Clean install questions XP PRO

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jam
  • Start date Start date
J

Jam

Hi folks:
after much todo, I am now trying a clean install of XP PRO on my new
system (thanks for all of your help so far, I'm starting a new
thread to be more specific)

I have now used Microsoft's own downloadable XP PRO boot floppies (6
of them I just created here- my old win98 system) and have
successfully gotten an XP install screen (instead of the loop of
"encountered a problem reboot please" which I had been getting when
booting from the XP CD)
but before proceeding I have a couple of questions:

1) I don't quite know what to select for partitions, they are a bit
of a mystery to me though I've read up. I understand there are
potential benefits down the road for separate partitions, I just
don't know specifically what to do, what size, name, etc is a good
recommendation.
This is what comes up in the install process and I'd like advice
about what to do:

"select one of the following":
G: Partition 1 NTFS 194466MB (180108 MF free)
C: Partition 2 (VPSGHBOOT) [FAT] 8MB (3MB free)
unpartitioned space 29275 MB

What would you suggest? One of the above, or delete them all and...?
Do I have to be careful with the VPSGHBOOT partition?
(I am not a techie, but can follow step by step instructions)

2) one site recommends that I create an XP SP2 disk ready to install
before ever connecting online (so not to get it via automatic
update- too open to problems until installed?). I am downloading to
this system now, and will burn it to a CD. But I wondered if my XP
PRO disk was already SP2...? It was brand new at Christmas- were any
XP PRO install disks created with SP2 already on it? I take it I
don't have to do SP1 first?

3) another site wonders if I have 'drive overlay software installed'
and to be careful if I do. I have no way of knowing. Any tips?


here's where I've been:
http://www.petri.co.il/install_windows_xp_pro.htm
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_setup.htm
http://www.blackviper.com/Articles/OS/InstallXPHome/installxphome1.htm
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q313348/
and other, and google news searches.

thanks all,
Jam.

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remove spam." from email address
****************************************************
 
"select one of the following":
G: Partition 1 NTFS 194466MB (180108 MF free)
C: Partition 2 (VPSGHBOOT) [FAT] 8MB (3MB free)
unpartitioned space 29275 MB
Click to expand...

To me the above suggests you might have a problem. A clean freshly formatted
drive would usually only have a C: partion. Yours looks like tha main
partion is G: for some reason.

Wait for more knowledgable people to reply before you do anything.
 
Thank you! I was concerned; no idea about G drive, or any drives.
This isn't technically a clean drive (yet? I have not formatted
anything), it was a working XP PRO system yesterday. But I'm still
unsure which way to go.
ta,
Jam

CWatters said:
"select one of the following":
G: Partition 1 NTFS 194466MB (180108 MF free)
C: Partition 2 (VPSGHBOOT) [FAT] 8MB (3MB free)
unpartitioned space 29275 MB
Click to expand...

To me the above suggests you might have a problem. A clean freshly formatted
drive would usually only have a C: partion. Yours looks like tha main
partion is G: for some reason.

Wait for more knowledgable people to reply before you do anything.
Click to expand...
 
Well, I think I give up now... I quit the process before going any
further until I might learn more. But now I've tried to get the
install going again, using the 6 XP PRO install disks and the CD,
but it is back to either 'page fault- must reboot- unrecoverable
errors" loop if I try "repair", OR seeing NO drives at all if I
choose to install, so nothing to partition. (ONCE it "saw" Maxtor
hard drive). I even physically checked if all connections seem solid
inside.
Something is amiss.
thanks for your thoughts anyway, I guess I'll drag it somewhere for
real pros to figure out.
sigh. What a waste of energies.
Jam.

CWatters said:
"select one of the following":
G: Partition 1 NTFS 194466MB (180108 MF free)
C: Partition 2 (VPSGHBOOT) [FAT] 8MB (3MB free)
unpartitioned space 29275 MB
Click to expand...

To me the above suggests you might have a problem. A clean freshly formatted
drive would usually only have a C: partion. Yours looks like tha main
partion is G: for some reason.

Wait for more knowledgable people to reply before you do anything.
Click to expand...
 
