How to reformat HD?

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

Boot with your XP CD. Select the option to Install Windows XP. Accept the
License Agreement. You will likely be advised that a version of Windows has
been found and asked if you want to try and repair it. Just press Enter and
proceed. Delete the partition found and Create a new partition. Format as
NTFS - you can use [Quick] if you wish and the install will continue.

Make certain you have a working Product Key and have a backup of your
important data BEFORE attempting this.

--

Harry Ohrn MS-MVP [Shell/User]
www.webtree.ca/windowsxp


"CanonB" <CanonB@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:15E5C4F2-9029-4AE7-88AD-CC9B19F0325F@microsoft.com...
> Hello,
>
> i have a question concerning reformatting my hard drive. My pc has been
> under the influence of alot of aware and spyware in the recent weeks. It
> made
> sure that some software and internet applications have been working quite
> slower. By defragmentating my HD and installing the Windows Anti-Spyware
> Beta
> software my pc has been able to function like it used to be a couple of
> weeks
> ago. Still i have noticed that the pc isnt able to function like i was
> used
> to. To bring it back to its original standard, i think it would be better
> to
> reformat my HD and install the different anti-virus, spyware and adware
> programs. But first i need to reformat my HD, which isnt that simple at
> this
> moment.
> When i right-click on my HD icon and click on 'reformat...', the pc
> eventually says that i'm not able to reformat, because there are other
> programs running at the moment. I do a quick check if that's the case,
> which
> in first notice is not correct. I do not have any other programs running,
> nor
> is there any other screen open what so ever.
>
> My question that you probably can guess by now is how can i solve this
> error
> and what measures do i need to take for a succesfull reformat process?
>
> Thx in advance.

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

Definitely re-install everything, however it's always dangerous to wipe
your disk without adequate backups...
If you live in the USA the price of hard drives just rapidly dropped -
Circuit City is offering 160gb drives for under $50 and 250gb drives
for under $70 (after mail-in-rebates).
I recommend (if you can afford it) to get a new drive and make this the
master, leaving your old drive as the slave. You can then do a clean
install of XP on your new drive (from the XP CD) and still access all
your data - moving it across to the new drive when the install is
complete.
You also then have a drive to backup to...
Hope this helps.

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

In news:15E5C4F2-9029-4AE7-88AD-CC9B19F0325F@microsoft.com,
CanonB <CanonB@discussions.microsoft.com> typed:

> i have a question concerning reformatting my hard drive. My pc
> has
> been under the influence of alot of aware and spyware in the
> recent
> weeks.


Answered in another newsgroup. Please do not send the same
message separately to more than one newsgroup (called
multiposting). Doing so just fragments the thread, so someone who
answers in one newsgroup doesn't get to see answers from others
in another newsgroup. And for those who read all the newsgroups
the message is multiposted to, they see the message multiple
times instead of once (they would see it only once if you
crossposted instead).

If you must send the same message to more than one newsgroup,
please do so by crossposting (but only to a *few* related
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Please see "What is the accepted way to share a message across
multiple newsgroups?" at
http://smjg.port5.com/faqs/usenet/xpost.html


--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup

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

The best thing to do is a Clean install. Visit my website
http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org Click the Win XP Faq button and take a look
at question 85. This is assuming you have a retail version of Windows XP. If
you have a set of recovery disks instead then you will simply need to insert
the first recovery CD into your CD-ROM and reboot your machine. The recovery
disk will do the rest and rpompt you for any further recovery disks.

--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org

The information in this post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any kind,
either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this post. The Author shall not be liable for any
direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use
of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this post..



"CanonB" <CanonB@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:15E5C4F2-9029-4AE7-88AD-CC9B19F0325F@microsoft.com...
> Hello,
>
> i have a question concerning reformatting my hard drive. My pc has been
> under the influence of alot of aware and spyware in the recent weeks. It
> made
> sure that some software and internet applications have been working quite
> slower. By defragmentating my HD and installing the Windows Anti-Spyware
> Beta
> software my pc has been able to function like it used to be a couple of
> weeks
> ago. Still i have noticed that the pc isnt able to function like i was
> used
> to. To bring it back to its original standard, i think it would be better
> to
> reformat my HD and install the different anti-virus, spyware and adware
> programs. But first i need to reformat my HD, which isnt that simple at
> this
> moment.
> When i right-click on my HD icon and click on 'reformat...', the pc
> eventually says that i'm not able to reformat, because there are other
> programs running at the moment. I do a quick check if that's the case,
> which
> in first notice is not correct. I do not have any other programs running,
> nor
> is there any other screen open what so ever.
>
> My question that you probably can guess by now is how can i solve this
> error
> and what measures do i need to take for a succesfull reformat process?
>
> Thx in advance.

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

CanonB wrote:

> When i right-click on my HD icon and click on 'reformat...', the pc
> eventually says that i'm not able to reformat, because there are other
> programs running at the moment. I do a quick check if that's the case, which
> in first notice is not correct. I do not have any other programs running, nor
> is there any other screen open what so ever.
>


You're trying to format the drive containing the system volume from
within WinXP. You can't. This would be the computer equivalent of
sawing off the tree limb you're sitting on, and WinXP is "too smart" to
allow this.



> My question that you probably can guess by now is how can i solve this error
> and what measures do i need to take for a succesfull reformat process?
>


There's not really anything to solve. What you're seeing is the way
it's supposed to work.

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:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

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

Performing a Clean Install of Windows XP

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/expert/h...

<quote>

"With a clean installation, you erase all data, reformat your hard disk, and
install Windows XP from scratch. You get to start over, getting rid of old
data, leftover files, and unused programs that were cluttering your hard
disk. The downside is you have to reinstall programs, backup and restore
your data, and reconfigure the settings you want to keep using. Clean
installations are worth the extra effort, in my opinion. In many cases,
performance is improved after a clean installation, because you've gotten
rid of the problems your old setup had."

<end of quote>


--

Minds are like parachutes, they only work when open
--
Touch Base
Post back here on the result- good or bad


"CanonB" <CanonB@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:15E5C4F2-9029-4AE7-88AD-CC9B19F0325F@microsoft.com...
> Hello,
>
> i have a question concerning reformatting my hard drive. My pc has been
> under the influence of alot of aware and spyware in the recent weeks. It
> made
> sure that some software and internet applications have been working quite
> slower. By defragmentating my HD and installing the Windows Anti-Spyware
> Beta
> software my pc has been able to function like it used to be a couple of
> weeks
> ago. Still i have noticed that the pc isnt able to function like i was
> used
> to. To bring it back to its original standard, i think it would be better
> to
> reformat my HD and install the different anti-virus, spyware and adware
> programs. But first i need to reformat my HD, which isnt that simple at
> this
> moment.
> When i right-click on my HD icon and click on 'reformat...', the pc
> eventually says that i'm not able to reformat, because there are other
> programs running at the moment. I do a quick check if that's the case,
> which
> in first notice is not correct. I do not have any other programs running,
> nor
> is there any other screen open what so ever.
>
> My question that you probably can guess by now is how can i solve this
> error
> and what measures do i need to take for a succesfull reformat process?
>
> Thx in advance.