Format XP install

Hi all,

I have a Dell Inspiron 5160, that I just tried to reinstall XP Home on.
Somehow i had two partitions, C and E. XP was on the C drive. I reinstalled
XP on the C partition, and it didn't do a clean install like I wanted. So I
tried again, no luck. I then installed it on the E partition, hoping that I
could format C (C is the big partition, E is only about 3gb). Now I am unable
to format C, because it is I'm being told the C drive is the "system drive",
even tho XP is on E.

What I'd ideally would like to do is format the whole thing, get one
partition and put XP on it. I just can't figure out how. The XP version I
have is the one that came from Dell.

Can anyone help? Let me know if I should include more information.

Thanks,
Tom

I should add that if I insert the install CD, and boot from it, I goo through
the regular steps, accepting the license agreement, it looks for previous
copies of windows, and finds one. When I try to format C: here, it tells me
it can't because it places some temporary setup files there...

Thanks again,
Tom

"ThomasN" wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I have a Dell Inspiron 5160, that I just tried to reinstall XP Home on.
> Somehow i had two partitions, C and E. XP was on the C drive. I reinstalled
> XP on the C partition, and it didn't do a clean install like I wanted. So I
> tried again, no luck. I then installed it on the E partition, hoping that I
> could format C (C is the big partition, E is only about 3gb). Now I am unable
> to format C, because it is I'm being told the C drive is the "system drive",
> even tho XP is on E.
>
> What I'd ideally would like to do is format the whole thing, get one
> partition and put XP on it. I just can't figure out how. The XP version I
> have is the one that came from Dell.
>
> Can anyone help? Let me know if I should include more information.
>
> Thanks,
> Tom
>

ThomasN wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I have a Dell Inspiron 5160, that I just tried to reinstall XP Home
> on. Somehow i had two partitions, C and E. XP was on the C drive. I
> reinstalled XP on the C partition, and it didn't do a clean install
> like I wanted. So I tried again, no luck. I then installed it on the E
> partition, hoping that I could format C (C is the big partition, E is
> only about 3gb). Now I am unable to format C, because it is I'm being
> told the C drive is the "system drive", even tho XP is on E.
>
> What I'd ideally would like to do is format the whole thing, get one
> partition and put XP on it. I just can't figure out how. The XP
> version I have is the one that came from Dell.
>

Unless you did something else we don't know about, Dells come with a
very small hidden partition for diagnostics and one large C: partition.
I'm not sure what you did to get things in a twist, but the only way to
deal with it is with a clean install.

Boot from the Dell XP CD, which should be the actual XP operating
system. You may need to change the boot order in the BIOS; I believe
pressing F2 at computer startup will take you into a Dell BIOS, but see
link below if not. Take the installation - not Repair - and delete all
partitions except for the tiny hidden one. Now create one large
partition and format it NTFS. This will be your C:\ drive. Finish
installing Windows.

When you got the Dell, it will have also come with a Dell Resource CD
and various other program CD's. After Windows is installed, put the
Dell Resource CD in the drive and install all drivers and
laptop-specific software. Check on Dell's tech support site for the
specific order of installation. If your original Dell XP CD does not
include Service Pack 2, install SP2 now. Install desired programs and
restore data from backups.

http://michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm - Accessing the BIOS
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html - Clean Install

Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

ThomasN wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I have a Dell Inspiron 5160, that I just tried to reinstall XP Home on.
> Somehow i had two partitions, C and E. XP was on the C drive. I reinstalled
> XP on the C partition, and it didn't do a clean install like I wanted. So I
> tried again, no luck. I then installed it on the E partition, hoping that I
> could format C (C is the big partition, E is only about 3gb). Now I am unable
> to format C, because it is I'm being told the C drive is the "system drive",
> even tho XP is on E.
>
> What I'd ideally would like to do is format the whole thing, get one
> partition and put XP on it. I just can't figure out how. The XP version I
> have is the one that came from Dell.
>
> Can anyone help? Let me know if I should include more information.
>
> Thanks,
> Tom
>


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...B;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

ThomasN wrote:
> I should add that if I insert the install CD, and boot from it, I goo through
> the regular steps, accepting the license agreement, it looks for previous
> copies of windows, and finds one. When I try to format C: here, it tells me
> it can't because it places some temporary setup files there...
>

This error indicates that you are, in fact, *not* booting from the CD,
but rather are starting the installation from within Windows. Are you
positive that you booted from the CD, and not just with the CD in the drive?


--

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

Thanks for your reply! I'm not sure what I did.. I've installed Windows
software several times before, but..

