reformat hard drive in XP - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

WNYcarpenter · 09-14-2009, 07:04 PM

I've got an old DELL with windows XP that I'm giving to a friend.

anyone have IT experience that can help me?

I'm trying to delete everything and get back to square one. I have the software to re-install the operating system, but I haven't been able to start the process.

I tried rebooting and using the menu before windows was loaded, but nothing, nor did I find an option in the control panel.

Thanks in advance....LOL

ABLE1 · 09-14-2009, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WNYcarpenter

I've got an old DELL with windows XP that I'm giving to a friend.

anyone have IT experience that can help me?

I'm trying to delete everything and get back to square one. I have the software to re-install the operating system, but I haven't been able to start the process.

I tried rebooting and using the menu before windows was loaded, but nothing, nor did I find an option in the control panel.

Thanks in advance....LOL

I am first to say I am not an IT person soooooooooooooooooo

While in the BIOS menu set the first to boot to be the CD. The pop in the WINXP disk and it should boot, might even give you a choice to re-load XP or format the HDD and install from there.

Again, I am first to say I am not an IT person soooooooooooooooooo

Caveat Emptor.

Good luck.

Les

SLSTech · 09-14-2009, 07:23 PM

Mr. I am not an IT guy has probably got your problem solved

To access the bios (if it does not show up normally while booting) is by pressing the f2 key while the machine is booting up

http://support.dell.com/support/topi...dhs&dn=1012573

ABLE1 · 09-14-2009, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLSTech

Mr. I am not an IT guy has probably got your problem solved

To access the bios (if it does not show up normally while booting) is by pressing the f2 key while the machine is booting up

Well he said he was already in the "menu before Windows was loaded" but YES what he said.

Later,

Les

shanekw1 · 09-14-2009, 08:29 PM

Well, I did go to college for a couple years for computers so here's my help.

Reboot the computer, access the setup menu by pressing delete, or i guess f2 as the dell site says, I've never formatted a dell.

Once in the setup menu, find advanced BIOS features, Boot sequence or something similar.

In the menu, find the line that says first boot device, set it to read cd-rom.

http://ice.he.net/~hedden//bootcd.html shows many examples of the bios menus and how to set them to boot from cd.

Put in the XP cd then save your settings and exit.

The computer will restart and should boot from the cd.

Select the option to set up XP now.

After the setup initializes, and you agree to the EULA, you should get to a screen asking which drive to install to. Yours should have a list of at least one partition called C:
Now here what I usually do is delete the C: partition. Then you will come to a screen like this one, where you select create a partition in the unpartitioned space.

On this screen, use the default size as it will be set to the maximum already.

Now you have a new partition, select this to install XP to.

On the next screen, format using NTFS.

Sit back and watch the installation.

WNYcarpenter · 09-14-2009, 08:30 PM

You're both right......thanks.

I actually found a tutorial online that i'm following, but I had to get my sis on the phone to walk me through the Bios page. I had no idea it would be this difficult! My laptop is easy! It would have taken 35 pages on this thread for me to get it!

ha

, I'm not done....so far you guys are spot on.....I might be back!

I thought giving a PC to a friend was a good idea.....just didn't want any old files left......believe it or not this challenge is fun, different than my normal problem solving.

WNYcarpenter · 09-14-2009, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shanekw1

Well, I did go to college for a couple years for computers so here's my help.

Reboot the computer, access the setup menu by pressing delete, or i guess f2 as the dell site says, I've never formatted a dell.

Once in the setup menu, find advanced BIOS features, Boot sequence or something similar.

In the menu, find the line that says first boot device, set it to read cd-rom.

http://ice.he.net/~hedden//bootcd.html shows many examples of the bios menus and how to set them to boot from cd.

Put in the XP cd then save your settings and exit.

The computer will restart and should boot from the cd.

Select the option to set up XP now.

