Completely remove XP home

[iloveorangesoda]

I am a novice when it comes to computer maintainence so I thought I would ask your advice.

I have xp home on my pc but need to completely remove it and format the hard drive so that I can put windows 2000 professional onto my pc.

Could anyone explain to me in the easiest way how I do this?


Thanks

[waresoft]

Try booting from the Win2k CD and see if it will let you reformat the drive. If it doesn't then do this:

Goto Bootdisk.com

Download a Windows 98 boot disk.

Startup the computer with the bootdisk.

Then type "fdisk" (without the quotes) at the command prompt to remove the partition.

How to use Fdisk

Then reboot the computer with the Win2k CD, format and install

[iloveorangesoda]

Just a couple of questions, does it matter which windows 98 boot disk I download as there are a few to choose from?

Also in fdisk is it the "Delete Primary DOS Partition" option I choose?


Cheers

[waresoft]

I don't believe it matters which Windows 98 boot disk you download.

You will need to delete partitions in this order:

1. Extended
2. Logical
3. Primary

[iloveorangesoda]

Hi

I think I have managed to format the hard drive and I created a new partition on the primary(although when I was deleting partitions there was no extended or logical partitions, does that matter?)

Now when I try to boot from the cd-rom with the win 2000 disk I am getting an error message, need system disk? Have you any idea what its talking about?


thanks

[neil121183]

Does your CD drive come first in your boot sequence in the bios?

If yes then make sure you press a key when it says 'Press any key if you want to boot from cd'.

To change the boot sequence press delete a few times at startup to enter the bios. Could be F2, depends on your motherboard. Then find the boot sequence option and make sure CD is first.

Further Help

[MacG]

Originally posted by waresoft
I don't believe it matters which Windows 98 boot disk you download.

You will need to delete partitions in this order:

1. Extended
2. Logical
3. Primary

As the Logical drives are set in the Extended partition that should read:

You will need to delete partitions in this order:

1. Logical drives (i.e. F: , E: & D: )
2. Extended DOS partition (The extended DOS partition.)
3. Primary drive (i.e. drive C: , the Primary DOS partition.)

So delete F: E: D: , then the Extended partition in which drives F: , E: & D: were made, and then delete drive C: , the Primary drive.

How to make Win 2000 bootdiskettes: http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;197063

[iloveorangesoda]

Hi again

I have gotten passed the error message no "system disk".

Now I am getting an error saying "missing operating system"?


thx