So I followed your instructions.. I set up the computer to boot from the cd
using F2, and used the system disk that came from Dell.

I get to the blue screens that asks if you want to install windows, or
repair it. I select I want to install. It searches and finds that I have an
XP installation on E:. I still want to install, so I select L for that
option. It then says there is already a /WINDOWS directory on the drive, and
that everything will be overwritten. I don't care if it does, so I ok that..
and it starts to install into drive C this time. I was never given the
option to format, create partitions or anything.

Install done, I show the C drive with 25 out of 50gb free.. so it didn't
format it or anything, just installed onto the drive, and left me with about
23GB of "unknown matter"...

At this point I'm tempted to just throw the thing out the window, but.. I
kinda promised this laptop to my wife in exchange for a new one for me.......

Thanks,
Tom



"Malke" wrote:

> ThomasN wrote:
>
> > Hi all,
> >
> > I have a Dell Inspiron 5160, that I just tried to reinstall XP Home
> > on. Somehow i had two partitions, C and E. XP was on the C drive. I
> > reinstalled XP on the C partition, and it didn't do a clean install
> > like I wanted. So I tried again, no luck. I then installed it on the E
> > partition, hoping that I could format C (C is the big partition, E is
> > only about 3gb). Now I am unable to format C, because it is I'm being
> > told the C drive is the "system drive", even tho XP is on E.
> >
> > What I'd ideally would like to do is format the whole thing, get one
> > partition and put XP on it. I just can't figure out how. The XP
> > version I have is the one that came from Dell.
> >
>
> Unless you did something else we don't know about, Dells come with a
> very small hidden partition for diagnostics and one large C: partition.
> I'm not sure what you did to get things in a twist, but the only way to
> deal with it is with a clean install.
>
> Boot from the Dell XP CD, which should be the actual XP operating
> system. You may need to change the boot order in the BIOS; I believe
> pressing F2 at computer startup will take you into a Dell BIOS, but see
> link below if not. Take the installation - not Repair - and delete all
> partitions except for the tiny hidden one. Now create one large
> partition and format it NTFS. This will be your C:\ drive. Finish
> installing Windows.
>
> When you got the Dell, it will have also come with a Dell Resource CD
> and various other program CD's. After Windows is installed, put the
> Dell Resource CD in the drive and install all drivers and
> laptop-specific software. Check on Dell's tech support site for the
> specific order of installation. If your original Dell XP CD does not
> include Service Pack 2, install SP2 now. Install desired programs and
> restore data from backups.
>
> http://michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm - Accessing the BIOS
> http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html - Clean Install
>
> Malke
> --
> Elephant Boy Computers
> www.elephantboycomputers.com
> "Don't Panic!"
> MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
>

Hi Bruce,

You were right, I THOUGHT I was booting from the CD, when I was not. So I
learned something today! Currently the C drive is being formatted, and
things are looking good.
Thanks to both you and Malke for your help!

Tom


"Bruce Chambers" wrote:

> ThomasN wrote:
> > Hi all,
> >
> > I have a Dell Inspiron 5160, that I just tried to reinstall XP Home on.
> > Somehow i had two partitions, C and E. XP was on the C drive. I reinstalled
> > XP on the C partition, and it didn't do a clean install like I wanted. So I
> > tried again, no luck. I then installed it on the E partition, hoping that I
> > could format C (C is the big partition, E is only about 3gb). Now I am unable
> > to format C, because it is I'm being told the C drive is the "system drive",
> > even tho XP is on E.
> >
> > What I'd ideally would like to do is format the whole thing, get one
> > partition and put XP on it. I just can't figure out how. The XP version I
> > have is the one that came from Dell.
> >
> > Can anyone help? Let me know if I should include more information.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Tom
> >
>
>
> 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...B;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
>

ThomasN wrote:

> Hi Bruce,
>
> You were right, I THOUGHT I was booting from the CD, when I was not.
> So I
> learned something today! Currently the C drive is being formatted,
> and things are looking good.
> Thanks to both you and Malke for your help!

You're most welcome. Remember not to connect to the Internet until you
have the Windows XP SP2 firewall (at least) and an antivirus in place.
You'll be just fine.

Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

ThomasN wrote:
> Hi Bruce,
>
> You were right, I THOUGHT I was booting from the CD, when I was not. So I
> learned something today! Currently the C drive is being formatted, and
> things are looking good.
> Thanks to both you and Malke for your help!
>
> Tom
>
>

You're welcome.

--

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