Reformatting my hard drive

[Rainmaker]

I'm about ready to reformat my hard drive, but I've never done this before.

I have a remote hard drive where I will copy my Documents and Settings, and
any other programs that I couldn't otherwise recover.

I have my original WindowsXP Home Edition CD, and all the disks for the
motherboard, video drivers, etc.

Now what? I presume I go to "My Computer", right-click on the C: drive and
click "Format".

When that's done, I will reboot with my WindowsXP CD and reload WindowsXP,
correct?

From there I can copy my Documents and Settings back to the C: drive, and
reload all the other programs, still correct?

I don't know anything about partitioning a drive. Will I need to do that or
will Windows do it for me?

Any helpful hints, caveats, etc. is appreciated.

Thanks,

 

[db]

there are several issues
to consider with you propose
solution to whatever problem
you are attempting to resolve.

however, keep in mind that
if you cd is a "upgrade" you
will need to have a previous
o.s. handy that is the full
version.

if your h.d. came upgraded
already, then reformatting it
will destroy the evidence you
need for the upgrade setup
and installation program....

- db
I'm about ready to reformat my hard drive, but I've never done this before.

I have a remote hard drive where I will copy my Documents and Settings, and
any other programs that I couldn't otherwise recover.

I have my original WindowsXP Home Edition CD, and all the disks for the
motherboard, video drivers, etc.

Now what? I presume I go to "My Computer", right-click on the C: drive and
click "Format".

When that's done, I will reboot with my WindowsXP CD and reload WindowsXP,
correct?

From there I can copy my Documents and Settings back to the C: drive, and
reload all the other programs, still correct?

I don't know anything about partitioning a drive. Will I need to do that or
will Windows do it for me?

Any helpful hints, caveats, etc. is appreciated.

Thanks,

 

[Ghostrider]

I'm about ready to reformat my hard drive, but I've never done this before.

I have a remote hard drive where I will copy my Documents and Settings, and
any other programs that I couldn't otherwise recover.

I have my original WindowsXP Home Edition CD, and all the disks for the
motherboard, video drivers, etc.

Now what? I presume I go to "My Computer", right-click on the C: drive and
click "Format".

When that's done, I will reboot with my WindowsXP CD and reload WindowsXP,
correct?

From there I can copy my Documents and Settings back to the C: drive, and
reload all the other programs, still correct?

I don't know anything about partitioning a drive. Will I need to do that or
will Windows do it for me?

Any helpful hints, caveats, etc. is appreciated.

Thanks,

I have always had reservations about archiving files from Documents
and Settings into another folder of the same name as the backup for
reloading. It might be better to save these files in their native
form with original file names and uncompressed in discrete folders and
sub-folders. And, true to the definition of backup, there should be at
least 1 copy and 1 backup copy, or 2 sets. What you do really depends
on how much value resides in these files.

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

I'm about ready to reformat my hard drive, but I've never done
this before.

So, why would you want to do it NOW?

When that's done, I will reboot with my WindowsXP CD and reload
WindowsXP, correct?

Maybe not.

From there I can copy my Documents and Settings back to the C: drive,
and reload all the other programs, still correct?

As to reloading all the other programs... YES, you are correct.

 

[Alias]

I'm about ready to reformat my hard drive, but I've never done this before.

I have a remote hard drive where I will copy my Documents and Settings, and
any other programs that I couldn't otherwise recover.

I have my original WindowsXP Home Edition CD, and all the disks for the
motherboard, video drivers, etc.

Now what? I presume I go to "My Computer", right-click on the C: drive and
click "Format".

When that's done, I will reboot with my WindowsXP CD and reload WindowsXP,
correct?

From there I can copy my Documents and Settings back to the C: drive, and
reload all the other programs, still correct?

I don't know anything about partitioning a drive. Will I need to do that or
will Windows do it for me?

Any helpful hints, caveats, etc. is appreciated.

Thanks,

Ignore the other useless suggestions and read this:

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

Alias

 

[Rock]

I'm about ready to reformat my hard drive, but I've never done this
before.

I have a remote hard drive where I will copy my Documents and Settings,
and any other programs that I couldn't otherwise recover.

I have my original WindowsXP Home Edition CD, and all the disks for the
motherboard, video drivers, etc.

Now what? I presume I go to "My Computer", right-click on the C: drive
and click "Format".

When that's done, I will reboot with my WindowsXP CD and reload WindowsXP,
correct?

From there I can copy my Documents and Settings back to the C: drive, and
reload all the other programs, still correct?

I don't know anything about partitioning a drive. Will I need to do that
or will Windows do it for me?

Any helpful hints, caveats, etc. is appreciated.

No, you don't format by doing it from within Windows. It won't let you.
The XP CD is bootable and has all the tools needed to partition and format
(if needed) and install XP. See this link.

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

Why do you want to reinstall XP? With a properly maintained system that's
not needed.

 

[Mistoffolees]

Ignore the other useless suggestions and read this:

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

Alias

OK for the reformatting and re-installing parts. But if you have been
reading this guy's posts, he will probably make a shambles of things
and then blame the loss of his data to Microsoft, Windows and anybody
else who had answered him. Murphy's Law...some people are born to live
(or die) by it.

 

[db]

very very true.

we will likely see a
subsequent thread from
an alias "Flooded&Sinking"

- db

Ignore the other useless suggestions and read this:

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

Alias

OK for the reformatting and re-installing parts. But if you have been
reading this guy's posts, he will probably make a shambles of things
and then blame the loss of his data to Microsoft, Windows and anybody
else who had answered him. Murphy's Law...some people are born to live
(or die) by it.