XP Re-Install - HELP?

[ajsellaroli]

Hey everyone

So I've got this little problem with my new build. I told you guys about 23 days ago that the dell xp pro cd I had worked on my computer. It did - but it wouldn't let me type the code in, so it was only a free trial. Now, I'm sitting here, and its telling me it is going to shut me out in 7 days if I don't validate my copy of xp. So I have to do something. I need help though - with partitions, and with the re-install, as I've only done it once before, and on a dell. I don't mind losing everything I've put on here, I'll save what I need and start over, thats fine with me.

About the Partitions: I made 2 partitions on my 250 gb hard drive when I installed the dell xp, one of 40 gb, and another of about 200 (storage). I installed xp on the 40 gb drive. I did this because I thought I might want to dual-boot vista later, but now I realize this was probably a dum idea, as already I am down to only 4gb of free space on that 40gb partition. I want to repartition the entire drive as a single partition. If I want to dualboot later I'll just get another hard drive. I don't know how to do this. I do, however, have the ultimate boot cd, and I suspect there might be a tool in there to do this with.

About the Reinstall: I'm just not sure how to go about this. If I can get to a point where my hard drive is just completely clean, I can easily just re-install xp. It was easy enough the first time. The questions is: how do I do this? Would the Ultimate boot CD I have have the required utility?

thanks

 

[Shadow703793]

First get a new OEM/retail(I would go with OEM, you just don't get the manuals, ans support with OEM) copy of XP/Vista. Then download UBCD. You will have utilities for creating new partitions, wiping out partitions etc. You can do the same with Seagate SeaTools(it WILL run on NON Seagate drives). Then install new XP/Vista.

 

[techgeek]

If you have a valid key you could try this:

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=50346&clcid=0x409

This utility allows you to change the activation key. I have used this at work where someone installed a ripped off copy of Windows on a co-workers laptop. The laptop had a valid licence key sticker on it, but when this person installed the rip off copy, they used a bogus key. Since he had a valid key, I used it to enter the correct key and it validated and worked fine with WGA.

 

[roadrunner197069]

Well if you dont buy a new CD with a legit COA, in 30 days you will be in the same boat. You can boot from CD and format the disk to wipe it no problem. But you need to pay for a legal license to go for more then 30days. You could just pay for a CD key and keep everything as is and expand the reamaing free space to your 40G partion in disk management.

 

[grieve]

Partition Magic to resize partitions... and get a valid key.

 

[ajsellaroli]

yah, I'm planning on buying an oem version of XP. What is the utility called on the ubcd, I've already got one, i used it to run memtest86.

I don't think buying a legal license would even work, because the cd is dell specific. I have a legal licence, it is on the back of the dell cd, and that doesn't even work, so why would a new one?

oh and about what you gave techgeek - my dell laptop's hard drive just crashed anyway, so I decided I'll have to buy an oem version either way, because now I have to use the dell xp on the dell laptop.

 

[ajsellaroli]

I'm sorry, I'm going to have to bump this.

I don't know what utility on the Boot CD to use - There are so many! Do I use one that will just erase the entire hard drive, or do I have to delete the partitions first? What do I use for either of those tasks?