Can't Remove Partial XP Install

iSleipnir · #1 03-08-2005, 12:26 AM

Problem: There is a phantom install of XP that I can't figure out how to get rid of, and the Recovery Console doesn't recognize it.

Details:I was a new SATA hardrives and was having problems formatting it so I wne tot install windows XP on it knowing it would format it for me. I formatted the disk and it got far enough to the point where you have to input information about language, ect. I hard resetted the computer and re-formated the drived using the Disk Management to erase the partial intall.

Now when I boot up there are two Windows XP installations to choose from despite having reformating the drive. The first one ( the default one) is some phantom partial install that it boots into and complains about a file missing (duh, there are no files!). I can't get rid of this phantom install. I tried using Recovery Console but it only finds one version one WXP installed, so I can't remove it that way.

What I think happened is that it used my original harddrive as a scratch drive and some of the install files or log is on it, but really I have no idea. Can anyone tell me how to remove it?? THe original drive is running SP2 the instalation was a regular XP install, sans SP1 and SP2.

Thanks,
Slep.

Asus P4P800SE | 3.4GHz HT P4 | 2x 512MB PC3200 | ATI AIW 9600 128MB | Samsung 80GB SATA P80 | Samsung 120GB SATA P80 | NX-4090 PSU | S/PDIF to 600W 5.1 Stereo | Lian-Li PC-6070

Disk_Contented · #2 03-09-2005, 01:44 AM

Why did you hard reset?
Anyway, as an easy workaround, go to:
Control Panel/system/advanced/startup and recovery/settings. Use the dropdown where it says default operating system and select the other one. Untick the "time to display list of operating systems" box. Click OK.
It's ugly, but it works.

iSleipnir · #3 03-09-2005, 02:19 AM

Wow, thanks a lot! That worked perfectly! I also clicked edit and erased the command line that represented the partial install and it has completely dissapeared thanks.

I had to hard reset because it was a fresh install of windows and it doesn't let you shutdown in the middle of a fresh install (at least I couldn't figure out how...)

-Slep