Laura
December 5th 03, 11:02 PM
OK. I created a boot up disk. I also put the
Active@KillDisk file on there from the website.
But I am still not quite clear on what exactly I need to
do. I'm a little freaked that I'm going to totally
annihilate my PC here and I need it to work on tomorrow!
=-)
Am I correct in believing these are my next steps?
- Reboot my PC w/ the "bootable" disk in the drive.
- Go though the process to clean off my harddrive, erase
my partitions, etc.
- Reboot my PC again this time with the Windows XP CD.
Install XP as normal.
The Active@KillDisk site said something about having to
use FORMAT and FDISK to repartition the drive and make
it "useable" again after I erase the hard drive. What
exactly does this mean? I think I'm missing a step, but
not sure what I need to do.
Thanks for your help. I am patiently following the white
rabbit. Haha. =-)
Laura
>-----Original Message-----
>How do I create a Windows Boot Disk? I've searched the
>help and can't find how to do this. And what 2
>additional files do I need to put on it?
>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>You have not screwed up your system, let out a deep
>>breath. If you are trying to accomplish a full reload
>>and not just re-intall windows then there are
somethings
>>you need to take into consideration.
>>
>>Do you have a full version of XP and is it on CD?
>>(if a downloaded version did you back it off to CD?
>>
>>If you did not buy XP do you have the manufacturer
>>restore CD's that allow you to fully reload your system.
>>(case in point - one of my machines from Compaq came
>>loaded with XP on a recovery partiton, but no CD's. So
>>fully wiping my hard drive would have been certain
>death,
>>and I would have had to order them from Compaq (at a
>>price) However they did include a feature to create
one
>>set of restore CD's for my machine. I did this so that
>I
>>would have a good copy and not have to purchase them.)
>>Be sure you know exactly what you have from the
>>manufacturer is restore CD's and not just driver CD's.
>>
>>Is all of your data that you want to keep saved to
>>external media like a CD or other internal hard drive
>etc?
>>
>>Do you have all the drivers you need for you machine
and
>>it's devices?
>>
>>If so then you are ready to begin. If you want to wipe
>>you hard drive first there are free programs that will
>>work for such a matter as erasing everything on it
>before
>>you begin. One of the programs that I use for low
level
>>erasing is Active@ Killdisk v 2.0. The trial version
>>will do just fine for your case.
>>
>>You will have to create a Windows Boot Disk and add two
>>files from the program to it.
>>
>>After you erase the drive (all partitions) unless you
>>have a recovery partition like stated above. Be sure
>>which you are erasing. Then reload Windows.
>>
>>Have Fun... and follow the White Rabbit
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>I wanted to rebuild my PC. I tried going through the
>re-
>>>installation of Windows XP Professional, and while
that
>>>DID re-install Windows, what I wanted to do is a
>>complete
>>>rebuild of the entire system.
>>>
>>>So first question is..... Is there any way to do
this?
>>>Like a complete reformat of the hard drive.
>>>
>>>Next, if this isn't possible and a re-installation of
>>the
>>>OS is all I can do, then how do I clean up my system
as
>>>far as software previously loaded, etc. goes? Because
>>>now when I go into Add/Remove Software NOTHING
>appears.
>>>But if I go into Windows Explorer, I've got all my
>>>programs etc. there.
>>>
>>>Additionally, now when I boot up, it goes to some kind
>>of
>>>multiple boot menu, where I get to choose what OS I
>want
>>>to use. But both entries say Windows XP
Professional.
>>I
>>>didn't have multiple boot before and I certainly
didn't
>>>set it up on the re-install.
>>>
>>>I think I really screwed up my PC by doing the re-
>>>install, but now I'm just trying to recover. Any help?
>>>
>>>Thanks.
>>>.
>>>
>>.
>>
>.
>
Active@KillDisk file on there from the website.
But I am still not quite clear on what exactly I need to
do. I'm a little freaked that I'm going to totally
annihilate my PC here and I need it to work on tomorrow!
=-)
Am I correct in believing these are my next steps?
- Reboot my PC w/ the "bootable" disk in the drive.
- Go though the process to clean off my harddrive, erase
my partitions, etc.
- Reboot my PC again this time with the Windows XP CD.
Install XP as normal.
The Active@KillDisk site said something about having to
use FORMAT and FDISK to repartition the drive and make
it "useable" again after I erase the hard drive. What
exactly does this mean? I think I'm missing a step, but
not sure what I need to do.
Thanks for your help. I am patiently following the white
rabbit. Haha. =-)
Laura
>-----Original Message-----
>How do I create a Windows Boot Disk? I've searched the
>help and can't find how to do this. And what 2
>additional files do I need to put on it?
>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>You have not screwed up your system, let out a deep
>>breath. If you are trying to accomplish a full reload
>>and not just re-intall windows then there are
somethings
>>you need to take into consideration.
>>
>>Do you have a full version of XP and is it on CD?
>>(if a downloaded version did you back it off to CD?
>>
>>If you did not buy XP do you have the manufacturer
>>restore CD's that allow you to fully reload your system.
>>(case in point - one of my machines from Compaq came
>>loaded with XP on a recovery partiton, but no CD's. So
>>fully wiping my hard drive would have been certain
>death,
>>and I would have had to order them from Compaq (at a
>>price) However they did include a feature to create
one
>>set of restore CD's for my machine. I did this so that
>I
>>would have a good copy and not have to purchase them.)
>>Be sure you know exactly what you have from the
>>manufacturer is restore CD's and not just driver CD's.
>>
>>Is all of your data that you want to keep saved to
>>external media like a CD or other internal hard drive
>etc?
>>
>>Do you have all the drivers you need for you machine
and
>>it's devices?
>>
>>If so then you are ready to begin. If you want to wipe
>>you hard drive first there are free programs that will
>>work for such a matter as erasing everything on it
>before
>>you begin. One of the programs that I use for low
level
>>erasing is Active@ Killdisk v 2.0. The trial version
>>will do just fine for your case.
>>
>>You will have to create a Windows Boot Disk and add two
>>files from the program to it.
>>
>>After you erase the drive (all partitions) unless you
>>have a recovery partition like stated above. Be sure
>>which you are erasing. Then reload Windows.
>>
>>Have Fun... and follow the White Rabbit
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>I wanted to rebuild my PC. I tried going through the
>re-
>>>installation of Windows XP Professional, and while
that
>>>DID re-install Windows, what I wanted to do is a
>>complete
>>>rebuild of the entire system.
>>>
>>>So first question is..... Is there any way to do
this?
>>>Like a complete reformat of the hard drive.
>>>
>>>Next, if this isn't possible and a re-installation of
>>the
>>>OS is all I can do, then how do I clean up my system
as
>>>far as software previously loaded, etc. goes? Because
>>>now when I go into Add/Remove Software NOTHING
>appears.
>>>But if I go into Windows Explorer, I've got all my
>>>programs etc. there.
>>>
>>>Additionally, now when I boot up, it goes to some kind
>>of
>>>multiple boot menu, where I get to choose what OS I
>want
>>>to use. But both entries say Windows XP
Professional.
>>I
>>>didn't have multiple boot before and I certainly
didn't
>>>set it up on the re-install.
>>>
>>>I think I really screwed up my PC by doing the re-
>>>install, but now I'm just trying to recover. Any help?
>>>
>>>Thanks.
>>>.
>>>
>>.
>>
>.
>