Help, With Clean Install Needed !

  • Thread starter Thread starter Alex
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A

Alex

This is going to sound silly but, I want to format and re-
install everything...I have two partitioned drives, do I
format then separately or if I use the xp home disc does
it format (Both Partitions) while doing a clean install
of xp ? Also one drive contains all the system files and
the other contains all non essential files, I need to
format them both though, I'm just unsure if it formats
both partitions when doing a clean install or just
formats the partition with system information.
Help greatly appreciated.
 
I believe the XP Home Disc will do all of what you need, just be careful
to READ as you proceed.. The instructions onscreen will 'see' the partitions
you already have and where the previous installation is.. Windows will ask
you what you want to do with this...
Your answer, based on what you say you want to do, would be to delete the
partitions and setup new partitions which Windows will do and then format
(erase) the partitions you HAD and all the information on them and set up
new partitions allowing you to place the clean install..
I would avoid using the 'quick format' option that is offered, as this
saves time but will only re- write the table of contents and NOT erase all
the old information. While that might sound tempting time wise, to do an
absolutely clean install it is better to 'wipe' the drive, allowing WIndows
to 'check' all the areas of the drive as it goes thru the process..Not
certain, but i think the only option you do NOT have onna re-install is to
choose which file system you want (NTFS or FAT) if i remember correctly,
onna re-install Windows will only offer NTFS.. Choose it....

If you have, say, an 80 gig drive, you would partition it as you wish so
that you could have Windows on 1 partition and the 'other' files in the next
partition.. Simple math decides how to divide the drive....I think Windows
will prompt you thru each step, and tell you if what you have chosen to do
with the partitions will 'work'...just read the onscreen carefully before
you make the choice, because formatting a drive (wiping it clean) takes a
very long time, and a coupla minutes spent reading what has been decided
will be worth it.. i have re-installed XP more times than i care to count,
and once, i partitioned only part of the drive, leaving me with a lot of the
drive i could not use, so my 80 gig drive became smaller in effect..
 
I apologize, I didn't read your posting carefully, (as i said you
should)....You have 2 drives; Since you will not, obviously, have XP on
both drives, you can format the other hard drive (clear it) and use it as
you want.....
 
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