Setup Wrecked My New PC

[Jajaloo]

I have a Pentium 4 running Windows XP Pro [Version 5.1.2600]. The OS was
recently installed and everything seemed peachy keen. This weekend I
installed a second hard drive for A/V files. I didn't read up on fdisking
and formatting before proceeding. I have done this sort of thing tens of
times in the the past with earlier OS's. What I did this time was insert the
Win XP CD-ROM and formatted the new drive this way.

The problem is that after formatting, I was not able to exit before setup
began. Setup never allowed me to exit. I even refused to accept the license
agreement and setup still did not let me exit. The result is that I have two
OS's on my main hard drive: one is the correct one the other one is the
botched install. The A/V drive is fine.

This is very annoying how can I fix this? Please don't tell me I have to
reformat from the ground up. I have spent hours reconfiguring this new
machine.

Previous Windows OS's allowed you to reinstall just in case some file was
corrupted or missing. This I have had to do many times. Does Windows XP not
allow this?

Thanks in advance.

Jajaloo

P.S. I have to apologize if this problem has been addressed recently. I
haven't figured out how to download more than the last 300 NG postings using
Outlook Express as my reader.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I have a Pentium 4 running Windows XP Pro [Version 5.1.2600]. The
OS was recently installed and everything seemed peachy keen. This
weekend I installed a second hard drive for A/V files. I didn't
read up on fdisking and formatting before proceeding. I have done
this sort of thing tens of times in the the past with earlier OS's.
What I did this time was insert the Win XP CD-ROM and formatted the
new drive this way.

WHAT?!
Why would you install an internal hard drive and use the CD to format it
when the tools you need are built into the installed and running OS?!?!
Disk Management - look into it in the internal Windows XP Help Files.

I don't care how many times you did this before - as far as I can see - you
did it wrong or at least in one of the worst ways possible every time
before. *grin*

The problem is that after formatting, I was not able to exit before
setup began. Setup never allowed me to exit. I even refused to
accept the license agreement and setup still did not let me exit.
The result is that I have two OS's on my main hard drive: one is
the correct one the other one is the botched install. The A/V drive
is fine.

Okay - edit the BOOT.INI file and get rid of your second installation.

This is very annoying how can I fix this? Please don't tell me I
have to reformat from the ground up. I have spent hours
reconfiguring this new machine.

See above. Google for BOOT.INI and Windows XP and multiple installs.

Previous Windows OS's allowed you to reinstall just in case some
file was corrupted or missing. This I have had to do many times.
Does Windows XP not allow this?

Yes - it's called a repair installation - but is not what you need. You
should stay away from the Windows CD as much as possible - methinks.

P.S. I have to apologize if this problem has been addressed
recently. I haven't figured out how to download more than the last
300 NG postings using Outlook Express as my reader.

Use Google.
Google Groups in particular.
http://groups.google.com/
It will search the archives of many many newsgroups - including these.

 

[Galen]

In Jajaloo had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

I have a Pentium 4 running Windows XP Pro [Version 5.1.2600]. The OS
was recently installed and everything seemed peachy keen. This
weekend I installed a second hard drive for A/V files. I didn't read
up on fdisking and formatting before proceeding. I have done this
sort of thing tens of times in the the past with earlier OS's. What I
did this time was insert the Win XP CD-ROM and formatted the new
drive this way.

The problem is that after formatting, I was not able to exit before
setup began. Setup never allowed me to exit. I even refused to accept
the license agreement and setup still did not let me exit. The result
is that I have two OS's on my main hard drive: one is the correct one
the other one is the botched install. The A/V drive is fine.

This is very annoying how can I fix this? Please don't tell me I have
to reformat from the ground up. I have spent hours reconfiguring this
new machine.

Previous Windows OS's allowed you to reinstall just in case some file
was corrupted or missing. This I have had to do many times. Does
Windows XP not allow this?

Thanks in advance.

Jajaloo

P.S. I have to apologize if this problem has been addressed recently.
I haven't figured out how to download more than the last 300 NG
postings using Outlook Express as my reader.

You'll want to clean out any odd looking Windows folders - make sure they're
not the ones that you want - and the likes if there are any there.

Problems with boot.ini:
http://kgiii.info/windows/XP/advanced/bootini.html

Edit and try again and it *should* work?

For future reference, with XP, just toss the hard drive in and when it
appears click format - if it doesn't open disk management and do it in
there.

--
Galen - MS MVP - Windows (Shell/User & IE)
http://dts-l.org/
http://kgiii.info/

"We approached the case, you remember, with an absolutely blank mind,
which is always an advantage. We had formed no theories. We were simply
there to observe and to draw inferences from our observations." -
Sherlock Holmes

 

[Michael Stevens]

In

I have a Pentium 4 running Windows XP Pro [Version 5.1.2600]. The OS
was recently installed and everything seemed peachy keen. This
weekend I installed a second hard drive for A/V files. I didn't read
up on fdisking and formatting before proceeding. I have done this
sort of thing tens of times in the the past with earlier OS's. What I
did this time was insert the Win XP CD-ROM and formatted the new
drive this way.

The problem is that after formatting, I was not able to exit before
setup began. Setup never allowed me to exit. I even refused to accept
the license agreement and setup still did not let me exit. The result
is that I have two OS's on my main hard drive: one is the correct one
the other one is the botched install. The A/V drive is fine.

This is very annoying how can I fix this? Please don't tell me I have
to reformat from the ground up. I have spent hours reconfiguring this
new machine.

Previous Windows OS's allowed you to reinstall just in case some file
was corrupted or missing. This I have had to do many times. Does
Windows XP not allow this?

Thanks in advance.

Jajaloo

P.S. I have to apologize if this problem has been addressed recently.
I haven't figured out how to download more than the last 300 NG
postings using Outlook Express as my reader.

I have two installations of Windows/Windows XP on the same partition.......
#20 on the FAQ list
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/xpfaq.html
Edit boot menu
#22 on the FAQ list
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/xpfaq.html
Format XP
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/format_XP.htm
--
Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
(e-mail address removed)
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com
For a better newsgroup experience. Setup a newsreader.
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