Reformatting Windows XP

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

I currently have Windows XP Home Edition as my OS and wish to reformat my
hard drive but cannot figure out how to do it. Can someone help?

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

Hi,

Why? You do realize that this will remove everything that currently resides
on the formatted drive, yes? To format a WinXP system drive, you do so by
booting the CD and starting a new installation. If you are not reinstalling
WinXP, you need to provide what OS is going to be installed for proper
instructions (for instance, in the case of Win98 you may need to repartition
as well to remove NTFS volumes).

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

"Todd" <Todd @discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F87381DA-35D5-4C36-A7B4-13DCDBB62CCD@microsoft.com...
>I currently have Windows XP Home Edition as my OS and wish to reformat my
> hard drive but cannot figure out how to do it. Can someone help?

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

Hi Todd,

Boot the CD, and at setup (after the license agreement), remove (delete) the
existing system partition, then create a new one from the free space,
format, and proceed with the installation.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

"Todd" <Todd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:7129B404-7414-4DE0-AA2B-B59074DA9868@microsoft.com...
> Yes, I realize it will remove everything that currently resides on the
> formatted drive. I wish to start with a clean slate on my computer. Now
> I
> tried booting the CD and starting a new installation, but that did not
> reformat the hard drive. It just gave me a new installation of Windows XP
> and left everything in tact. That is not what I wanted. I want a
> complete
> wipe of my hard drive.
>
> "Rick "Nutcase" Rogers" wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Why? You do realize that this will remove everything that currently
>> resides
>> on the formatted drive, yes? To format a WinXP system drive, you do so by
>> booting the CD and starting a new installation. If you are not
>> reinstalling
>> WinXP, you need to provide what OS is going to be installed for proper
>> instructions (for instance, in the case of Win98 you may need to
>> repartition
>> as well to remove NTFS volumes).
>>
>> --
>> Best of Luck,
>>
>> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
>> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
>> Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
>> www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
>>
>> "Todd" <Todd @discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:F87381DA-35D5-4C36-A7B4-13DCDBB62CCD@microsoft.com...
>> >I currently have Windows XP Home Edition as my OS and wish to reformat
>> >my
>> > hard drive but cannot figure out how to do it. Can someone help?
>>
>>
>>

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

Hi,

Is this a regular retail CD, or did it come with the system?

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

"Todd" <Todd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:0A85C3CF-6794-4248-8DBB-F2332A719191@microsoft.com...
> Hey Rick... many thanks for the replies. Unfortunately, I still can't get
> that to work. I tried deleting the partition as you said and received the
> following message.
>
> "Setup is unable to perform the requested operation on the selected
> partition. This partition contains temporary setup files that are
> required
> to complete the installation."
>
> Very frustrated, what am I doing wrong?
>
> "Rick "Nutcase" Rogers" wrote:
>
>> Hi Todd,
>>
>> Boot the CD, and at setup (after the license agreement), remove (delete)
>> the
>> existing system partition, then create a new one from the free space,
>> format, and proceed with the installation.
>>
>> --
>> Best of Luck,
>>
>> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
>> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
>> Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
>> www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
>>
>> "Todd" <Todd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:7129B404-7414-4DE0-AA2B-B59074DA9868@microsoft.com...
>> > Yes, I realize it will remove everything that currently resides on the
>> > formatted drive. I wish to start with a clean slate on my computer.
>> > Now
>> > I
>> > tried booting the CD and starting a new installation, but that did not
>> > reformat the hard drive. It just gave me a new installation of Windows
>> > XP
>> > and left everything in tact. That is not what I wanted. I want a
>> > complete
>> > wipe of my hard drive.
>> >
>> > "Rick "Nutcase" Rogers" wrote:
>> >
>> >> Hi,
>> >>
>> >> Why? You do realize that this will remove everything that currently
>> >> resides
>> >> on the formatted drive, yes? To format a WinXP system drive, you do so
>> >> by
>> >> booting the CD and starting a new installation. If you are not
>> >> reinstalling
>> >> WinXP, you need to provide what OS is going to be installed for proper
>> >> instructions (for instance, in the case of Win98 you may need to
>> >> repartition
>> >> as well to remove NTFS volumes).
>> >>
>> >> --
>> >> Best of Luck,
>> >>
>> >> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
>> >> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
>> >> Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
>> >> www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>> >> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
>> >>
>> >> "Todd" <Todd @discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> >> news:F87381DA-35D5-4C36-A7B4-13DCDBB62CCD@microsoft.com...
>> >> >I currently have Windows XP Home Edition as my OS and wish to
>> >> >reformat
>> >> >my
>> >> > hard drive but cannot figure out how to do it. Can someone help?
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>>
>>
>>

