XP Pro Install - Help

Fidelis

Right, here's the deal:

I only just started using WinXP Pro as of yesterday (Win98SE before that) & I'm having some problems with the partitions on my 38GB hard drive. Under Win98, I had two partitions. The main C: drive (34GB) & a Windows backup drive (4GB), both in FAT32. Now the problems begin...

I popped in the Xp Pro CD, booted from it & installed it on the partitioned C: drive of 34GB. I chose to install it in NTFS format (excuse me if I'm talking out of my chimney here, I'm wingin' it!). A friend recommended that particular format over Fat32 for it's supposed advantages in multiple accounts, security, sharing etc. I hadn't a clue, to be honest. Figured it'd be handy for the rest of the family to have their own accounts. I'm not that keen about it anymore though. I don't really like the unpersonal feel of having all the other accounts & personal 'My Documents' fodlers etc.

So at this point, I thought that I'd go & install XP Pro again, except this time, in Fat32 format. Same deal again, boot up from CD, but when I get to installing the OS, it only gives me two options - 1.install in NTFS format (quick) & 2.install in NTFS format.

At this point, I bought a copy of Partition Magic 8.0 & gave that a whack. It has an option to change the format of the drive from NTFS to FAT32. SO I did that & all was well, but I still had all those personalised folders lying about my computer. This may seem trivial to most of you but I really hate having useless folders lying around, which you can't delete, like the 'Shared Documents' & 'Fidelis' Documents' folders. I used an option in Partition Magic to 'securely delete' all the data on the C: drive. As far as I know, this worked properly. When Partition Magic had finished with this job, the PC rebooted & I booted from the XP Pro CD. When I went through the install menu's I saw that, once again, I was stuck with only the two options - NTFS quick & NTFS. There wasn't an option to install the OS in FAT32 format even though the hard drive was in FAT32 format previously.

To give a brief summary, I messed up, installed NTFS without knowing what I was doing & I'm asking for help What I want to do now is totally erase everything on my hard drive (C: & ) and do a clean install of XP Pro in FAT32 format.

If it helps, I'm using XP Pro (Service Pack 1) at the moment with my C: in NTFS format.

Cheers!

IronMan

Windows XP creates all them crappy folders, and multiple user accounts by default, the choice of file system won't change that. When you used Partition Magic you wiped the data, but you retained the file system, that is why when you go to re-install they are the only options you get. NTFS is a better file system all things considered. If you don't like the way XP does things (which I don't), then stay an older version.

Saruman

Eh... i dont get it.. did windows 98 not do the same for multiple users? Setup diff profiles and documents folders? Im sure it did..

Win2k certainly does. I dont see the problem myself... its very simple and straight forward to me.

Fidelis

Thanks for the info, IronMan. I was kinda hoping that the multiple user accounts were just a part of the NTFS system

Saruman, it's not that I find the default personalised folders confusing, simply unnecessary. I'm a bit of a neatness freak when it comes to this kind of thing. I just don't like having folders lying around which can't be renamed or deleted, you know? I guess I'm just fussy

Hmmm... I think I'll try to stick with it for now & see how it goes. Thanks again.

woolymammoth

hey Fidelis,

if you wanna just get rid of some of those default folders on the desktop just,

• right click on the desktop, goto properties
• hit the Desktop tab
• hit the Customise Desktop button
• uncheck the boxes for the folders you don't want.

and then OK all the way

Fidelis

Thanks woolymammoth, but I'm refering to the "All Users" folders in the Documents & Settings and also the "Shared Documents" foder located in Windows Explorer. Thanks anyway

jabberwock

the All user folder are like the default profile in nt. When a new user logs on they get this set of folder in their account.

Woden

i'm running xp and i'm the only user that has access, as a result there is only my documents folder and the shared documents folder, so when setting up the computer just pick one user, or (i'm not sure if there is an option for this) no user which means that you only have one my documents folder, also in the user account make sure that that your files are not private and then there is no shared folder as all files are accesible for everyone i think.