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Reformat harddrive?

  • 12-01-2009 3:51pm
    #1
    Killme00
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,441 ✭✭✭


    I have a home pc which is screwed. I want to reformat the harddrive and reinstall the os (xp). Can i do this without the os on disk, is there anything i can do if i dont have it?


Comments

  • #2
    kaimera
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,396 ✭✭✭✭kaimera


    how do you intend to reinstall the OS if you dont have it on disk?


  • #3
    Killme00
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,441 ✭✭✭Killme00


    kaimera wrote: »
    how do you intend to reinstall the OS if you dont have it on disk?

    thats the question i asked!!

    anyway i think i have an old xp disk somewhere


  • #4
    Slow Motion
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,831 ✭✭✭Slow Motion


    Short answer is no! Also to re-format the HDD you need a disk with the format option on it, your OS disk may not have this facility and might just allow you to repair / re-install the OS, you will also need to make the CD drive bootable by going into the BIOS setup (F2 for example) on startup.


  • #5
    Lazarus2.0
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,772 ✭✭✭Lazarus2.0


    What is the make and model of the PC ? Is it running XP Home or XP Pro ? Have you lost the XP CD or did you not get one with the computer . If you didnt get one there may be a recovery partition on the hard drive or a utility to allow you to create a restore CD .


  • #6
    Killme00
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,441 ✭✭✭Killme00


    nessyguin wrote: »
    What is the make and model of the PC ? Is it running XP Home or XP Pro ? Have you lost the XP CD or did you not get one with the computer . If you didnt get one there may be a recovery partition on the hard drive or a utility to allow you to create a restore CD .

    Thanks for the replies.

    The computer has a restore utilty option on it but it freezes at about 80% which is why i just want to reformat from a disk. I have another copy of xp.

    is there another way of deleting everything on the computer (profiles and all) except the os and just starting fresh.


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  • #7
    Lazarus2.0
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,772 ✭✭✭Lazarus2.0


    Ideally you could use the same branded OEM CD (e.g. a Dell CD for a Dell machine , etc) for the same OS (hence the question about XP Home or Pro)and a format and clean instal should work with your product key . Using the 'wrong' Cd can be problematic but isnt always .

    You could clean up your PC by deleting accounts , running various utilities , removing unwanted stuff , etc . Very time consuming and not as effective as format/clean instal but the upside is you dont lose installed programs and data . Remember to save any user documents before deleting their profile .

    Check out the sticky at the top of the page for Essential Freeware . ATF Cleaner , Ccleaner , spyware scan , antimalwarebytes (virus scan only) would spring to mind for trying to boost a system but all depends on the issues on your machine , if any . Sometimes a bit more RAM is all that is needed .


  • #8
    Slow Motion
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,831 ✭✭✭Slow Motion


    Killme00 wrote: »
    Thanks for the replies.

    The computer has a restore utilty option on it but it freezes at about 80% which is why i just want to reformat from a disk. I have another copy of xp.

    is there another way of deleting everything on the computer (profiles and all) except the os and just starting fresh.

    Not really, your more likely to screw it up even more, do you know any techies? If so see if anyone has a copy of the "Ultimate Boot Disk", it has a load of options to re-format re-partition etc. and is quite easy to use, I think you might be able to download it from the net and burn it to a CD, not sure where from though. You really should get someone who knows what they are doing, to do it for you (no offence meant;))


  • #9
    Killme00
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,441 ✭✭✭Killme00


    Thanks for the advice, i'll ask around for the Ultimate boot CD and a techie to do it for me. In the meatime ill try to delete some profiles and as many files as i can, even though it will be very slow.

    Thanks for all the advice.



    Oh and no offense at all, i'm a real meathead when it comes to things like this.


  • #10
    Lazarus2.0
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,772 ✭✭✭Lazarus2.0


    There's a link to Ultimate Boot CD in post#2 in the aforementioned sticky ...


  • #11
    Killme00
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,441 ✭✭✭Killme00


    Well, i am happy to repot that i have reformatted the drive sucessfully from an XP disk i had. The computer is now empty and is running fine...wohhooo

    Success for the meathead, no more typing with the thumbs for me

    Thanks guys

    :D:D:D


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  • #12
    Lazarus2.0
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,772 ✭✭✭Lazarus2.0


    Lol ! Happy Days :)


  • #13
    Slow Motion
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,831 ✭✭✭Slow Motion


    Killme00 wrote: »
    Well, i am happy to repot that i have reformatted the drive sucessfully from an XP disk i had. The computer is now empty and is running fine...wohhooo

    Success for the meathead, no more typing with the thumbs for me

    Thanks guys

    :D:D:D

    Welcome to geeksville!:p


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