[nikaru900]

Ok, one last question i must ask.

I have never formatted a PC before, so what will i need to do once i load it up, IE what will i need to install? anything that must be installed? apart from the malware and firewall stuff, i am thinking along the lines of drivers, will i need to install drivers in safe mode or w/e or will it be able to work normally untill i dl one? if you see what i mean

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nikaru900,

Since your PC is almost new, it must have a large HDD (HardDiskDrive). You'll definitely have to wipe that drive by deleting both partitions and then re creating them into 2 equal or different size drives, which will be more useful to you. That way you could have the Windows XP files and programs on C drive and all your games on D drive. You need to create an XP boot CDR, obviously on another PC, so you can boot the new PC from it and run FDISK (or some other partitioning formatting program) from the command line. That XP boot CDR won't get you into Windows, just the XP system files needed and menu driven executables you need to deal with a new, blank, or used HDD so it can be configured to boot into WinXP and with partitions (virtual drives) the size and number you want. You'll encounter a DOS menu system with a few choices and scary double warnings you will say "OK" to. Then you can delete the two partitions (C & D) and kill all traces of Vista's strangle hold. I've done this a few times on older computers running Win98SE and it's always like jumping off a bridge. You can't go back to what was on the drive. In your case, you don't want to.

If all you have is the command line of the DOS prompt after you boot from the CDR you created, just type:
FDISK /?
and you'll get the help screen showing the syntax and all the command line switches, which execute what you want to do.

Even if the drive letters do not match what you want, like your CD drive being drive F, you'll be able to change those drive letters, permanently, in Windows, once it is installed. There are reserved letters like A, B and C, but everything else is possible, without data destruction.

I understand your frustration and have had to learn the steps you must now learn and then take to partition and format your HDD. I also share your contempt for Vista after living with it on my new NoteBook. It would help tremendously if there were someone at work, a relative or friend of a friend who is computer savvy enough to walk you thru this in person. They will also be better qualified to guesstimate the sizes of the 2 partitions, based on the space req'd by WinXPsp2 and your collection of gaming software. Try the people networking inquiry to find help and keep your fingers crossed. There are semi Geeks out there.

Plan B is take it to Best Buy, Circuit City or your local PC shop and pay those Geeks to do it.

Edited by CycleRob, 13 July 2007 - 09:37 AM.

[CycleRob]

nikaru900,

Since your PC is almost new, it must have a large HDD (HardDiskDrive). You'll definitely have to wipe that drive by deleting both partitions and then re creating them into 2 equal or different size drives, which will be more useful to you. That way you could have the Windows XP files and programs on C drive and all your games on D drive. You need to create an XP boot CDR, obviously on another PC, so you can boot the new PC from it and run FDISK (or some other partitioning formatting program) from the command line. That XP boot CDR won't get you into Windows, just the XP system files needed and menu driven executables you need to deal with a new, blank, or used HDD so it can be configured to boot into WinXP and with partitions (virtual drives) the size and number you want. You'll encounter a DOS menu system with a few choices and scary double warnings you will say "OK" to. Then you can delete the two partitions (C & D) and kill all traces of Vista's strangle hold. I've done this a few times on older computers running Win98SE and it's always like jumping off a bridge. You can't go back to what was on the drive. In your case, you don't want to.

If all you have is the command line of the DOS prompt after you boot from the CDR you created, just type:
FDISK /?
and you'll get the help screen showing the syntax and all the command line switches, which execute what you want to do.

Even if the drive letters do not match what you want, like your CD drive being drive F, you'll be able to change those drive letters, permanently, in Windows, once it is installed. There are reserved letters like A, B and C, but everything else is possible, without data destruction.

I understand your frustration and have had to learn the steps you must now learn and then take to partition and format your HDD. I also share your contempt for Vista after living with it on my new NoteBook. It would help tremendously if there were someone at work, a relative or friend of a friend who is computer savvy enough to walk you thru this in person. They will also be better qualified to guesstimate the sizes of the 2 partitions, based on the space req'd by WinXPsp2 and your collection of gaming software. Try the people networking inquiry to find help and keep your fingers crossed. There are semi Geeks out there.

Plan B is take it to Best Buy, Circuit City or your local PC shop and pay those Geeks to do it.

Edited by CycleRob, 13 July 2007 - 09:37 AM.