Comp Help Needed - XP install

SON240sx Automotive
1

Hey guys,

I just got a new laptop and was trying to install a fresh version of XP on it. For some reason though, during hte XP install it just installed a completely new version of XP and I now have two versions of the OS on this system.

How can I basically reformat this whole thing so that I only have ONE fresh copy of XP installed.

Thanks.

ps - this laptop will be used for datalogging so it is some what car-related :slight_smile:

EDIT - the sytem was used, thatā€™s why it already had a version of XP on it but it had a bunch of other crap I didnā€™t need. Thatā€™s why I was trying to start fresh.

2

dan when youā€™re going through the windows setup it will give you the option to erase your partition(s). Delete ALL of them and then create a new one. When it asks for the size just leave it at what it is, which will be the maximum size allowed.

Then it will give you the option to format, use NTFS quick format and youā€™ll be on your way.

3

Thanks John, I thought I had done that but perhaps notā€¦ let me give it another shot.

4

Well I got this when I went to delete the partition:

Setup is unable to perform the reqested operation on the selected partition. This partition contains temporary Setup files that are required to complete the installation.

To continue, press Enter

And other help?

5

hes trying to delete a partition but it has windows setup files on it that he needs in order to continue his windows installation

it sounds like you began installing windows (most likley by putting in the setup disc while already in windows) and after windows restarted to continue installation, you tried to delete the partition on your hdd to create a new one (fresh), but the setup wont allow you to do it because thats where the setup files from the installer are waiting to complete installation

dont delete the partition (if thats what your trying to do), just chose to install windows on the current partition and see where that goes.

D-KILLA

6

I was on the phone with him for a bit about this. Itā€™s a strange case, apparently its common with used drives that have some bad sectors or if the partition table is corrupt for whatever reason.

He even gets the error using DISKPART.exe in Recovery Console.

Iā€™m still waiting to hear back on his chkdsk /r results. Any update on that Dan-O?

7

Chkdsk completed 100% with no bad sectors.

At the prompt I even tried Format C:// but even after a format if I ran DIR all the directories were still there.

It seems the only guys that have had any success with this thing have created bootdisks and gone old school on it.

Any other ideas Johnny-boy??

8

Iā€™m honestly stumped buddy :-x

you could just go the boot disk route but like you said you have no floppy in that pc, so youā€™ll have to make one on a CD or get a usb floppy drive (I have one if you want to borrow it)

haha, dos boot disk on a cd, thats not normal.

9

The problem sounds like you are trying to delete something while using it, which is not possible.

Next time you start the computer, when it shows ā€˜press ESCā€™ or ā€˜F1ā€™, do so. It should say it during the start-up screen. If you miss it, then you will need to wait and restart again.

Once in set-up, look for something along the lines of ā€˜partitionsā€™ or ā€˜formatā€™, and take a gander at your options. Think logically on what makes sence to do. If done correctly, you should be in a safe DOS mode running off the motherboard (CMOS) and this will allow you to destroy and rebuild partitions and restore hard-drives.

You dont neccessarily WANT to destroy partitions though, this can lead to numerous problem. I did this with my old computer and fried the system. Good thing it was 11 years old, i need a new computer anyways.

A different solution to the destroying partitions route would be to overlay one OS ontop of the previous one. Like re-recording an MP3. Iā€™m not sure exactly how this would be done.

The floppy boot-up is always going to be your back-up. That will always work aslong as your system is not fried (it could happen).

However it just dawned on me that you wrote that you are NOW running a dual-boot system, where both OSā€™s are XP. Are you given a choice upon start-up of which to boot up. Because if you are given that choice, then it should be quick and easy to just enter the new OS that you just installed, and delete the partition of the drive holding the old windows system.

In any scenario, it is unlikely that the system would tell you that another parition cannot be deleted after installation, because the self-installer automatically deletes the installation files after its completion.

However this scenario COULD potentially arise if say you hadnt fully installed the OS, or something was missing in the installation.

I hate fukcing computers.

Good luck with your endeavors,
(Try and pad of paper and pencil from now on)

10

Well - I tooled with this a bit more last night and got it.

Thanks for all the help boys.

11

My big long post went to wasteā€¦that blows.

12

No Osad,

It helped dudeā€¦

The problem seemed to be that the machine used to run Windows 2000. Therefore, it was your comments about a dual boot system that made me realize that there were a number of winnt folders. When I tried to repair the winnt folders I could actually access the partion and deleted it there.

Once I deleted the partition from within the NT folderā€¦ when I ran the XP setup I could now properlly setup the partition.

13

Osad just FYI deleting a partition cannot ā€œfryā€ a system :smiley:

Good stuff Dan! It still doesnt make sense because during setup that you boot off of the CD you arenā€™t accessing either of those installs, but thats likely some sort of bug in the way ā€˜diskpartā€™ tests to see whether the partition is in use or not.

14

HAHA, i know it cant fry your system ,but when you have an 11 year old computer running 32mb of memoryā€¦pretty much moving your mouse can fry the system.

Glad i was of some help Dan.