Need to Format: How to Reinstall XP Upgrade Over Blank PC

[sbp]

My config.sys is corrupted, and Windows Setup/Repair is
unavailable (see earlier thread), so it looks like I have
to format the drive and start over. How can I reinstall
XP Home Upgrade if there is the hard drive is formatted?
XP will want to see an earlier installation; I didn't
keep my Win 98 media.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

The Windows XP CD is bootable and contains all the tools necessary
to partition and format your drive. Follow this procedure and allow
Windows XP to partition and format your drive:

1. Open your BIOS and set your CD Drive as the first bootable device.

---> Accessing Motherboard BIOS
---> http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm

2. Insert your Windows XP CD in the CD Drive and reboot your computer.
3. You'll see a message to boot to the CD....follow the instructions.
4. The setup menu will appear and you should elect to delete the existing
Windows partitions, then create a new partition, then format the primary
partition (preferably NTFS) and proceed to install Windows XP.

5. Clean Install Windows XP
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

[Courtesy of Michael Stevens, MS-MVP]

6. After installing Windows XP, be sure and visit the support website
of the manufacturer of the computer to download and install any
available Windows XP compatible drivers, such as video adapter
and audio drivers.

7. It would be best to physically disconnect all your peripheral hardware
devices, except for you mouse and keyboard, before installing XP.
After XP is installed, visit the support website of the manufacturer
of each hardware device to obtain the latest drivers or software
designed to work with Windows XP.


--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------


| My config.sys is corrupted, and Windows Setup/Repair is
| unavailable (see earlier thread), so it looks like I have
| to format the drive and start over. How can I reinstall
| XP Home Upgrade if there is the hard drive is formatted?
| XP will want to see an earlier installation; I didn't
| keep my Win 98 media.

 

[purplehaz]

The upgrade cd will ask you for qualifing media, ie: win98, etc.... If you
don't have it anymore either borrow it from someone, or buy the full xp
version.
(btw - you should always keep your previous os version after you upgrade to
a newer version for just this reason)

 

[Alex Nichol]

My config.sys is corrupted, and Windows Setup/Repair is
unavailable (see earlier thread), so it looks like I have
to format the drive and start over. How can I reinstall
XP Home Upgrade if there is the hard drive is formatted?
XP will want to see an earlier installation; I didn't
keep my Win 98 media.

You should have.

If you can boot to the present XP at all (and there is no need for any
config.sys to be present - return to that in a moment) Run the CD from
the existing system. Enter Install, change Upgrade to New Install, then
when it asks you to confirm where, you can hit ESC and get the chance to
select the current partition, delete it, and create a new RAW one,
going on to format it as part of the setup

I *think* that this will also have detected that it was a legitimate
upgrade, and not even ask for the previous system's CD as evidence, but
am not certain on that. If it does not work you will have to find a
Win98, ME or 95 CD somewhere

But I would first see if you can boot with the F8 option to the menu,
take Safe Mode - Command Prompt only; - and see if you can use
ATTRIB -H -R -S C:\config.sys
DEL C:\config.sys
to get rid of the troubled file,