After the setup initializes, and you agree to the EULA, you should get to a screen asking which drive to install to. Yours should have a list of at least one partition called C:
Now here what I usually do is delete the C: partition. Then you will come to a screen like this one, where you select create a partition in the unpartitioned space.

On this screen, use the default size as it will be set to the maximum already.

Now you have a new partition, select this to install XP to.

On the next screen, format using NTFS.

Sit back and watch the installation.

Exactly....

I think I'm there, but I still have a boat load of CDs....drivers, utilities, works, ..........honestly like 20 cds specific to this PC.

shanekw1 · 09-14-2009, 08:41 PM

I hate installing all those peripheral cds.

ABLE1 · 09-14-2009, 08:49 PM

Well at least I said it in 25 words or less.

Warren · 09-14-2009, 08:52 PM

Fun, yeah!
Recently, my youngest bought a new game for her computer that required more memory and a new video card. Now I have done a few things inside a computer, but not too much. We decided to reformat while we were doing everything else. One thing lead to another, and now we have a frankenstein of a computer. Hard drive is now in one of the top bays, right undr the new dvd drive. New power supply, new memory (which was replaced twice, as one failed after a month). Now her cordless mouse is crappin out so we hooked up an old one. Starting to think (and Im sure she is too) that it may soon be time for a new machine.

shanekw1 · 09-14-2009, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ABLE1

Well at least I said it in 25 words or less.

Hey,

$10,000 student loan, 2 years of class and 7 years before I finally did something with it, I got a little excited.

ABLE1 · 09-14-2009, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shanekw1

Hey,

$10,000 student loan, 2 years of class and 7 years before I finally did something with it, I got a little excited.

I'll see your $10,000 and raise you about 28++ years of playing with these little toys. My first was the Timex Sinclair. Maybe a little before your time.

Les

shanekw1 · 09-14-2009, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ABLE1

I'll see your $10,000 and raise you about 28++ years of playing with these little toys. My first was the Timex Sinclair. Maybe a little before your time.

Les

Commodore 64, Apple IIe were the first ones I played on, started in grade 3 or 4 when our school got its very first computer and I got to be the computer guy.

Saw my first mouse attached to my grandmother's Amiga.

Wrote a bunch of stupid little BASIC programs on some weird little thing my mom won in a contest, wouldn't do anything till you told it to.

Was all fun till I decided to do it full time. Data structures in queues and algorithm analysis got to be a touch to freaking boring for me.

MALCO.New.York · 09-14-2009, 09:33 PM

Actually, when you are through, it should look like this!!!!

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/c...k/untitled.jpg

shanekw1 · 09-14-2009, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MALCO.New.York

Actually, when you are through, it should look like this!!!!

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/c...k/untitled.jpg

Damn, dude. I think you need more room.

I do have more than just one partition, I was trying to keep it simple.

angus242 · 09-14-2009, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MALCO.New.York

Actually, when you are through, it should look like this!!!!

12 TB?????? Holy Chit!

MALCO.New.York · 09-14-2009, 10:10 PM

2 Internal, 2 External.

3.2 In total.

That 9802GB is a Typo. It is ONLY 980GB.

I am a "Media Pirate Whore"!

And a MUSIC Aficionado. MANY Genres!!!

9 Partitions ?

angus242 · 09-14-2009, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MALCO.New.York

2 Internal, 2 External.

3.2 In total.

Whew! I thought you had too much time on your hands

I actually just ordered drives last week to get me to 2TB.

MALCO.New.York · 09-14-2009, 10:45 PM

One can NEVER possess too much data and info!

EVER!

Einstein once said sumpin' like............."I do not commit to memory that which I can easily look up".

Me neither!!!

angus242 · 09-14-2009, 10:49 PM

Absolutely! The problem is making sure you have a way to back it all up.

I've been itching to get a BR burner. It's the cost of the media that kills me. $5 per disk. Ouch

I suppose still a cheap peace of mind as opposed to losing 20 gigs of, um...archived music