You'll need to perform a "Clean Install":
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.
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/security/protect/
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/security/protect/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| I have desktop running Win 2000 Professional. I start a
| clean install of XP, get the dynamic update, and the
| computer restarts - everything's fine so far. When I get
| to the screen prompting me to choose where to install XP,
| I select the ~26GB partition section that is associated
| with Win 2000 (the unpartition part of my HD is tiny -
| only 8MB). I then get a screen telling me that it's not a
| good idea to install XP. My question: how can I reformat
| my HD as a part of the clean reinstall? (All of my files
| are backed up.)
