Partitioning and Formatting new HDD question

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Guest

I had to replace my hdd due to a hard crash (hdd toast)...but I am having
problems.

I know what the problem is, but I can't remember how to perform the fix.

Basically, I haven't created a primary partition and formatted it yet.
How do I partition and format a new hdd?
I know how I could do it if I had a PC with a working windows installation,
but I don't know how to do it from the start.

Any help would be appreciated
 
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:

NOTE: It would be best to physically disconnect all your peripheral hardware
devices, except the monitor, mouse and keyboard, before installing XP.

NOTE: If you have an internal Zip Drive installed, physically disconnect the
EIDE and power cable to it before proceeding, otherwise your main
hard drive may not be assigned the customary C: drive letter.
After installing Windows XP, you may then reconnect it.

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 all 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. ==> Immediately after installing Windows XP, turn on XP's Firewall.
==> http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.aspx

7. After Windows XP is installed, visit the Windows Update website
and download the available "Critical Updates".

8. After installing the critical updates, 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.

9. If you happen to run into any installation difficulties, use the following resources:

How to Troubleshoot Windows XP Problems During Installation
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;310064

Troubleshooting Windows XP Setup
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_setup.htm

[Courtesy of MS-MVP Kelly Theriot]

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

Be Smart! Protect Your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.aspx

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

:

| I had to replace my hdd due to a hard crash (hdd toast)...but I am having
| problems.
|
| I know what the problem is, but I can't remember how to perform the fix.
|
| Basically, I haven't created a primary partition and formatted it yet.
| How do I partition and format a new hdd?
| I know how I could do it if I had a PC with a working windows installation,
| but I don't know how to do it from the start.
|
| Any help would be appreciated
 
That is the way I initially tried to install it, but I don't get any options
to boot to cd on reboot. And when it did start the first thing that came up
was "Setup is checking you system...."
And the it starts to install files.
I didn't get any options to create partition format, etc
I seems to freeze for some time, then I get error messages....the most
common one seems to be "the file APCI.sys is corrupt. Hit any key to
continue", then PC reboots....rinse and repeat.

Help please :)

Carey Frisch said:
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:

NOTE: It would be best to physically disconnect all your peripheral hardware
devices, except the monitor, mouse and keyboard, before installing XP.

NOTE: If you have an internal Zip Drive installed, physically disconnect the
EIDE and power cable to it before proceeding, otherwise your main
hard drive may not be assigned the customary C: drive letter.
After installing Windows XP, you may then reconnect it.

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 all 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. ==> Immediately after installing Windows XP, turn on XP's Firewall.
==> http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.aspx

7. After Windows XP is installed, visit the Windows Update website
and download the available "Critical Updates".

8. After installing the critical updates, 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.

9. If you happen to run into any installation difficulties, use the following resources:

How to Troubleshoot Windows XP Problems During Installation
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;310064

Troubleshooting Windows XP Setup
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_setup.htm

[Courtesy of MS-MVP Kelly Theriot]

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

Be Smart! Protect Your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.aspx

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

:

| I had to replace my hdd due to a hard crash (hdd toast)...but I am having
| problems.
|
| I know what the problem is, but I can't remember how to perform the fix.
|
| Basically, I haven't created a primary partition and formatted it yet.
| How do I partition and format a new hdd?
| I know how I could do it if I had a PC with a working windows installation,
| but I don't know how to do it from the start.
|
| Any help would be appreciated
Click to expand...
 
Ivan said:
I had to replace my hdd due to a hard crash (hdd toast)...but I am having
problems.

I know what the problem is, but I can't remember how to perform the fix.

Basically, I haven't created a primary partition and formatted it yet.
How do I partition and format a new hdd?
Click to expand...

You do it as part of a installing of the system after booting the XP CD
direct. Enter Setup, and after the license agreement take New Install.
When it asks you to confirm where, hit ESC; select and delete the
current partition, if any, none in this case, and make a new RAW one of
suitable size to be formatted at the next stage
 
Ivan said:
That is the way I initially tried to install it, but I don't get any options
to boot to cd on reboot. And when it did start the first thing that came up
was "Setup is checking you system...."
And the it starts to install files.
I didn't get any options to create partition format, etc
I seems to freeze for some time, then I get error messages....the most
common one seems to be "the file APCI.sys is corrupt. Hit any key to
continue", then PC reboots....rinse and repeat.

Help please :)
Click to expand...

You are just confused by the CD's dumb startup dialogue. No files are
being installed - they are only being read & temporarily loaded into
RAM. Just stay with it and read the dialoque boxes carefully that will
follow. It will be clear to you how to delete or create a partition.
Also, if you do wish to create more than a single partition covering
your whole HD, you don't need to do it now; just create one big enough
for your XP needs & leave the rest unallocated. Reason: you can later
create, format & do more with additional partitions in XP's Management
Console, or with a 3rd-party partitioner if any non-MS formats are
needed. You can also later expand your primary XP partition into
unallocated space without data loss, if you screwed up & made it too
small. ;-) The only common task you can't do later with XP's own
utilities is shrink or move the sucker without losing its data.
 
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