Starting from scratch on an older laptop--need guidance

[1940LaSalle]

I want to start from scratch on an older laptop (after
removing any valuable files/applications, to be sure).
That is, I want to format the hard drive, and start over
with an entirely clean slate, ending up with XP as the
operating system.

Here's the kicker: the laptop accommodates EITHER the
floppy drive OR the CD-ROM drive--and it's not possible to
swap them out on the fly (I've tried, and it doesn't work).

I assume that the initial steps are these:

1. Save anything I need/want to save to floppy discs, USB
drive, etc.
2. Call up the DOS prompt and type in FORMAT (please
correct me on this!)

That would wipe the hard drive and probably shut down the
machine--I guess. Then assuming I have the floppy drive,
I could conceivably use a boot disc and get it back up and
running, but what do I do from there to get the operating
system installed, given I can't swap the CD and the floppy
on the fly?

Thanks.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

As long as you can set your CD Drive as the first bootable device
in the BIOS, you'll have no need to use a floppy drive to properly
install Windows XP.

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/

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


|I want to start from scratch on an older laptop (after
| removing any valuable files/applications, to be sure).
| That is, I want to format the hard drive, and start over
| with an entirely clean slate, ending up with XP as the
| operating system.
|
| Here's the kicker: the laptop accommodates EITHER the
| floppy drive OR the CD-ROM drive--and it's not possible to
| swap them out on the fly (I've tried, and it doesn't work).
|
| I assume that the initial steps are these:
|
| 1. Save anything I need/want to save to floppy discs, USB
| drive, etc.
| 2. Call up the DOS prompt and type in FORMAT (please
| correct me on this!)
|
| That would wipe the hard drive and probably shut down the
| machine--I guess. Then assuming I have the floppy drive,
| I could conceivably use a boot disc and get it back up and
| running, but what do I do from there to get the operating
| system installed, given I can't swap the CD and the floppy
| on the fly?
|
| Thanks.

 

[Gordon]

I want to start from scratch on an older laptop (after
removing any valuable files/applications, to be sure).
That is, I want to format the hard drive, and start over
with an entirely clean slate, ending up with XP as the
operating system.

Here's the kicker: the laptop accommodates EITHER the
floppy drive OR the CD-ROM drive--and it's not possible to
swap them out on the fly (I've tried, and it doesn't work).

I assume that the initial steps are these:

1. Save anything I need/want to save to floppy discs, USB
drive, etc.
2. Call up the DOS prompt and type in FORMAT (please
correct me on this!)

That would wipe the hard drive and probably shut down the
machine--I guess. Then assuming I have the floppy drive,
I could conceivably use a boot disc and get it back up and
running, but what do I do from there to get the operating
system installed, given I can't swap the CD and the floppy
on the fly?

Thanks.

If you have a retail copy of XP (and some OEM copies also I believe) then
you can boot straight from the CD (as long as your BIOS allows this). The CD
contains all the tools you need to format and partition your HDD before
installing.

HTH

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

In

I want to start from scratch on an older laptop (after
removing any valuable files/applications, to be sure).
That is, I want to format the hard drive, and start over
with an entirely clean slate, ending up with XP as the
operating system.

Here's the kicker: the laptop accommodates EITHER the
floppy drive OR the CD-ROM drive--and it's not possible to
swap them out on the fly (I've tried, and it doesn't work).

I assume that the initial steps are these:

1. Save anything I need/want to save to floppy discs, USB
drive, etc.

Yes.


2. Call up the DOS prompt and type in FORMAT (please
correct me on this!)

No. 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

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

After you've backed up any data you wish to preserve, simply boot
from the WinXP installation CD. You'll be offered the opportunity to
delete, create, and format partitions as part of the installation
process. (You may need to re-arrange the order of boot devices in the
PC's BIOS to boot from the CD.)

HOW TO Install Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;316941

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

http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm


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

 

[Alex Nichol]

I want to start from scratch on an older laptop (after
removing any valuable files/applications, to be sure).
That is, I want to format the hard drive, and start over
with an entirely clean slate, ending up with XP as the
operating system.

Here's the kicker: the laptop accommodates EITHER the
floppy drive OR the CD-ROM drive--and it's not possible to
swap them out on the fly (I've tried, and it doesn't work).

I assume that the initial steps are these:

1. Save anything I need/want to save to floppy discs, USB
drive, etc.
2. Call up the DOS prompt and type in FORMAT (please
correct me on this!)

If your machine can boot from the CD then you can boot the XP CD to
format the drive and install. If it cannot, what I would do is:

Boot a basic DOS startup floppy (ideally the basic one you can make on
any machine not running XP, by running the program
tools\mtsutil\fat32ebd\fat32ebd.exe on the Win98 CD - or download an
image from www.bootdisk.com)

Use its FDISK to delete partitions on the hard drive and make a new one
for the XP setup. It is difficult not knowing how big the drive is but
*if* it is over 10 GB I would split to have say 7 to 10 for the C:
drive and the rest as an extended partition with a logical drive, D:
which you would later use for data. You could get away without, using
space on C instead, below, but this makes some things a bit easier.

Reboot;
FORMAT /S C:
FORMAT D:
if you made one

Now COPY from the floppy A: to C the files
MSDOS.SYS
IO.SYS
Config.sys
Autoexec.bat
Command.com
oakcdrom.sys
mscdex.exe

and you will be able to shutdown, swap the floppy for the CD and boot
the hard disk to the DOS, and with CD support that should 'see' your CD
drive and give it a letter, eg E:

If that works, put in the XP CD and COPY the i386 folder from it onto D:
COPY E:\i386 D:

Shutdown, reconnect the floppy and reboot that startup disk. Run
SMARTDRV
then
D:
CD i386
(letter i number 386)
WINNT
which should set the XP setup going