How to uninstall Windows XP Pro

[Beyond X]

I wanted to upgrade Win2K Pro to WinXP Pro. When I inserted WinXp CD,
there was only "Install XP" and no upgrade options. So I went ahead. The
result was two OSs (XP and 2K) in the same partition. (Later I learned
that the way to upgrade is first to boot to Win2K and then to insert the
XP CD. This way it offers "Upgrade" option.)
At the boot the boot.ini shows two OSs for selection, but only XP option
works.
I need to use the some 30 programs had been installed with Win2K, but
when the computer is booted to WinXP, those programs were not available.
My first reaction was to remove WinXP so that the computer would be
reverted to the original Win2K.

According to Microsoft (MS KB 303661) the typical way to uninstall WinXP
is from Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel, but I WinXP listed there.
Microsoft adds a note saying: "If XP is not listed, you have to manually
reinstall the operation system." after manually deleting XP?

1.)Can someone tell me how to remove WinXP without messing up the
existing Win2k and its associated programs?

2.) Alternatively does someone know how to transfer Win2K-associated
programs to WinXP control? (When one installs WinXP (or Win2K), the
screen says "now transferring the existing programs" at a midpoint of
installation. This observation indicates, I suppose, that there is a way
to move existing programs to the new OS.

Any help will be highly appreciated.

 

[Bernd]

-------- Original-Nachricht --------

I wanted to upgrade Win2K Pro to WinXP Pro. When I inserted WinXp CD,
there was only "Install XP" and no upgrade options. So I went ahead. The
result was two OSs (XP and 2K) in the same partition. (Later I learned
that the way to upgrade is first to boot to Win2K and then to insert the
XP CD. This way it offers "Upgrade" option.)
At the boot the boot.ini shows two OSs for selection, but only XP option
works.
I need to use the some 30 programs had been installed with Win2K, but
when the computer is booted to WinXP, those programs were not available.
My first reaction was to remove WinXP so that the computer would be
reverted to the original Win2K.

According to Microsoft (MS KB 303661) the typical way to uninstall WinXP
is from Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel, but I WinXP listed there.
Microsoft adds a note saying: "If XP is not listed, you have to manually
reinstall the operation system." after manually deleting XP?

1.)Can someone tell me how to remove WinXP without messing up the
existing Win2k and its associated programs?

2.) Alternatively does someone know how to transfer Win2K-associated
programs to WinXP control? (When one installs WinXP (or Win2K), the
screen says "now transferring the existing programs" at a midpoint of
installation. This observation indicates, I suppose, that there is a way
to move existing programs to the new OS.

Any help will be highly appreciated.

Please post the content of your boot.ini

Bernd

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

I wanted to upgrade Win2K Pro to WinXP Pro. When I inserted WinXp CD, there
was only "Install XP" and no upgrade options. So I went ahead. The result
was two OSs (XP and 2K) in the same partition. (Later I learned that the
way to upgrade is first to boot to Win2K and then to insert the XP CD. This
way it offers "Upgrade" option.)
At the boot the boot.ini shows two OSs for selection, but only XP option
works.
I need to use the some 30 programs had been installed with Win2K, but when
the computer is booted to WinXP, those programs were not available.
My first reaction was to remove WinXP so that the computer would be
reverted to the original Win2K.

According to Microsoft (MS KB 303661) the typical way to uninstall WinXP
is from Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel, but I WinXP listed there.
Microsoft adds a note saying: "If XP is not listed, you have to manually
reinstall the operation system." after manually deleting XP?

1.)Can someone tell me how to remove WinXP without messing up the existing
Win2k and its associated programs?

2.) Alternatively does someone know how to transfer Win2K-associated
programs to WinXP control? (When one installs WinXP (or Win2K), the screen
says "now transferring the existing programs" at a midpoint of
installation. This observation indicates, I suppose, that there is a way
to move existing programs to the new OS.

Any help will be highly appreciated.

