Can't install windows !!

[gruusome]

I have a problem I’m hopping you can help me with. I have a computer that had windows XP on it and
I formatted it and wanted to run either windows 98 or windows ME. This is what I did, I put a floppy windows ME disk in and ran format drive C, then I deleted the partion, then made a new partion, and formatted them. And when I try and install windows ME
It starts to install it but stops and says;
Setup found a compressed volume or a disk-cache utility on your computer.
If you have HTFS or windows NT file system, you need to create an
MS-DOS boot partion. If you have a LANtastie server or superstar compression disable it before
Running setup.
Or I get this message
Message SU995035
An invalid command option specified. Check the command line and try again.
Can anyone please help??

[Miz]

If the drive was formatted in NTFS, fdisk won't be able to do anything with it. The easiest way (in my opinion) is to boot with an XP CD, use its utilities to delete and re-create the partitions and to reformat using FAT32 (the XP CD does offer the option to format in FAT32).

Once that's done, you should be able to install 98 or ME.

[kal]

you cann't install wimdows 98 or me because windows xp is most likely installed as ntfs. forget useing xp to do the install. look for a program called deplart it was created by microsoft it will delete any partion dos (95-98-ME,3.1) or ntfs (NT 4.0-2000-XP, NT3.51).the hard drive will look like a unpartioned hard drive.then set-up accordingly. you can also use Dban to clean the drive it takes a while bepending on the size of the drive but will be wiped clean past mil specs if you want .

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q103049/

[kal]

heres one link for delpart or just search delpart or directly from microsoft

http://www.russelltexas.com/delpart.htm

http://support.microsoft.com/default...3%2f0%2f49.asp

its spanish the 3.1 NT delpart link is here - it works

ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/bussys/winnt...386/reskit.exe

why is it always so freaking impossible to find what your looking for at microsoft's web site yet its almost always posted and downloadable in foriegn languages?

and heres one for dban it'll wipe just about any hard drive out

http://dban.sourceforge.net/

[pip22]

FDISK certainly can do something with an NTFS partition. It detects it as a "non-DOS partition" and allows you to delete it. Then you simply tell FDISK to create a new primary DOS partition, then you format it before installing Windows 98 or Windows ME.

I've done this myself without having to use any of those other utilities mentioned above. Just a regular Windows 98 startup floppy containing FDISK.EXE and FORMAT.EXE

[kal]

the problem with fdisking it is it won't delete the ntfs boot info it just keeps addinf to the boot ini file.

read
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q103049/

it would tell you that using delpart or dban will wipe everythiing out including the boot ini file. so you can do a brand new clean install.

Quated right off of microsoft ^
This article was previously published under Q103049
On This Page
SUMMARY
MORE INFORMATION
Removing Windows NT or Windows 2000 from the Boot Sequence
Removing a Primary NTFS Partition
Removing Windows NT or Windows 2000 Files
Windows NT 3.51 and Earlier
Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000
APPLIES TO

SUMMARY
This article describes how to remove Windows NT or Windows 2000 from your computer.
Back to the top

MORE INFORMATION
Before you begin, make sure you know where Windows NT or Windows 2000 is installed, how much of it you want to remove, and how your hard disk is partitioned and formatted. Then, use the information in one of the following sections in this article: • Removing Windows NT or Windows 2000 from the Boot Sequence
• Removing a Primary NTFS Partition
• Removing Windows NT or Windows 2000 Files
NOTE: If the hard disk contains a partition that uses the NTFS file system, remove this partition in Windows NT or Windows 2000 before removing Windows NT or Windows 2000 from the boot sequence.
Back to the top

Removing Windows NT or Windows 2000 from the Boot Sequence
There are two ways to remove the Windows NT or Windows 2000 boot sector from your computer: • If you want to return to your original MS-DOS configuration, boot MS-DOS and type sys c:. This command replaces the Windows NT or Windows 2000 boot sector with the MS-DOS boot sector, and enables your computer to boot MS-DOS. The following files are left in the root folder and can be deleted after you perform the sys c: operation:
Pagefile.sys
Boot.ini
Ntldr
Ntdetect.com
Ntbootdd.sys
^ all left on all NTFS info

NOTE: The Ntbootdd.sys file is installed only if you have a SCSI Host Adapter installed in Windows NT or Windows 2000.

You can also start your computer with a Microsoft Windows 95 or Microsoft Windows 98 bootable floppy disk and use the sys c: command if you want to return to your original Windows 95 or Windows 98 configuration.


• If you want to leave Ntldr on the disk, you can boot MS-DOS without being prompted by changing the startup operating system and time-out value. To do so, start the System tool in Control Panel, click the Startup/Shutdown tab, click MS-DOS in the Startup box, and then type 0 in the Show List For n Seconds box.
NOTE: If the primary partition was converted to NTFS, the only way to return to starting MS-DOS automatically is to reformat the drive and reinstall MS-DOS. See the next section if this is the case.
Back to the top

Removing a Primary NTFS Partition
In general, attempts to modify the primary, bootable NTFS partition do not succeed for the following reasons: • MS-DOS versions 5.0 and 6.0 do not recognize an NTFS partition. The MS-DOS Fdisk program reports an NTFS partition as an OS/2 high-performance file system (HPFS) partition.
• You cannot modify or delete an NTFS primary partition within the partition.
To delete or modify a primary NTFS partition, use any of the following methods: • Boot MS-DOS version 6.0 from a floppy disk and press RETURN to continue installing MS-DOS 6. When you are prompted to do so, choose Remove Files.
• Initiate Windows NT Setup from floppy disks or a CD-ROM. When you are prompted to do so, press P to remove the partition.
• Use the Delpart tool (Delpart.exe) to delete the NTFS partition. The Delpart tool is included with the Microsoft Windows NT 3.1 Resource Kit only. It is not included in the Windows NT 3.5, 3.51 or 4.0 Resource Kits.
• Boot OS/2 version 1.x from a floppy disk and run its Fdisk program. To remove the partition, specify the /D option.

Back to the top

Removing Windows NT or Windows 2000 Files
You can remove the following folders to remove Windows NT or Windows 2000 files and free disk space.
Windows NT 3.51 and Earlier
Users
Win32app
Winnt
NOTE: The Winnt folder name may vary. Windows NT or Windows 2000 may be installed in the same folder as Windows 3.1. If this is the case, you should delete only the System32 folder in the Windows folder.
Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000
Users
Winnt
NOTE: The Winnt folder name may vary. Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, and Windows 95 all use the following folders. Delete them only if you are not running or do not intend to keep the Windows 95 installation:
Program Files
Recycled

if you notice NTFS info is always left notice even microsoft mensions delpart.
even though it only mension NT4.0 and 2000. XP is just like 2000 in installing or removing

[setec]

boot from the windows 98 boot disk (www.bootdisk.com)
at the a:> prompt run "fdisk /mbr" and hit enter
then run fdisk and delete the non-dos partition so that you have no partitions.
reboot again with the windows 98 boot disk.
run fdisk again and make your fat32 disk
then format it
then boot from your windows 98 or windows ME cdrom.

as long as you delete the partitions, fdisk can certainly handle deleting ntfs partitions. I do it every week.