windows xp problems

[vince2100]

ok, i did a fresh install of windows xp, and during the installation process, it showed me the 3 partitions i had. I removed 2 of the partitions and left the c: drive. Then i proceeded to installing windows xp. I thought that i would have like 35 gb of free space, since i have a 40gb hard drive. but when everything was done installing, i only had 2.5 gb of hard drive space left. My other partions took 30 gb of space. I don't think that the info that was stored in these 2 partitions got deleted. Do i have to reinstall windows again? i'm quite confused right now.

[lptech]

You should re-do the whole hard disk drive. Meaning delete all of the existing partitions(DOS and non-DOS)/reboot/check to see if any partitions are still left/reboot again/fdisk to create single partition using all of the HDD/reboot then install Windows XP!

Also, make sure that your existing mobo supports larger HDDs like the one you currently have! If not, it's time to update the BIOS or get a whole new mobo for the system. Let us know how you do on this project. Good luck.

[vince2100]

i'm quite a noob so i need some more help..
i have xp running right now.. what should i do first to format my whole hard drive, and then install xp?
sorry if my lack of skills is frustrating u, but i would appreciate it a lot.

[BipolarBill]

Open Disk Management (DISKMGMT.MSC) and look at your drive. You can't expand the existing C drive without something like this:

http://www.cadvancedap.com/Zeleps/

[vince2100]

thanx bipolarbill for the site..
my windows xp is installed win ntfs (i don't even know what that is). so, i don't know if i need the program..
the main question i have is, how can i format c: drive so that all my files r completely gone, and i can still install xp. this is probably an easy question to answer, but i'm not very computer skilled.

[Billforce]

Download a small program named Killpart. Start your PC with a boot disk from A: drive, insert the Killpart disquette and run Killpart. It will kill ALL partitions on your HD. Then reboot with a start up disquette like the Win98 start disk and fdisk your hard into the number of partitons you want. Then boot the PC from the XP CD and it will ask you which partition you want to install XP on. It will format the drive for you and install. It won´t effect the other partitions, you can format them either with fat32 or NTFS as you desire.

billforce
¨In the valley of the blind, the one eyed man is king!¨

[vince2100]

sorry guys, i'm still confused..
do i do it like this:
- fdisk c:
- then install xp

i have no idea how to format c:, i'm presuming i have to do it in dos, but i don't know the commands.
about the boot disks, do i need them? if so, what should be in the boot disk, and how would u run them?
the formatting c: drive part is the only problem i'm having.
if anyone has a site that gives step by step information on how to install xp, it would be nice.

[wardD]

hi.
what the good folk at sys opt are saying is that you canot give a comand to format c:\ from the c: drive.
you have to do it from the A: drive.

so... if you have a boot disk(floppy) win 98 would be good, pop it in and start your machine. it will load some files and eventualy give you a comand promp. it will look some thing like A:\

at the A:\ prompt, type format c: or it might be format c:\ .
you will loose all data.

once the drive is erased, use the boot disk again and this time you can use the fdisk comand to set up any partitions you may want and also decide weather you want a FAT32 file system or the ntfs. file system. I have fat 32, and dont know a thing about ntfs. anyway hope this helps a bit. regards. ward.

[vince2100]

thanx for the advice..
i still have some questions..
after i format c:, i don't have to reboot right? after this, do i insert the windows xp cd? what do i type in after i insert it?

[BipolarBill]

Why are you going to start over? I gave you a link to a free program for expanding your C partition up to take up the entire drive.

Look at it, will you?

[DHatAVI]

When you deleted the other partitions, it did not automatically include that disc space into your current C: partition. It is still there on your hard drive as unused disc space (if you open disk management, you will see it). You can use the utillity that Bill has given you a link to, or create a second partition from the unused disk space using either "fdisk" or preferably disk manager (accessed through Adminisrative tools / computer management or, as Bill said, open 'Run' and type DISKMGMT.MSC).
Right click on the unused disk space and create a partition, then format it.
You can reformat c: until you wear out the drive, but its allways going to remain the same size.
If you have allready killed the O/S installation, then I suggest you use 'fdisk' to delete all partitions and start over.

David

[vince2100]

ok, i want to start over because my old files r conflicting with my windows xp files. for example, the "My Documents" folder on my desktop has nothing, but if i open "My documents" from c:/windows/my documents, all my old stuff's in there, i don't know why but it's just there.
i need help on:
1) formatting c:
2) after formatting c:, how do i install xp?
3) the dos commands for 1) and 2)

sorry if i'm frustrating u, but i suck at using computers

[BipolarBill]

Just boot from the WinXP CD and select Install. When you do, it will ask where. Right then, you are given a menu for deleting the partition. Do so and then create one large new one if you like. I would suggest splitting the drive in two.

Install and be done with it.

[vince2100]

i tried to delete the c: during the setup, but it said that files important to the installation are in c:, so i can't do it..
i'll try again though

[BipolarBill]

You can always use this:

http://service.boulder.ibm.com/storage/hddtech/zap.exe