re-installed XP

[Guest]

I re-installed my winxp from cd. I was asked if i wanted to format the c
drive (which included the original xp) and I did so. But I now suspect that
nothing was erased from c drive. The only evidence i have of this is that
when i go to defragmenter, the drive is half full. Since the reinstall, I
definitely have not installed enough programs or files for this to be the
case. How can I get back into the old xp and delete it and all of its old
programs and files. I want that space back. Please help!!!
Cheers, Hayden

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi,

What do you see in Windows Explorer? Is there a C:\Windows and a
C:\Windows.old? How about the Program Files directory? Does C:\Documents and
Settings contain user folders from the previous install? Basically, if the
folders exist from the previous installation, all you need to do is delete
them.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Guest]

I don't see any of the folders metioned below. Everything looks fine, but the
system says that I have 19.5 gigs used on the drive, and I can only account
for 5.5 gigs. I think the old install and all the files and whatnot that I
accumulated over the years is still on the drive, but I can't see them to
delete them. Even when I turn on show hidden files and folders. When i go
into disk defragmenter it shows this very large chunk in blue (i think that
this is the files I want to get rid of, just dont know how).

 

[JS]

If you are saying that you don't care about the old (original) XP and
assuming that you just completed a fresh install and have not used XP yet or
created a valuable data files with the fresh install. Then one sure way to
clean the drive is re-install Windows again, this time deleting and
re-creating the partition and formatting it again. I know its a downer as it
means starting from scratch all over again. But if you can't find the
remains of the old (original) XP installation then ...

JS

 

[Guest]

I was really hoping to avoid this action. Is there no way to just go into Dos
or someother backdoor way of veiwing everything on the drive, not from
Windows, and then manually delete anything I dont want?

 

[Guest]

I wonder if this might help: if you have some serious RAM, you could run a
Search for "ALL files and folders created/modified before your
re-installation date", then investigate those files to see if they were part
of the old installation and no longer needed. Obviously, this approach
carries risks (some ciritical files might not be time-stamped as you might
think) but if you are down to re-re-installing it might be worth a shot.

 

[steam3801]

I was really hoping to avoid this action. Is there no way to just go into Dos
or someother backdoor way of veiwing everything on the drive, not from
Windows, and then manually delete anything I dont want?

Nooooooooooooo!!! If you think you've got troubles now, .......

 

[steam3801]

I don't see any of the folders metioned below.

Are you looking in the right place and at the right thing(s)?? You
*MUST* at least have a Windows directory.

 

[Guest]

did the search for files by date created/modified... no luck. For my clarity:
Is it possible that the computer would still have files on it but i cant see
or access them? Is there a way for me to try booting up into the old winXP?
Then delete what i can from there. Also i have norton. does this program
block me from formatting the C drive? Is that the problem?

 

[steam3801]

did the search for files by date created/modified... no luck. For my clarity:
Is it possible that the computer would still have files on it but i cant see
or access them? Is there a way for me to try booting up into the old winXP?
Then delete what i can from there. Also i have norton. does this program
block me from formatting the C drive? Is that the problem?

With all due respect, I don't think you realise - or even know - what
you are trying to do. Consequently, you've got yourself - or your
computer - in such a pickle it is going to be difficulkt for anyone to
provide yu with some diagnostic solutions.

If you're going to re-install WindowsXP, you should boot from your CD
(not insert it while an existing version is running and choose one of
the options offered, if that's what you did. The format option won't
work while the computer is running a Windows version).

Booting from the CD won't matter one iota what's installed - Norton or
anything else - it's all gonna be wiped away, everything!

You should know if your option to format is being processed - you
should have time to go and watch last week's episode of McGyver.

My suggestion :-
- turn your computer off
- insert the WindowsCD
- turn your computer on and boot from your CD (if it doesn't boot from
the CD, go into the BIOS and change the boot options)
- format/remove partitions/re-install Windows according to the options
offered
- re-install all your other software
- leave Beta versions alone

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi,

Run a defrag, followed by a disk check (both can be accessed from the tools
tab of the drive's properties). Then recheck the amount of used space.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[JS]

Try opening a Command Prompt window and run check as follows:
C:\Windows\chkdsk /f
If you are prompted with the following message as shown below then enter the
letter y

C:\Windows>chkdsk /f
The type of the file system is FAT32.
Cannot lock current drive.

Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another
process. Would you like to schedule this volume to be
checked the next time the system restarts? (Y/N) y

See if this finds and fixes the issue.

JS

 

[Guest]

Hey Fellas...
Thanks for the effort. I was hoping to avoid reformatting again, but it
sounds like that is my only option. This sucks! I hope it goes better the
second time round. Keep up the good work... hope i didnt screw up any of your
batting averages. Peace... Hayden