Reformatting help

[Tricen]

Alright so I'm tying to reformat (windows xp) and I got to the point where I put the blue disc in and it loaded all the crap and restarted and I booted from cd, etc, but now it's saying something about partitions and that an operating system is already installed on this partition or something. It's confusing and I have no idea what it wants from me. Help

[Cephius]

It's just telling you that it's detected a Windows installation and wants to know if you want to repair it. When it gives you the list of partitions, just delete them all until you have one listing for "unpartitioned space" and then choose that as your destination for the Windows install.

[sruon]

Doing a clean reinstall and backed up your files? Just hit C to delete all the partitions then create a new one.

If not you'll have to input another name for the Windows folder most likely.

[Tricen]

Ok I deleted it, and now it wants to partition using the ntfs file system and one has quick next to it and one doesn't. What's the difference?

[Isiolia]

Full format checks the disk for bad sectors in addition to wiping the file system table.

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=302686

[Cephius]

Just do the quick option, the other one takes far too long and there's no real benefit

[Tricen]

Ugh, WTF. It keeps bringing me back to the same thing. Now there's an 8mg unpartitioned space and a pertitioned apace that has windows on it already? I hate computers so much

[sruon]

The 8mb unpartitionned part is "normal", Windows always does that...

Not sure why it's looping on you though.

[Isiolia]

Did you remove all the partitions, or just one of them?

The unpartitioned space thing is normal for Windows.

[Tricen]

Alright, well I guess I need my hand held through this or something. The instructions the little pamphlet says isn't adding up. I can't get to the insert red disc step thing again. It just keeps bringing me back to Welcome to Setup this portion of the setup program prepares microsoft windows xp to run on your comp.

[sruon]

Did the setup reboot the computer before it came back into this screen? Might be because you're booting on the CD before the HDD.

[Tricen]

Did the setup reboot the computer before it came back into this screen? Might be because you're booting on the CD before the HDD.

Yeah everytime it loads something it reboots.

[sruon]

Take off the CD when it reboots, like, when it does the countdown. It should boot into the next setup sequence (on the HDD).

[Tricen]

So I guess these instructions expect people to know how to use computers since they omit the little steps or something. I feel stupid QQ

[Isiolia]

Well, usually it won't automatically boot the CD once there's Windows on the HDD. It'll do the "Press any key to boot from CD" thing.

[Tricen]

Yeah, I got windows installed and stuff now. I guess I just install drivers and then applications and stuff?

[Norellicus]

Si.

[sruon]

Something to help you out...

French website but has english language and can proves really useful with drivers.

http://www.ma-config.com/en/home/

Download & Install the plugin, then refresh the page. Then Start Detection, once completed click on "Download drivers compatible with this configuration"

It will show a Download icon next to the drivers that need installation/update and will redirect you to a page offering you the download for it.

[Tricen]

I have no idea what it wants me to do. This is so frustrating.

[Tricen]

Now I'm havin issues it the original drivers cd. When I put the driver cd after everything has been loaded, a box pops up on my desktop that says system restoration kit and it doesn't do anything. I'm pretty sure drivers are important right?