Total computer FAILURE -- HELP

[Nafto]

Hello...

Ok so my computer totally sucks. I have windows xp. Basically I want to burn some important stuff to a cd, then totally wipe out my entire harddrive or whatever and reinstall windows or what not. Basically except for the few files that i'll burn to cds I don't care about the files, i just want to start over without buying a new computer. I have the cd's that came with my computer, which I think are windows ms office and some other stuff.
So what do I do. Do I do that reformating thing? What do I do, i want EVERYTHING gone, registry and everything.
Then after I do that how would I reinstall windows?

[NoteMe]

Check to see if is possible to boot from the CD, if it is possible, then just do that and choose format the HDD you want to format when you get that far in the setup.


ØØ

[Ideas Man]

To delete everything, when you encounter the partition screen, delete all the partitions, then create one big new partition using all of the unallocated space. Then install Windows on that partition, using NTFS. After that, Windows will lots of files to the HDD, and your computer will reboot, at which stage, the setup will resume. Wait a few minutes, then it will ask you some questions. After the networking questions, leave it for about 20 mins and it should be finished.

[dglienna]

if your hard drive is big, I would leave up to half of it unpartitioned. you can always use it later when you need it, and may want to use a partition for your swap drive (which will speed up the system)

[TomGibbons]

...then create one big new partition using all of the unallocated space...

I would advise against this actually.

Let's say for instance you just have one partition. Something gets screwed up and you can't boot into Windows at all - not even in safe mode. You're going to have to format that partition and install Windows again, at which point you will lose all of your files (without slaving the drive in another computer that supports NTFS anyway). On the other hand, if you have use C partition purely for your Windows installation, you can quite freely format that when there's a problem without losing anything. I don't even have My Documents on the C partition anymore.

[Nafto]

I would advise against this actually.

Let's say for instance you just have one partition. Something gets screwed up and you can't boot into Windows at all - not even in safe mode. You're going to have to format that partition and install Windows again, at which point you will lose all of your files (without slaving the drive in another computer that supports NTFS anyway). On the other hand, if you have use C partition purely for your Windows installation, you can quite freely format that when there's a problem without losing anything. I don't even have My Documents on the C partition anymore.

thanks and all... but what's a partition.
All i want to do is erase everything on my computer then reinstal windows. so as i understand if I just put my window cds in it should reinstal windows or w/e but how do I erase all the stuff I have on. Will it do that if I just put the cd's in? what's the reformatting thing?

[Ideas Man]

If you do what I said, you will repartition and reformat your HDD. This way, it will delete all your data (Not exactly, but good enough) and install Windows fresh, you won't see any of your other data once it boots up for the first time.

TomGibbons raised an interesting point, but that depends on how you use it. Some people (like me) find it frustrating when a partition runs outta space and you gotta juggle files between multiple partitions, however, from the formatting standpoint, it does make sense.

If you wish to create two (or more) partitions, the Windows XP partition screen in the early setup will tell you how to create partitions, so it's pretty easy. Just remember, 1GB = 1024MB, not 1000 as some people and corporations believe.
Once you have created your partition(s), select the partition you wish to install Windows on and format it with the NTFS file system.

[Ideas Man]

Let's say for instance you just have one partition. Something gets screwed up and you can't boot into Windows at all - not even in safe mode. You're going to have to format that partition and install Windows again, at which point you will lose all of your files...

That's not true, if you repair the installation of Windows XP, it will work perfectly fine as it is, no need to format, and you don't loose any data.

[Nafto]

I want to lose my data. Everything registry and everything. What's partitioning?

Ok so if I put in the windows cd it'll erase everything for me?

[NoteMe]

Partitioning is to divide a logical HDD so for windows and you it looks like 2. You can do that under the install as Ideas Man said. It is good to do so. It saved me a lot of time last week when I did the same as you are about to do now.



Yes the CD will delete (format) everything you want, just follow the steps that Ideas man gave you, or just read what it says under the install and it will be gone for ever...

[Nafto]

Thanks I'm not at home now so i can't see what happenes but i'm sure i'll be able to work it from this info. just one more thing, not exactly for this but maybe. What's this formatting/reformatting stuff?

[Shaggy Hiker]

Basically, the installation will step you through all of that. If you do a clean install/full install/ or whatever the disk asks about, you will first go to a really cheezy looking screen that will show current partitions, with options at the bottom to delete etc. Delete ALL the partitions. This will require to say YES a couple of times, because it is pretty serious, and the install is trying to make damn sure you REALLY want to lose all your data (you say you do, so this is the way to do it).

Once all the partitions have been deleted, you will have a bunch of unpartitioned space. You will then need to create a partition. This may have an instruction like Create Partition, or Create Primary Boot Sector, but you won't exactly have many options (probably two, create partition or quit). The default size of the partition is all the unpartitioned space, so unless you want to do what Tom G was saying (which might be a bit more than you want to deal with from the sound of it), accept the default. Note that this will leave a small amount of memory outside the partition. There's nothing you can do about this, and you may ignore it.

After that, you will either be asked to format the partition, or you may not even be given the option, since you really should do it. If you are given the option, then take it. Formatting will take a LONG time, up to a few hours for a BIG HD. After that, installation should proceed with minimal involvement from you, so I would say: start out in the morning, and once that slow formatting process begins, do something else, and look in on it every now and then. There's nothing urgently needed from the time formatting begins until the time you are up and running again, so if you aren't around at all times, it really doesn't matter. If the computer needs your input, it'll wait.

[dglienna]

if you have two partitions, your C: drive will become C: and D: (or a different letter for each partition, which acts like a different drive)

[Nafto]

Hello... ok so thanks for all the wonderful comments and answers, but now i'm pissed off because the cd's that i thought I had were actually different ones, and I have two sets of xp cd's that are of different computers and they need some 25 character serial number which doesn't work... so now what? My system restore only goes back a few monthes and this computer is a year or two old, so i have no clue what to do basically. Can I just manually go to my computer and erase drive C: or whatever then somehow get it back (even though I don't think that will solve all of the tons of problems i have)?

[dglienna]

No, you still have to re-install Windows if you wipe out the hard drive.

You might not be out of luck, though. You can call M$ and tell them you mis-placed the serial number to XP. They will be happy to generate another one for you (for a fee). I think that I paid $15 a few years ago. They may ask you to identify something having to do with the front of the CD that contains the official version of windows, as opposed to a copy. think Windows Logo.

[liverpool_rule]

just reofrmast and then do it every three months....a few hours well spent

[Ideas Man]

If you've already got Windows XP installed, try this program to get your product key off the computer.

http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml