Got two copies of WinXP on my computer.

[Dee]

In trying to deal with a backdoor on my computer I have ended up with two
copies of Windows, each on different drives.



The original set up was that a first HDD was partitioned into C and D, with
WinXP Pro on C.

A second HDD was partitioned into K and L.



Backups of C were on the second HDD on K.



The computer was infected by a backdoor. I was advised to reformat and
reinstall Windows on C. The computer was supplied by a firm called Evesham,
now defunct, and the disk they supplied seems to be some kind of recovery
disk with no instructions for its use, not a proper Windows install disk.



I ran this Evesham disk, and what it ended up with was Windows on C, and
also another copy Windows on K.



Now during the boot sequence a window asks me to select which operating
system I want to start,

Windows XP Professional

Windows XP Professional.

If I choose the former I am into the first HDD, if I choose the latter I am
into the second HDD.

The first HDD has C marked as System, and K marked as Boot (shown in Disk
Management).

On the second HDD, C is marked System, K marked Active, nothing marked Boot.



The Evesham disk when run gives me no options, such as 'To delete the
selected partition press D' as you get with a proper Windows installation
disk.



What can I do? Oh do please help me if you can. I have backups of important
data burned onto disks, and am prepared to loose data if needed.



Anode.

 

[Dee]

Thanks.
But I get 'Windows is a system folder. It cannot be deleted.'
Where can I go from there?

Dee.

 

[John John (MVP)]

Your are booting the Windows installation on that drive, Windows will
not let you delete the folder that was used to boot the installation.

From reading your first post you wanted to reformat the Windows drive
on the first hard disk (C and reinstall Windows there. If you still
want to do that I would advise that you disconnect the power supply to
the second hard drive (or turn it off in the BIOS) and then proceed to
reinstall Windows XP on the first hard disk. Temporarily turning off
and removing the second hard disk from the picture will eliminate the
risk of further drive mixups or accidental deletion of important files
on that disk.

Once you are satisfied that Windows is properly installed and working on
the first hard disk you can bring the second hard disk online and then
delete the unwanted Windows installation.

John

 

[Dee]

John,

I disconnected the second HDD, booted from the first HDD, and ran this
recovery-type disk.
I got yet another copy of Windows (i.e. the third one) this time on volume
D. I now have a 'Windows' folder on C, D and K. The Windows disk I have
gives no options - it is run it and see what happens, or nothing.

Attempts to delete any of the Windows folders produce that message that it
is a Windows system folder; it cannot be deleted.

Would getting a full WinXP installation disk let me delete partitions
containing system files, and let me install a single copy of Windows
wherever I want. Is this going to be the only way out of this mess?

Regards

Dee.

 

[Dee]

Rich Barry,

What I want to end up with is a first HDD with C and D, and a second HDD
with K and L, and with one copy only of Windows on C.

As you will see from the preceding post I now have windows on C, D and K. So
I am trying to delete Windows from D on the first HDD, and from K on the
second HDD. My attempts to delete Windows from D and K give that 'This is a
system file and cannot be deleted' message.

I am wondering if using a full Widows installation disk is the only solution
that will let me do what I want.

Regards

Dee.

 

[John John (MVP)]

Do you want to keep anything at all on this first hard disk? If not
boot the computer with a Windows 98 boot disk and use fdisk to remove
all the partition then create only one of the desired size to install
Windows XP on. Don't format the partition, Windows 98 can only format
to FAT32 and you don't really want that, after you create the new
partition with fdisk just exit and see if your XP setup cd can take it
from there and format the partition NTFS for you. You can create other
partitions with the XP Disk Management Tool after Windows XP is installed.

If you get caught up in a logical drive loop error with fdisk and find
that you cannot delete partitions get delpart.exe
http://www.russelltexas.com/delpart.htm and copy it to the Windows 98
floppy, you can use it to deleted NTFS drives.

John

 

[Dee]

Thank you for the fdisk suggestion. No, I do not need to save anything on
the hard disks. At first glance it seems to be getting into what is for me
deep waters. I last used fdisk with Win95, which was a long time ago, and I
have forgotten all I ever knew about it. I shall consider it carefully
though. I never thought I should ever be thinking of using fdisk again.

In case fdisk does not work out, would a WinXP (or Vista) full installation
disk give all the options needed to remove all unwanted system partitions
and leave me with only one system/boot partition containing Windows? If so,
that could be my other option.

Regards,

Dee.

 

[John John (MVP)]

Yes, a regular or retail Windows XP cd inspects your disks and
partitions and then gives you the options to delete, create and format
partitions and/or select the installation partition. Fdisk should also
be able to delete all the partitions, it is a quick and easy way to do it.

John

 

[Dee]

John John,

Thank you. I have now had a little time to read up and jog my memory of
fdisk, and it does not seem as daunting as it did half an hour ago. So I
shall probably give it a go. I read that it should work with a Win95B disk,
which is what I will have somewhere.

Dee.

 

[John John (MVP)]

You can dowmload a Windows 98 boot diskette from http://bootdisk.com/ if
need be. Download the proper file then run it and it will create the
diskette for you.

John

 

[Dee]

Thanks. Just done that.

Dee

 

[Dee]

Rich Barry,
Thanks for that. However, on my particular computer, when I try I get a
message saying it is a system file and cannot be deleted.

Dee.

 

[Dee]

A Win98 boot disk containing fdisk and delpart.exe is available at
www.svrops.com/svrops/dwnlddisk.htm

Dee.

 

[Dee]

OK. Thanks. Will see what happens

Dee

Dee, try Unlocker. It's a free utility.
http://www.scanwith.com/Unlocker_download.htm
If there are no important files or data on K and L you can try
formatting them from
the C: drive.