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Author Topic: Should I Re-install XP?  (Read 8434 times)

Offline TR

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Re:Should I Re-install XP?
« Reply #15 on: June 12, 2003, 00:14 »
Quote from: Simon on June 11, 2003, 23:50

Well, it's not easy plucking a chicken out of thin air!   ;D ;D


Spelling is getting wuss Simon  ;D
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Offline Simon

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Re:Should I Re-install XP?
« Reply #16 on: June 14, 2003, 00:19 »
Right, well as you may have guessed by my absence, I've bin and gorn and dunnit!

Didn't go quite as expected.  First of all I just did an upgrade (install on top) of XP, but that didn't really sort things out, and then I couldn't get the Internet Connection Wizard to work, and the Favorites thing was still wrong.

So I went for the full new installation.  Put CD in, and did all the right things (well, all that it would allow me to do), but it wouldn't let me delete C drive, before re-installing.  Went ahead and installed over the top, and it said it was deleting everything, but when it was all done, I found that there was still a lot of stuff left on C drive from the original installation.

So I did it again.

And it's still the same.  

Everything works OK now, except for some strange messages from Norton about possible problems with the integrity of the protection.  It said, it couldn't be certain, whatever that's supposed to mean.  I did a virus scan, which was clear, then I ran a trojan scan, which was also clear, so if there's still something in there, I'm buggered if I know where it is.

I still have lots of stuff from the old installation, and I'm not sure whether to delete it, or if the new installation may have used some of it already (Program Files and stuff), so I'm going to leave it for now, and see how it goes.

Still got loads of software to re-install, but that will be a job for tomorrow.  At least I have my AV and Firewall up and running, and can get online, so I'll sleep sound tonight!

Night folks, and thanks for all the help!
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Offline Sandra

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Re:Should I Re-install XP?
« Reply #17 on: June 14, 2003, 01:07 »
Simon if you have your main stuff backed up you are better off wiping the drive fully and doing a clean install.

If you go here and download the Disc wizard starter edition it has a bit that will do a "zero fill" on your drive,ie it will write a zero to each sector thereby deleting everything so there is no  danger of having anything to cause problems when you reinstall XP  :-*

http://www.seagate.com/support/disc/drivers/discwiz.html
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Adept

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Re:Should I Re-install XP?
« Reply #18 on: June 14, 2003, 08:01 »
I agree with Sandra, a clean installation is best Simon.

Did you boot off the XP CD to begin the installation? There shouldn't be a problem getting the setup program to delete the C partition :-\

If it doesn't allow you to do it, use Partition Magic or even an old Windows 98 boot disk with fdisk to remove the partition before you boot the XP install disk.

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Offline Simon

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Re:Should I Re-install XP?
« Reply #19 on: June 14, 2003, 08:33 »
Quote from: Adept on June 14, 2003, 08:01
Did you boot off the XP CD to begin the installation? There shouldn't be a problem getting the setup program to delete the C partition :-\

When I tried to delete the C partition, it said this was not possible because some Windows installation files were in use as part of the new installation.   :-\

I'm reluctant to start all over again now, as I've already re-installed a lot of stuff, and also I've used up all my activations.  You only get three, don't you?

Sandra, that zero fill thing would take 6-8 hours on a 40Gb partition wouldn't it?  I just haven't the patience for that!
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Offline lobo

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Re:Should I Re-install XP?
« Reply #20 on: June 14, 2003, 08:59 »
@Simon

Good morning Simon
There are no short cuts to doing this, if you did not remove the Master Boot Record, System Registry, in the boot sector then you could still have corrupt files in there, run Zap.com (it takes 1 minute) and that will return the drive to a virgin drive i.e. no partitions, no data, no boot sector and start afresh


Brian    :( :(
   
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Adept

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Re:Should I Re-install XP?
« Reply #21 on: June 14, 2003, 08:59 »
I'm a bit worried about the strange messages from Norton Simon :-\

Have they gone away now?
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Offline Simon

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Re:Should I Re-install XP?
« Reply #22 on: June 14, 2003, 09:09 »
The messages from Norton are knowm issues.  It's something to do with the firewall, which I haven't installed, but was still lurking about from the old version of XP, which hasn't been fully deleted.

OK, so I need to start again.  I tried Zap yesterday, and couldn't get it to work.  I have just tried Sandra's DiscWizard, and when you have to put in the second floppy and press 'C', to continue, the keyboard doesn't work!  I thought these things were supposed to make it easier!
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Offline Sandra

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Re:Should I Re-install XP?
« Reply #23 on: June 14, 2003, 09:49 »
Simon (hey see the time guys  :o ),I have a version that fits on one floppy I will send it you later but I am a bit pushed for time now as its SALE TIME and I have lots of shopping to do  ;)  


I did my 40 gig a few weeks back Simon I think it took less than an hour.
Once its going you can nip down to the pub for a drink and it will be done when you get back as you dont need to sit there watching it  :-*
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Adept

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Re:Should I Re-install XP?
« Reply #24 on: June 14, 2003, 10:02 »
Windows 98 FDISK will do the trick every time Sandra.

All he needs to do is remove the partition, not secure wipe it ::)
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Offline lobo

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Re:Should I Re-install XP?
« Reply #25 on: June 14, 2003, 10:55 »
@Simon
"I tried Zap yesterday, and couldn't get it to work"

Simon it must work!!! copy the unziped file to a boot floppy and at the A:> prompt type "A:\> zap 0" this will zap the first hard drive on IDE 0

@Adept
Sorry my friend he also needs to remove the MBR which is in the boot sector which can not normaly be accessed by a user, at the A:\ prompt type fdisk /mbr

Also fdisk from a Win98se floppy will not remove a NTFS partition if it contains data

Brian ;D
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Offline Mustapha Phagg

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Re:Should I Re-install XP?
« Reply #26 on: June 14, 2003, 11:15 »
Why not boot from a wi98 floppy and at the A: prompt type in FORMAT C: that will clear the C drive completely leaving it totally blank for a complete re-install.

Assuming Simon that you have a full copy of winXP and not the half baked offering you get with most new pc's. They have no setup file on them.
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Offline Simon

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Re:Should I Re-install XP?
« Reply #27 on: June 14, 2003, 13:14 »
Right, well, I've done it using FDISK, and I've got the cleanest installation I'm going to get, as I'm certainly not doing it again!   ;D ;D

I'm currently loading all my programs back on, so won't be with you for a little while, but hope to be around tonight.

Brian, I don't know whether it's done that other thing or not, but wtf!   ;) :D  

The reason I couldn't get Zap to work is because I couldn't get my USB keyboard to function (didn't know USB doesn't work in DOS!)  , then Sean told me to change to a PS2 one, which I did, but then I used FDISK - thanks anyway.  Might come in handy another time, but hopefully not too soon!   ;)
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Adept

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Re:Should I Re-install XP?
« Reply #28 on: June 14, 2003, 14:41 »
Well done Simon! 8)
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Offline Simon

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Re:Should I Re-install XP?
« Reply #29 on: June 14, 2003, 17:19 »
Does anyone know how to get the hidden system tray icons to show?  I haven't got that little arrow that opens and closes, and I can't remember how to get it.

I'm sure there will be more questions later, but I'm doing this in dribs and drabs when I get a spare minute or two.   :D
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