Hopefully you will identify all your hardware in the computer and have found the drivers you will need need downloaded and burnt on a CD before you start doing this. You do not need to use Boot N Nuke beforehand. Unless you have virus problems it is an unnecessary step.
When you say you have 2 systems on C and D, are you sure that one of the systems is not a recovery partition?If it is a recovery partition you can use it to take your computer back to its original state when you bought it using the recovery program. If you do have 2 operating systems on 2 partitions or 2 hard drives it is easy enough to go into the disk management on the OS you use most of the time, and reformat the partition( drive?)(D?) you don't use. This will wipe all data off that partition and you can then use it as a data storage drive by just adding now folders thru windows explorer to the drive. If you still think you need to reinstall windows clean do the below steps.
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First thing to do, after you've done all the preparatory backing up of data and collecting together of the various bits ‘n' pieces you'll need set up your system again afterwards, is to reboot your system, go into BIOS setup( usually the escape key while the computer is booting) and ensure that your system is set to Boot from CD-ROM as ‘1st Boot Device', and your primary Hard Drive as ‘2nd Boot device'. Make the change(s), if necessary, and then pop your Windows XP CD into the drive, save and exit from BIOS setup, and watch for the text message to pop up asking for you to ‘Press a key to boot from CD-ROM”. Make sure you do so!
You will be asked if you wish to install Windows XP. Press <ENTER> to begin the process. You will then be presented with an ‘End User License Agreement' . Read it if you wish (you really should, you know, but very few people actually do) and you should press <F8> to accept the terms and continue.
Because an existing Windows XP installation is detected, you will be presented with a screen asking if you wish to repair it. Press <Esc> to bypass the process (do not repair).
Wiping your Hard Drives clean
The next screen you are presented with is where most people have difficulty. You will be presented with a screen offering some choices of action, and a list of existing hard drive partitions which also indicate existing Windows installations. My suggestion for the best course of action is this:
* Remove existing partitions
* Create new NTFS partitions
* Install Windows XP on the first partition of your Primary hard drive
Highlight the first partition, press <D> to indicate you wish to delete it, and follow the prompts to remove the partition. Continue the process for other partitions. When you've finished removing the partitions, and are left with a list indicating the drives and the ‘Unpartitioned space' they contain, highlight your primary drive and press <C> to indicate you wish to create a new partition. Type the size (in Megabytes) you wish the partition to be, or press <ENTER> to create a partition using all available space on the drive. Repeat the process until you've created all the partitions you wish to have.
A more detailed description of the process can be found in the section “How to partition and format your hard disk using Windows XP Setup” from the KnowledgeBase article “ HOW TO: Partition and Format a Hard Disk in Windows XP”
http://support.micro.....5BLN];Q313348Putting Windows XP on your System
When you've finished, highlight the partition you wish to install Windows XP to (the first partition on your Primary Drive is the best) and press <ENTER>.
Follow onscreen prompts during the process of installation, and ensure you leave the Windows XP CD in the drive whenever your system reboots during the process. If you get another prompt to “Press any key to boot from CD” keep your hands in your pockets! You don't want to go back and start over again!
Note : If you are using an XP Upgrade CD, you will be asked for a qualifying product during installation. Pop the CD with your older version of Windows into the drive, press <ENTER> or click ‘OK' as prompted, and return your Windows XP CD to the drive when asked. You may be prompted to ‘Create a Startup disk' and you can safely ‘Cancel' from that step if you do not wish to create a Startup diskette.
Provide such local information as requested during installation, and also such details of existing Local Networks that the system is connected to. Provide details of User Accounts you wish to have on the system, and passwords if you choose to use them. When the process has completed, you will be prompted to ‘Activate' Windows XP. Opt out of Activation at this stage, because it's better to Activate after you got your system fully set up, and have confirmed that all is working as it should. You can also safely bypass the Product Registration, as it serves little practical purpose.
When all is completed, you will need to enter your password, if you've set one, to access the Windows XP Desktop.
It is not necessary to set a password. Leaving the password blank will make XP boot directly into the system without a password window first. If you have more than one user on the computer you need to have the passwords setup come up before windows starts, so make one then.
Now you will reinstall the software that you want to have on the computer and try to remember all the settings you changed during the years you have used the computer.
SRX660
Edited by SRX660, 22 December 2008 - 01:08 PM.
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