If you are saying you have a full retail Windows XP Pro disc, I hafta wonder
why you are not installing from the disc instead of using the 6 floppies?
Maybe I missed something here(?) And while I know people do use partitions
, more than 1, there is little benefit to this although people who use them
disagree. If your HD craps, you lose all of it anyway, and because of the
way NTFS accesses data on the HD, it seems more of a benefit to create
one(1) large partition and then install XP. Once you do that, (delete all
the partitions on the drive) you can create one large one and then format
it. If you can't do that, there must be more going on with your hardware
than you have said.
Jam said:
Hi folks:
after much todo, I am now trying a clean install of XP PRO on my new
system (thanks for all of your help so far, I'm starting a new
thread to be more specific)

I have now used Microsoft's own downloadable XP PRO boot floppies (6
of them I just created here- my old win98 system) and have
successfully gotten an XP install screen (instead of the loop of
"encountered a problem reboot please" which I had been getting when
booting from the XP CD)
but before proceeding I have a couple of questions:

1) I don't quite know what to select for partitions, they are a bit
of a mystery to me though I've read up. I understand there are
potential benefits down the road for separate partitions, I just
don't know specifically what to do, what size, name, etc is a good
recommendation.
This is what comes up in the install process and I'd like advice
about what to do:

"select one of the following":
G: Partition 1 NTFS 194466MB (180108 MF free)
C: Partition 2 (VPSGHBOOT) [FAT] 8MB (3MB free)
unpartitioned space 29275 MB

What would you suggest? One of the above, or delete them all and...?
Do I have to be careful with the VPSGHBOOT partition?
(I am not a techie, but can follow step by step instructions)

2) one site recommends that I create an XP SP2 disk ready to install
before ever connecting online (so not to get it via automatic
update- too open to problems until installed?). I am downloading to
this system now, and will burn it to a CD. But I wondered if my XP
PRO disk was already SP2...? It was brand new at Christmas- were any
XP PRO install disks created with SP2 already on it? I take it I
don't have to do SP1 first?

3) another site wonders if I have 'drive overlay software installed'
and to be careful if I do. I have no way of knowing. Any tips?


here's where I've been:
http://www.petri.co.il/install_windows_xp_pro.htm
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_setup.htm
http://www.blackviper.com/Articles/OS/InstallXPHome/installxphome1.htm
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q313348/
and other, and google news searches.

thanks all,
Jam.

****************************************************
remove spam." from email address
****************************************************
Click to expand...
 
Jam said:
Thank you! I was concerned; no idea about G drive, or any drives.
This isn't technically a clean drive (yet? I have not formatted
anything), it was a working XP PRO system yesterday. But I'm still
unsure which way to go.
Click to expand...

Is there anything important on that drive? You might want to think about
getting local help to save the data before you make things worse.
 
Jam said:
1) I don't quite know what to select for partitions, they are a bit
of a mystery to me though I've read up. I understand there are
potential benefits down the road for separate partitions, I just
don't know specifically what to do, what size, name, etc is a good
recommendation.
This is what comes up in the install process and I'd like advice
about what to do:

"select one of the following":
G: Partition 1 NTFS 194466MB (180108 MF free)
C: Partition 2 (VPSGHBOOT) [FAT] 8MB (3MB free)
unpartitioned space 29275 MB

What would you suggest? One of the above, or delete them all and...?
Do I have to be careful with the VPSGHBOOT partition?
(I am not a techie, but can follow step by step instructions)
Click to expand...

Delete. You may need to hit ESC first to get the ability to do it. It
is a good idea to keep system and programs on a modest size partition
and have data separately - then you can repair or reinstall the system
without (much) risk to data

Then I suggest an initial partition for C: of about 20 GB (there may be
difficulty anyway in making one for the whole of a disk that size).
Then you will need to have installed XP Service Pack 1, or preferably
Service pack 2 (get the CD of that ready to run as first thing after
install) and go to Control Panel - Admin Tools - Computer Management,
select Disk Management and look lower right for the graphic of the
drive. R-click the Unallocated Space and 'Create Partition'
 
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