How to do a clean install of everything?

[OLIM]

Can anyone tell me how to completely clear everything off
my computer to start again. Do I have to go into the
bios/dos? In other words how do I do a clean install? I
wish to give the computer to someone else, so want to
just install the basics, taking all my work out, to
install on a new computer, I wish to use Drive Image to
copy everything back? Can I do this, when Microsoft XP
prof. has already been installed?

 

[Kevin]

Boot from the installation CD. Your system BIOS must be set to boot from
the CD drive, not your hard drive (usually C: drive). You can then format
and partition drives from there. If you go to the Windows XP website and do
a search for "clean install of XP" you will find detailed instructions. A
Google search will also get you instructions for doing a clean installation
of Windows XP. You can install the operating system and then turn the
machine over to someone else.

 

[DL]

On a new sys you can only copy data back not the apps, which you would have
to reinstall.

 

[Ken Blake]

In

Can anyone tell me how to completely clear everything off
my computer to start again. Do I have to go into the
bios/dos? In other words how do I do a clean install?

Just boot from the Windows XP CD (change the BIOS boot order if
necessary to accomplish this) and follow the prompts for a clean
installation (delete the existing partition by pressing "D" when
prompted, then create a new one).

You can find detailed instructions here:
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

I
wish to give the computer to someone else, so want to
just install the basics, taking all my work out, to
install on a new computer, I wish to use Drive Image to
copy everything back?

Sorry, I don't understand this last sentence. What is the
"everything" you want to copy back? Do you applications? If so,
you can't do this.

Can I do this, when Microsoft XP
prof. has already been installed?

No.

 

[OLIM]

Can you explain a bit more fully, the 1st bit you said:
'On a new sys you can only copy data back not the apps,
which you would have to reinstall'.
Do not understand what you are referring to, unless you
mean using drive image to copy back? what are the apps?
When I used drive image it copied all the C drive, which
would include all windows and office etc. How can I use
drive image without these? If this is what you mean?

-----Your Original Message-----
On a new sys you can only copy data back not the apps,

which you would have to reinstall.

Boot from the installation CD. Your system BIOS must

be set to boot from the CD drive, not your hard drive
(usually C: drive). You can then format and partition
drives from there. If you go to the Windows XP website
and do a search for "clean install of XP" you will find
detailed instructions. A Google search will also get
you instructions for doing a clean installation

of Windows XP. You can install the operating system

and then turn the machine over to someone else.

 

[Guest]

What DL meant by 'apps' was that you can install the XP operating system
fine, but all of your applications will have to be installed on top of it,
your word processing, spreadsheet etc programs...

 

[DL]

To elaborate, you stated you wished to do a clean install of eveything.
If you then use drive image you will no longer have a clean install but will
have put the pc back to the same condition, as of the time of the image.
To keep the clean sys therefore you will have to reinstall all yr Apps, and
then if required recover yr data files, from whatever backup you used

 

[OLIM]

Can you explain what you mean by 'Boot from the
installation CD' what is the installation CD, is it
Windows XP? I do know how to get it to boot from the
CD drive, as have used 'repair' before. If it is using
Windows XP would this ask me about formatting and
partitioning, during the install? As I would want to
alter the 3 partitions on this computer to just one,
before giving it to someone else. Thanks for your help
so far.

-----Original Message-----
Boot from the installation CD. Your system BIOS must be

set to boot from the CD drive, not your hard drive
(usually C: drive). You can then format and partition
drives from there. If you go to the Windows XP website
and do a search for "clean install of XP" you will find
detailed instructions. A Google search will also get you
instructions for doing a clean installation of Windows
XP. You can install the operating system and then turn
the machine over to someone else.

 

[DL]

http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html