
previous qualifying version. It's more complicated, but it *can* be done.
First restore from the Restore CD. Then run the XP upgrade CD from within
that restored system, and change from Upgrade to New Install. When it asks
where, press Esc to delete the partition and start over.
 
As long as you have the CD for the previous version of Windows, you're fine.
NOTE: It must be a Windows CD, NOT a restore or recovery CD that contains
the operating system in a proprietary format.
 
Donny said:
As long as you have the CD for the previous version of Windows,
you're fine. NOTE: It must be a Windows CD, NOT a restore or recovery
CD that contains the operating system in a proprietary format.
Click to expand...


Note that the above, regarding a restore CD, is not correct. See the message
I posted earlier in this thread.
 
True. However, this means he would not be starting with a formatted drive,
but rather a drive that has been restored. His question implied he wanted to
start with a blank drive.

You are correct, you can still perform a clean install, if you have a
restore CD.
 
True. However, this means he would not be starting with a formatted drive,
Click to expand...

deleting the partition and re-creating it, as in Ken's post means that the
partition WOULD be formatted.......
 
Donny said:
True. However, this means he would not be starting with a formatted
drive, but rather a drive that has been restored. His question
implied he wanted to start with a blank drive.
Click to expand...


As far as I'm concerned, regardless of what words he used, it was very clear
that his question implied that he wanted to do a clean installation. The
procedure I posted explained how, even if he had a restore CD of a previous
version.
 
That was quick. Yes I am going to format the drive and want a clean install,
This has not been done since 98 and I have over 1400 ?items? in the registry.
I thought about one of those registry fixers but A clean start seems the best
way to go and maybe do it right this time - minimal start menu stuff and
minimum on the desktop.
My screen desktop is nearly as busy as my real desktop.

Paul
 
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