Reinstall XP With Partitioned 160GB Drive

[cosmo232]

I currently have a 160GB hard drive that I have
partitioned into 40GB that contains the XP-SP1 operating
system and 120GB partition that contains data files. XP
would only recognize the full 160GB drive after I
upgraded to SP1. Unfortunately it appears as if I have a
worm/virus and need to reformat my 40GB partition and
reinstall XP. My question is if I reformat my 40GB
partition and reinstall windows XP using my non-SP1 disk,
will I lose the partition or any of the data on the 120GB
partition once I upgrade back to SP1.

 

[NetNut]

Hi Cosmo,
I'm not sure how the system will react to it. It may (I would guess), at
first, see it as a raw partition and leave it untouched, but someone may
warn you that it may not see it as formatted even after sp1 is installed.
There is an option.
It is not all that hard to make your own XPsp1 CD.
This is allowed by M.S. and makes the reinstall(s) go that much
smoother.
Of course you will need access to a working PC (a friends perhaps) with
a CD burner. And some instructions on 'Slipstreaming' related to the burning
software to be used.(search Google for Slipstreaming XP)
The NetNut

 

[Andy]

I currently have a 160GB hard drive that I have
partitioned into 40GB that contains the XP-SP1 operating
system and 120GB partition that contains data files. XP
would only recognize the full 160GB drive after I
upgraded to SP1. Unfortunately it appears as if I have a
worm/virus and need to reformat my 40GB partition and
reinstall XP. My question is if I reformat my 40GB
partition and reinstall windows XP using my non-SP1 disk,
will I lose the partition or any of the data on the 120GB
partition once I upgrade back to SP1.

No. Make sure that you don't allow the operating system check and fix
the filesystem on the 120GB partition until you have applied SP1.

 

[John R Weiss]

I currently have a 160GB hard drive that I have
partitioned into 40GB that contains the XP-SP1 operating
system and 120GB partition that contains data files. XP
would only recognize the full 160GB drive after I
upgraded to SP1. Unfortunately it appears as if I have a
worm/virus and need to reformat my 40GB partition and
reinstall XP. My question is if I reformat my 40GB
partition and reinstall windows XP using my non-SP1 disk,
will I lose the partition or any of the data on the 120GB
partition once I upgrade back to SP1.

Not a problem. XP will recognize the first partition.

To re-install, just reformat the 40 GB C: partition, leaving the rest alone.
Do NOT repartition the HD! Once the OS is installed and SP1 applied, it
will recognize the other partitions with no problem.

 

[Alex Nichol]

I'm not sure how the system will react to it. It may (I would guess), at
first, see it as a raw partition and leave it untouched, but someone may
warn you that it may not see it as formatted even after sp1 is installed.
There is an option.
It is not all that hard to make your own XPsp1 CD.
This is allowed by M.S. and makes the reinstall(s) go that much
smoother.

I see the difficulty as being that over the 128 GB barrier you need to
be using 48 bit LBA. Deleting and remaking the first partition with a
pre-SP1 XP will create a partition table entry for it with the old 28
bit LBA - I am not at all sure that things will be happy with a mix of
entries on a disk. The point *ought* to have been thought of, but I
would make sure of a backup of that data partition before trying

 

[NetNut]

If he does not repartition, only reformats the c: drive he Should be ok,
right? But of course a Backup of critical data IS highly recommended.
(I still say slipstreaming is the way to go for a "clean" install. And
would solve future problems.)
I hope to hear how it all turns out.
NetNut

 

[Alex Nichol]

If he does not repartition, only reformats the c: drive he Should be ok,
right? But of course a Backup of critical data IS highly recommended.
(I still say slipstreaming is the way to go for a "clean" install. And
would solve future problems.)

Trouble is an original XP may get confused over handling the 48 bit
partition table entries. I don't know properly how the entries are
changed for 48 bit - they may work out OK, as the whole use of LBA in
them is a fudge anyway. Just need to make sure that the data is safe if
there *is* trouble