XP Uninstallation problems

Bard

I need to uninstall Windows XP from a particular machine. Why I need to do this doesn't matter, - I just do.

The help system in WinXP says to simply go to the add/remove programs Control Panel applet, select "Windows XP" in the list, and click the "Remove" button.

If only it were that simple!!!... "Windows XP" is not showing up in the list!

So ... I'm either waiting until tomorrow morning to contact MS Tech Support or I'm relying on the smart and helpful ones here to provide a solution...

Any ideas?

Frank Grimes

Did you install it as an upgrade or are you dual booting?

zenith

this may sound like a very obvious question, but ...

WHY ARE YOU BOTHERING?

format, reinsall W2k. Laffin. Do not pass go.

Bard

It's a dual-boot system- running Windows 2000 on the C drive and Windows XP on the D drive.

There is also a huge amount of data on both drives that needs to be used in Windows 2000 regularly.

I just want to get rid of XP off the system. Formatting is not really an option.

I may yet end up simply deleting the WINDOWS directory from the D drive and removing the Windows XP option from BOOT.INI, but if it is at all possible, I'd rather go through the proper UNINSTALL procedure.

Frank Grimes

i wish people would read the topic, he said formatting wasnt an option

zenith

can you not just edit the boot.ini and format the drive with XP as necessary? Why does XP have such an awful grip?

if it's in the boot.ini, it's fair game, in other words.

Format away.

If it has a foothold in your boot sector, and some data on C:, hang tough, we may have to reconsider...

[ frank obviously got here seconds before me. the hero. ]

Boston

right, out the word format out of your mind, he said he cant do that.

if you what to get rid of windows xp, delete all xp files(including system files) on the d drive and edit the boot.ini file. you will need to do this from win2k

why are people making this so difficult? i wouldnt trust another install on that drive though without a format, it should work without one but why take a risk.

Bard

like I said, formatting is not an option... I have plenty of data on the D drive that I want to be able to access in Windows 2000.

Windows XP doesn't have anything on C.

it should be perfectly safe, shouldnt it, to go into Windows 2000 and from there, delete the Windows XP "WINDOWS" directory, and edit Windows XP out of the boot.ini file ?

I'm uninstalling because XP was activated with the wrong product ID on this machine. Once I have it removed from this machine, I'll be installing XP on another machine - the one that this product ID is for (the machine that this copy of Windows XP goes with, in other words).

I may yet reinstall it on this machine, but that's "neither here nor there" as they say.

I just want to be sure that it's properly removed... hence the desire to use the proper "uninstall" program.

Frank Grimes

Boston, I though he meant format the whole disk.

Bard

Originally posted by Frank_Grimes
Boston, I though he meant format the whole disk.

eh... sorry, but ... HUH?

what other type of format is there?

--

anyway- someone surely can answer me that question...:

is it safe to simply delete my windowsXP "WINDOWS" directory off the D drive and remove the WindowsXP entry in boot.ini?

oh- and does anyone know how to get into the actual WindowsXP uninstaller when its not listed in "Add/Remove Programs" ? (cos this would be a preferable route to take as far as Im concerned)

simple really

Frank Grimes

Bard, be careful deleting the whole Windows directory. XP might have saved some info. in there depending on the program.
If you've just created a folder on D called data or whatever and saved everything to that, then yeah kill the windows directory and edit the boot.ini

zenith

eh, making this hard I'm not, and master Yoda's syntax I am using.

If you don't want to format, just edit your boot.ini, and windows XP is gone. C'est tout.

You can delete your x:\windows if you like, where x < a drive you care about.

Am I missing something here?

Frank Grimes

what other type of format is there?

I was talking about formatting the D drive. I assumed that you didn't want to format the whole disk (killing all partitions etc.)

The uninstall option will only appear when you install the OS as an upgrade to the existing one, instead of running it in a dual boot setup.

Bard

Originally posted by Frank_Grimes


I was talking about formatting the D drive. I assumed that you didn't want to format the whole disk (killing all partitions etc.)

ah... that's what threw me, y'see... they're two seperate HARD DRIVES, not two seperate partitions on the SAME drive.

The uninstall option will only appear when you install the OS as an upgrade to the existing one, instead of running it in a dual boot setup.

Ah, well that explains it then - ... in that case, I only have one option.

Cheers, y'all, for the feedback.

Frank Grimes

ah... that's what threw me, y'see... they're two seperate HARD DRIVES, not two seperate partitions on the SAME drive.

My own posts are starting to confusing me a little now
It still shouldn't make any odds though, once the bootloader doesn't know the OS is there, you shouldn't have any problem removing the windows directory from the D drive.

Bard

Originally posted by Frank_Grimes


My own posts are starting to confusing me a little now
It still shouldn't make any odds though, once the bootloader doesn't know the OS is there, you shouldn't have any problem removing the windows directory from the D drive.

er... yes...

but you said:

I was talking about formatting the D drive. I assumed that you didn't want to format the whole disk (killing all partitions etc.)


my point is... the D drive IS a whole disk :rolleyes:

nevermind

flamegrill

Simple fact, delete the windows xp directory. *bang* XP is gone. u can remove the xp option or not from the boot.ini, it makes no difference aslong as 2K is the default option. just set the time to 0.

formating a disk or formatting a partition are different. I would refer to a disk format as a low level format, where as anything else you would be just reformatting with "quick" option enabled, and reasing the filesystem on that partition or logical drive.

I think that made sense.

l8r,

Paul

WhiteWashMan

ok, im getting alittle confused here.

you have a hard drive. 1 partition. drive c:\
you havea second hard drive. 1 partition drive d:\

c: has win2k
d: has xp

you want to take xp of drive d: but you want to leave the data

am i getting this so far?

is it possible for you to take the data you want to keep of the drive and format your d: drive?

you cant to the best of my knowledge uninstall an OS where there hasnt been an upgrade.

or else get partition magic and use it to create an extra partition push your data onto it and then format your d: drive.

Bard

Thanks for the helpful suggestions.

What I ended up doing was booting into Windows 2000 and literally 'deleting' every trace of Windows XP, by removing the Windows directory and other Windows XP specific files from and deleting the line of text in BOOT.INI corresponding to Windows XP, while leaving all other data on (which is normally my "DATA" drive) intact.

Everything is now fine. There have been no negative side-affects.

Boston

glad i could help

mayhem#

Originally posted by Bard

I may yet end up simply deleting the WINDOWS directory from the D drive and removing the Windows XP option from BOOT.INI, but if it is at all possible, I'd rather go through the proper UNINSTALL procedure.

This is really your best option done it myself several times. Trouble is MS doesn't like or want you to un-install their OS's.....

mayhem#

And yes, I should read the whole thread before I reply.....

Bard

Originally posted by Boston
glad i could help

you didn't

Boston

Originally posted by Bard


you didn't

i was under the impression you knew what to do but were looking for confirmation. as ive done this before i provided it

WhiteWashMan

Originally posted by Boston


i was under the impression you knew what to do but were looking for confirmation. as ive done this before i provided it

you are, like kevo,

bleedin rapid!