Installing WinXP question

**Beirut** · 04-01-2008, 11:55

To re-install WinXP Home Edition on a machine (with one HD), do you format the main drive and then simply restart the computer and insert the WinXP disk?

Thanks.

**Kekvit Irae** · 04-01-2008, 13:44

Insert your Win XP disc, then restart the computer. When it says "Press any key to boot from CD", do so. The installation program will give you the option of formatting from there.

**Beirut** · 04-01-2008, 14:02

Thanks.

But can you do it the other way as well, format first and install WinXP after?

**Kekvit Irae** · 04-01-2008, 14:11

Yes, but normally you wouldn't want to do that because if your CD is scratched or damaged, you won't be able to boot it up. In that case, you're left with an empty shell of a computer until you get another bootable CD.

You can view detailed instructions here.

**LeftEyeNine** · 04-01-2008, 14:25

Theoretically yes.

But practically, the procedure is that the bootable WinXP CD formats your hard drive during setup, prior to the installation of WinXP.

Edit: Harg. Kek-chan is swift.

Beirut, formatting first would need booting from some floppy disk into DOS, which is some mess I'd advise keeping away from. Mind if I ask why ?

**Beirut** · 04-01-2008, 15:14

Originally Posted by LeftEyeNine

Beirut, formatting first would need booting from some floppy disk into DOS, which is some mess I'd advise keeping away from. Mind if I ask why ?

The HD in his rig now has a mondo corrupted version of XP Pro in it. (He bought the HD used with XP Pro on it and put it in the new rig he had built.) He gets the BSOD every time he sneezes. So yesterday I installed XP Home Edition on his rig, clicking the little thing-a-ma-boober that said it would overwrite the previous install, but when the machine boots up, it has both the old XP Pro in it as well as XP HE, and asks you which you want to use. Both work.

I don't want the machine to have a dual OS, just XP HE.

**Xiahou** · 04-01-2008, 16:15

When it boots from CD, you have to pick the option to reformat the drive. Look for it carefully, it should be there. Overwriting the previous install is something I would not advise.

**Beirut** · 04-01-2008, 16:54

I could have sworn I did pick the reformat option. I must have done something wrong.

I'll give 'er another go. Thanks for the help Xiahou, and everyone.

**R'as al Ghul** · 04-02-2008, 17:26

Originally Posted by Beirut

The HD in his rig now has a mondo corrupted version of XP Pro in it. (He bought the HD used with XP Pro on it and put it in the new rig he had built.) He gets the BSOD every time he sneezes.

Windows' registry doesn't know what to make of it if you transplant a HD from one machine to another with different hardware. That can be solved if the old registry entries are deleted and the hardware recognition process is started. But it's difficult and shouldn't be tried if you don't know what you do.
That's why reinstalling is best. If you boot the CD you need to choose the installation process and then you'll get the options to repair, reformat or overwrite.

**Beirut** · 04-02-2008, 18:14

I redid the install and found the format doo-hickey Xiahou spoke of. I missed it the first time and ended up with that stinky dual OS setup. The second time went well and my buddy is now at home flying away on a clean machine, which is all he wanted to do. No internet, no nothing, he just wanted to fly IL2.

Ended up costing him around $700 (AMD-64-4000/2GB RAM/8600GT) for the rig and he has one program on it.

I love it.