You cannot remove WinXP via the Add/Remove Programs facility in the Control
Panel. If you installed WinXP on the same drive as Win2000 then it is
probably impossible to remove WinXP altogether because the folder c:\Program
Files will now contain a mixture of the two OSs, which could result in
instabilities and/or unexpected behaviour.

To remove the removable parts of WinXP you should do this:
1. Boot into Win2000.
2. Rename the folder c:\Windows to c:\Windows.XP.
3. Wait a week.
4. If all is well, delete the folder c:\Windows.XP, then empty the Recycle
Bin.
5. Modify the hidden file c:\boot.ini according to the instructions that
Bernd is likely to give you.

 

[Beyond X]

To: Bernard,
Just as you expect:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Windows XP PROFESSIONAL"
/noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Windows 2000 PROFESSIONAL"
/noexecute=optin/fastdetect

First, after BIOS, the screen shows the boot menu consisting of WinXP
and Win2K. If I select WinXP (default), it boots to WinXP normally. If I
select Win2K, the screen momentarily displays "Windows XP" logo (instead
of Win 2K's logo) before the computer crashes followed by automatic restart.

Evidently the initial step (MBR?) is still controlled by XP, then the
system collides with unexpected 2K resulting in a crash. XP is fine, but
for the reason I stated in the post, I lose all (some 30) programs that
I installed while I was using 2K. If I can restore the programs in XP, I
will be glad to remove the 2K folder or ignore its presence.

Toegasus,
1.)As I stated in my post, Microsoft (MS KB 303661) describes the way
how to remove Windows XP by way of the Add/Remove Programs in the
Control Panel. To be precise, this seems to be the way to revert to the
old Windows 98 or ME. It does not explicitly mention about Windows 2000.
So I suppose this method is applicable between NT (XP) and old
windows(95, 98, ME) and not for between two NTs (2K and XP).

2) What is the authentic method to repair a damaged XP?
(In case of 2K, CD offers repair option, but XP CD has no such option.)
When there is a problem, what will happen if I overinstall XP? will it
create a new WINDOWS folder abandoning the installed programs?

3)Incidentally, I have another computer in which I attempted to replace
(upgrade) Win2K to Win XP. Having found that Win 2K could be upgraded to
XP only if XP CD is inserted after booting to 2K, I chose "upgrade
option" (default) and went ahead to completion. In the beginning I
thought the upgrading was successful, but soon encountered severe
problems. First, everything was so slow to the extent that the computer
was practically unusable. While checking the system, I was stunned by
finding that there was only an old WINNT (inherently for Win2K) folder
and nowhere was a Windows (inherently for WinXP) folder in which XP was
supposed to have been installed. Being curious I examined the boot.ini
in the root directly and saw only one OS as below:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT=Microsoft WindowsXP
Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

I want to know if it is normal that when 2K is upgraded, XP does not
change the name of the old WINNT folder but it replaces its content by
XP files. Also I checked registry and found many items containing
\WINNT\system32 but no items with \windows\system32.
If the absence of normal WINDOWS folder is not the cause of extremely
slow operation, what might be the culprit?
(mobo = ASUSP5P43TD Pro, CPU = Core2Quad, Memory card = 4GB, virtual
memory = 2000MB/max4000MB, memory usage = program, cpu usage =0-10%, no
unusually high processes)

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

Toegasus,
1.)As I stated in my post, Microsoft (MS KB 303661) describes the way how
to remove Windows XP by way of the Add/Remove Programs in the Control
Panel. To be precise, this seems to be the way to revert to the old
Windows 98 or ME. It does not explicitly mention about Windows 2000. So I
suppose this method is applicable between NT (XP) and old windows(95, 98,
ME) and not for between two NTs (2K and XP).

*** I have never seen this option on any machine but then I never upgraded
*** from a Win9x machine, out of principle.

2) What is the authentic method to repair a damaged XP?
(In case of 2K, CD offers repair option, but XP CD has no such option.)

*** I suspect that the repair option is only available for Retail versions.

When there is a problem, what will happen if I overinstall XP? will it
create a new WINDOWS folder abandoning the installed programs?

