reformat and reinstall of XP

[terrygm]

If one wants to wipe the slate clean and start over with
a clean install of XP what is the proper way to do it?
This unit originally came with ME and then upgraded to
XP, however I believe the XP upgrade allows you to do a
complete install instead of an upgrade if you choose. The
reason of the complete install is the kids have got stuff
loaded that includes spyware and I think some virus we
gat get Norton to remove, and since it is the second unit
it has nothing so valuble that if we lost it in a
reformat that we would miss it.
Any suggestions

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Use the following procedure for a "clean install" of Windows XP:

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/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/

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


| If one wants to wipe the slate clean and start over with
| a clean install of XP what is the proper way to do it?
| This unit originally came with ME and then upgraded to
| XP, however I believe the XP upgrade allows you to do a
| complete install instead of an upgrade if you choose. The
| reason of the complete install is the kids have got stuff
| loaded that includes spyware and I think some virus we
| gat get Norton to remove, and since it is the second unit
| it has nothing so valuble that if we lost it in a
| reformat that we would miss it.
| Any suggestions

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

In

If one wants to wipe the slate clean and start over with
a clean install of XP what is the proper way to do it?
This unit originally came with ME and then upgraded to
XP, however I believe the XP upgrade allows you to do a
complete install instead of an upgrade if you choose.

Yes, that's correct. The requirement to use an upgrade version is
to *own* a previous qualifying version's installation CD (with an
OEM restore CD, see below), not to have it installed. When setup
doesn't find a previous qualifying version installed, it will
prompt you to insert its CD as proof of ownership. Just insert
the previous version's CD, and follow the prompts. Everything
proceeds quite normally and quite legitimately.

You can also do a clean install if you have an OEM restore CD of
a previous qualifying version. It's much complicated, but it
*can* be done. First restore from the Restore CD. Then run the XP
upgrade CD from within that restored system, and change from
Upgrade to New Install. When it asks where, press Esc to delete
the partition and start over.

The
reason of the complete install is the kids have got stuff
loaded that includes spyware and I think some virus we
gat get Norton to remove, and since it is the second unit
it has nothing so valuble that if we lost it in a
reformat that we would miss it.
Any suggestions

I think that refromatting and reinstalling is the wrong answer to
almost any problem, but if you want to do it, just boot from the
Windows XP CD and follow the prompts for a clean installation. It
will do the reformat for you.

You can find detailed instructions here:
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

 

[Alex Nichol]

If one wants to wipe the slate clean and start over with
a clean install of XP what is the proper way to do it?
This unit originally came with ME and then upgraded to
XP, however I believe the XP upgrade allows you to do a
complete install instead of an upgrade if you choose.

If you have a 'proper' CD of ME with a win9x folder of cab files, then
you can show the setup that during a clean install when it asks where
windows is.

You do that by 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 and make a new RAW one
to be formatted at the next stage - then have the ME CD to hand; once it
has been checked there will be a blue screen asking for the XP CD to be
put back

The important point is the delete. Without that it will just go ahead
and make a new install over the top of the old one

If you only have a Restore type disk of ME you will have to restore that
and run the XP CD from it. Either just Upgrade, or you can change to
New install and follow the same procedure - by the time you delete the
partition the old ME has been noticed

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

It's quite possible to perform a clean installation using the
Upgrade CD, provided you have the true installation CD for the earlier
OS.

Simply boot from the WinXP Upgrade CD. You'll be offered the
opportunity to delete, create, and format partitions as part of the
installation process. The Upgrade CD checks to see if a qualifying OS
is installed, and, if it finds none, it asks you to insert the
installation media (CD) of that OS. Unfortunately, an OEM
"Recovery/Restore" CD will not work for this purpose; you must have a
true installation CD, complete with the "\Win98" folder and *.cab
files, or the "\i386" folder of WinNT/2K.

Alternatively, or especially if all you have is an OEM Recovery CD
for the earlier OS, you can even start the upgrade from within the
current Win98/Me/NT/2K installation, and still elect to perform a
clean installation, to include formatting the drive. In this case,
there's no further request for the qualifying OS's installation CD,
because the installation routing "remembers" that you started from
within the qualifying OS. This process is more time-consuming, but
you get the same results: a clean installation of WinXP.


Bruce Chambers
--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. - RAH

 

[Plato]

If one wants to wipe the slate clean and start over with

To really "wipe the slate clean" and bring your hard drive back to
factory fresh conditions use a Zero fill utility. Can be found for free
using google.