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

Thought so. It's a proprietary disk, meaning it isn't going to work like the
regular retail disk. It should've come with some set of instructions on use.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

"Todd" <Todd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:3BB86410-7F5C-4A09-B539-A21092B19BD3@microsoft.com...
> It came with the system.
>
> "Rick "Nutcase" Rogers" wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Is this a regular retail CD, or did it come with the system?
>>
>> --
>> Best of Luck,
>>
>> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
>> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
>> Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
>> www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
>>
>> "Todd" <Todd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:0A85C3CF-6794-4248-8DBB-F2332A719191@microsoft.com...
>> > Hey Rick... many thanks for the replies. Unfortunately, I still can't
>> > get
>> > that to work. I tried deleting the partition as you said and received
>> > the
>> > following message.
>> >
>> > "Setup is unable to perform the requested operation on the selected
>> > partition. This partition contains temporary setup files that are
>> > required
>> > to complete the installation."
>> >
>> > Very frustrated, what am I doing wrong?
>> >
>> > "Rick "Nutcase" Rogers" wrote:
>> >
>> >> Hi Todd,
>> >>
>> >> Boot the CD, and at setup (after the license agreement), remove
>> >> (delete)
>> >> the
>> >> existing system partition, then create a new one from the free space,
>> >> format, and proceed with the installation.
>> >>
>> >> --
>> >> Best of Luck,
>> >>
>> >> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
>> >> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
>> >> Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
>> >> www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>> >> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
>> >>
>> >> "Todd" <Todd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> >> news:7129B404-7414-4DE0-AA2B-B59074DA9868@microsoft.com...
>> >> > Yes, I realize it will remove everything that currently resides on
>> >> > the
>> >> > formatted drive. I wish to start with a clean slate on my computer.
>> >> > Now
>> >> > I
>> >> > tried booting the CD and starting a new installation, but that did
>> >> > not
>> >> > reformat the hard drive. It just gave me a new installation of
>> >> > Windows
>> >> > XP
>> >> > and left everything in tact. That is not what I wanted. I want a
>> >> > complete
>> >> > wipe of my hard drive.
>> >> >
>> >> > "Rick "Nutcase" Rogers" wrote:
>> >> >
>> >> >> Hi,
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Why? You do realize that this will remove everything that currently
>> >> >> resides
>> >> >> on the formatted drive, yes? To format a WinXP system drive, you do
>> >> >> so
>> >> >> by
>> >> >> booting the CD and starting a new installation. If you are not
>> >> >> reinstalling
>> >> >> WinXP, you need to provide what OS is going to be installed for
>> >> >> proper
>> >> >> instructions (for instance, in the case of Win98 you may need to
>> >> >> repartition
>> >> >> as well to remove NTFS volumes).
>> >> >>
>> >> >> --
>> >> >> Best of Luck,
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
>> >> >> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
>> >> >> Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
>> >> >> www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>> >> >> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
>> >> >>
>> >> >> "Todd" <Todd @discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> >> >> news:F87381DA-35D5-4C36-A7B4-13DCDBB62CCD@microsoft.com...
>> >> >> >I currently have Windows XP Home Edition as my OS and wish to
>> >> >> >reformat
>> >> >> >my
>> >> >> > hard drive but cannot figure out how to do it. Can someone help?
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>>
>>
>>