*** AFAIR it will ask you for a destination folder.

3)Incidentally, I have another computer in which I attempted to replace
(upgrade) Win2K to Win XP. Having found that Win 2K could be upgraded to
XP only if XP CD is inserted after booting to 2K, I chose "upgrade option"
(default) and went ahead to completion. In the beginning I thought the
upgrading was successful, but soon encountered severe problems. First,
everything was so slow to the extent that the computer was practically
unusable. While checking the system, I was stunned by finding that there
was only an old WINNT (inherently for Win2K) folder and nowhere was a
Windows (inherently for WinXP) folder in which XP was supposed to have
been installed. Being curious I examined the boot.ini in the root directly
and saw only one OS as below:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT=Microsoft WindowsXP
Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

I want to know if it is normal that when 2K is upgraded, XP does not
change the name of the old WINNT folder but it replaces its content by XP
files. Also I checked registry and found many items containing
\WINNT\system32 but no items with \windows\system32.

*** If you upgrade Win2000 to WinXP then you will retain c:\WinNT
*** as the Windows System folder.

If the absence of normal WINDOWS folder is not the cause of extremely slow
operation, what might be the culprit?

*** Probably an incompatibility, perhaps with a third-party application.
*** Upgrades are known to be problematic: They usually work but
*** they sometimes fail spectacularly. Best to do a clean installation.

 

[Bernd]

To: Bernard,
Just as you expect:

Thank you. There is something wrong with your boot.ini:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS

This default entry is in contradiction to the following OS definitions,
either the partition # or the system folder are wrong.

What happens if you don't select any OS but wait for timeout ?

[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Windows XP PROFESSIONAL"
/noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Windows 2000 PROFESSIONAL"
/noexecute=optin/fastdetect

These definitions are in contradiction to your statement that you had
installed both OS to the same partion.
Your definitions say:
1. XP is installed in folder WINDOWS on D:
2. Win2K is installed in folder WINNT on C:

If XP starts correctly as you say it must be installed in D:

So I must ask you:

How many partitions do you have and where is XP really installed ?

P.S.:
If your computer is a laptop, then it is possible that a hidden recovery
partition exists. In this case partition #2 = C:

Bernd

 

[Beyond X]

Bernard,
the partition number for Windows was a mistake (typo) when I edited a
boot.ini from the computer that I used for posting. my apologies. the
problem in this case started when I attempted to "upgrade" Win2k to Win
XP, that is XP installed itself as a new installation in the SAME
partition (C).
Incidentally the computer in the issue is a desktop, not a laptop.

To: Bernard,
Just as you expect:

Thank you. There is something wrong with your boot.ini:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS

This default entry is in contradiction to the following OS definitions,
either the partition # or the system folder are wrong.

What happens if you don't select any OS but wait for timeout ?

[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Windows XP PROFESSIONAL"
/noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Windows 2000 PROFESSIONAL"
/noexecute=optin/fastdetect

These definitions are in contradiction to your statement that you had
installed both OS to the same partion.
Your definitions say:
1. XP is installed in folder WINDOWS on D:
2. Win2K is installed in folder WINNT on C:

If XP starts correctly as you say it must be installed in D:

So I must ask you:

How many partitions do you have and where is XP really installed ?

P.S.:
If your computer is a laptop, then it is possible that a hidden recovery
partition exists. In this case partition #2 = C:

Bernd

 

[Bernd]

-------- Original-Nachricht --------

Bernard,
the partition number for Windows was a mistake (typo) when I edited a
boot.ini from the computer that I used for posting. my apologies. the
problem in this case started when I attempted to "upgrade" Win2k to Win
XP, that is XP installed itself as a new installation in the SAME
partition (C).

By the way: What happens exactly if you try to boot Win2k ?

I would try to repair your Win2k installation to save your investment in
so many installations of applications.
The only way I see is to boot with a Win2k CD and make a Repair
Installation (NOT a repair with the recovery console) of Win2k. Booting
into XP will not be possible afterwards.

The steps you find here:

http://www.windowsreinstall.com/windows2000/Repair/index.htm

Bernd