Reinstalling XP Pro Questions

[The Philster]

When doing a clean re-install of XP Pro as outlined and you get to the point
of installing on the partitioned drive that will be installed on, I notice
there is like a separate amount of harddrive space that is not part of the
hardrive partition.

Is there anything within that separate partition that will cause an issue
with doing a clean re-install or can I just delete it?

Next,

I have already tried to do a clean re-install of xp pro and I remember from
the last time I had to do this, I had to enter the CD Key for XP Pro, but I
did not need to do so this time around which I find quite odd. Is the
re-install just copying over files without changing anything????

I have twice already did a clean re-install of XP Pro and each time it never
asks for the CD key and I am wondering that XP Pro is not properly
formatting/installing a clean re-install due the separate HD space. Are
there files within that pace that are causing issue's????

 

[Gary Brandenburg]

Would you happen to be installing on an existing OS?
Is it an OEM version(such as Dell)?
Are you using the Reinstall Disc(XP) supplied by the vendor for that particular
machine?

I just did a reinstall on a PC that was given to me (Dell) & it never asked for a
product key either, & I used the XP disc that came with the machine.
From what I've read on here, I believe the Windows disc is BIOS-locked to that
machine.
As far as the other partition-it could be the recovery partition that was supplied by
the vendor.(as on mine)

I'm not sure if this is applies to your situation, but it sounds like what I just got
through doing myself.
I hope this helps in some way.

~Gary

 

[The Philster]

Yes, I am re-installing over an existing OS.

Yes, It is an OEM Version for a Dell System ( Reinstallation CD ).

I screwed up!!!!

When I got to the point of the reinstall screen to select the Partition, I
hit delete and it defaulted back to the Harddrive with the lower gig size
limtation and after the reinstall the system reassigned the drive c: as drive
f: and drive d: as drive c:.

Needless to say, I have made a mess of things born out of the
fustration/confusion of this whole OS reinstall debacle

Explanation:

I installed awhile back a larger HD ( 160 gig ) and was not aware of the
issue's that were required to make the system see the larger HD and with some
help from someone walked me thru the processes needed to upgrade to use the
larger HD.

Evidently, that 125 mb space must of held the Chipset Update, Bios Update
files to allow for the larger hd to be used in terms of the overall hd size
and I do not remember or recall the steps/process I went thru to do all that.

I do know that XP Pro SP2 update is required as part of the process along
with the Chipset Flash/Bios Updates and I am in the process of going thru the
motions of all the MS/ Windows XP Updates/Patches/Fixes.

So, I back to where I was April 6th, 2006. The only saving grace is I
installed a DVD +/- RW Drive before I did this OS reinstall and pooched the
160 gig drive.

 

[Daave]

When doing a clean re-install of XP Pro as outlined and you get to
the point of installing on the partitioned drive that will be
installed on, I notice there is like a separate amount of harddrive
space that is not part of the hardrive partition.

Is there anything within that separate partition that will cause an
issue with doing a clean re-install or can I just delete it?

Next,

I have already tried to do a clean re-install of xp pro and I
remember from the last time I had to do this, I had to enter the CD
Key for XP Pro, but I did not need to do so this time around which I
find quite odd. Is the re-install just copying over files without
changing anything????

I have twice already did a clean re-install of XP Pro and each time
it never asks for the CD key and I am wondering that XP Pro is not
properly formatting/installing a clean re-install due the separate HD
space. Are there files within that pace that are causing issue's????

Since the proper way to perform a clean install is to delete all
partitions, you won't have any issues at all.

And in your other post you indicated you are using a Dell reinstallation
CD. Since that is the case, what you are experiencing is normal;
activation doesn't occur. (All your Dell disk is interested in is that
you are using the intended motherboard. It uses what is known as a
BIOS-locked golden master key, similar in effect to a volume license
key.)

Here is a good guide for a clean install:

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

Step 10 addresses partitions.

HTH.

 

[The Philster]

Since the proper way to perform a clean install is to delete all
partitions, you won't have any issues at all.

And in your other post you indicated you are using a Dell reinstallation
CD. Since that is the case, what you are experiencing is normal;
activation doesn't occur. (All your Dell disk is interested in is that
you are using the intended motherboard. It uses what is known as a
BIOS-locked golden master key, similar in effect to a volume license
key.)

Here is a good guide for a clean install:

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

Step 10 addresses partitions.

HTH.

Well, I for one tend to disagree on the issue of the " partitions " since
before this reinstall debacle the HD was at a given HD size and when I
deleted said " partition " it defaulted to the system " limit " size and it
reassigned all the drive designations.

Now and for the most part I have resintalled all software, applied all the
MS & Windows Updates & Patches/Fixes ( including Windows XP Service Pack 2 ).

Now, it becomes a question of what I have to next as to restoring the system
back to the 160 HD being seen with the proper drive designate as C: & 40 gig
HD being at designate D:???

 

[Daave]

Well, I for one tend to disagree on the issue of the " partitions "
since
before this reinstall debacle the HD was at a given HD size and when I
deleted said " partition " it defaulted to the system " limit " size
and it
reassigned all the drive designations.

I'm not sure I understand.

With what or whom do you disagree concerning the issue of partitions.

Did you choose FAT32 or NTFS for your file system?

And in your other post, you mentioned:

"someone walked me thru the processes needed to upgrade to use the
larger HD."

Which procedure did you use?

Now and for the most part I have resintalled all software, applied all
the
MS & Windows Updates & Patches/Fixes ( including Windows XP Service
Pack 2 ).

Now, it becomes a question of what I have to next as to restoring the
system
back to the 160 HD being seen with the proper drive designate as C: &
40 gig
HD being at designate D:???

Sounds like you're no longer interested in a clean install, correct?

 

[The Philster]

I'm not sure I understand.

With what or whom do you disagree concerning the issue of partitions.

Did you choose FAT32 or NTFS for your file system?

And in your other post, you mentioned:

"someone walked me thru the processes needed to upgrade to use the
larger HD."

Which procedure did you use?



Sounds like you're no longer interested in a clean install, correct?

 

[The Philster]

Daave,

I want to apologize, I am not conveying my thoughts to clearly given my
level of confusion and frustration with all this and ask you bear with me.

I am on another computer and I have tried twice to provide a response and
each I have posted, the system or webpage kicks me out and i have to start
all over.

Therefore, I will type out my next response in word and copy it over and
post it.

Phil

 

[Daave]

Daave,

I want to apologize, I am not conveying my thoughts to clearly given
my level of confusion and frustration with all this and ask you bear
with me.

I am on another computer and I have tried twice to provide a response
and each I have posted, the system or webpage kicks me out and i have
to start all over.

Therefore, I will type out my next response in word and copy it over
and post it.

It's best not to use the Web interface *at all*.

From http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html :

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