A problem With installation

[Adam Chase]

Hey guys im back. Ok see before i didnt have a Windows XP disk then i got a backup one from a friend. Re-installed windows expecting to have reformated the HDD but that never happened. And now when i restart my computer it gives me the option of Widows XP and Setup windows xp but when i go to setup it asks me for the Windows xp disk i put in the backup and it still asks me. Now all i want to do is reformat my HDD how can i do this? Is there any utilities for this. And if i do reformat it am i going to have to reinstall windows again?

[moistmule]

go to www.bootdisk.com and get a Windows 98 bootdisk (don't get the XP ones, they're big and annoying). Boot your computer with the Windows 98 bootdisk, then at the command prompt type: format x: (where 'x:' is the letter of the drive you wish to format) This will format the drive as FAT32. This will DESTROY ALL DATA. (i'm assuming the drive is small enough for windows 98 to recognise?!)

Anyway, once thats done, reboot and insert your Windows XP CD, when asked to format/partition your disk(s) you may then convert your file system to NTFS if you want to.

[glc]

All you need to do is boot with a LEGAL XP CD and enter Setup. Then you delete all partitions and do a fresh install.

[Cricket]

Another method is to zero-fill the hard drive with a utility like Darik's Boot and Nuke (http://dban.sourceforge.net/)or KillDisk (http://www.killdisk.com/).

Best to get your own WinXP installation CD too.

:) Cricket