Reinstalling XP using CD

Yes, partition 2 is the one you want.  The first partition is the diagnostics and the third is the image of your originally installed system plus the Dell add-ons.  Normally there is no unpartitioned space.

If you go through with this, yes, you will need to install all drivers.  Don't forget that the chipset driver must be the first installed after the os installation.

I recommend that you delete the second partition and re-create it.  This allows the cleanest reinstallation.

gfunk1968,

See the information here. The unpartioned space is around 8MB and is a round-off error as best I can determine. The FAT32 partition is your PC Restore image.

It is much easier to partition as a part of the XP installation.

If you go to Desktops or Notebook above the forum, click Downloads and Drivers then enter your system name you will be taken to a page with all the necessary drivers.

Message Edited by Denny Denham on 04-11-200607:27 PM

Wow, thank you for very quick response. Well, if you don't mind me asking some additional questions...

So the third choice, "Unpartitioned space," which seems under C drive like the second one, is the image. What's the fourth one (E: FAT32)? Is it smart to leave everything intact and just reinstall on the second choice, or I can delete some of them?

More, can I partition after reinstalling XP? Or had I better do it now?

Also, what is the chipset driver?

Thank you thank you!!!

Thank you Denny (and thank you JackShack for previous reply). Apologies in advance, however, as your answer gets me curious more before reinstalling...

I looked at Denny's website and supersite s/he referred there, and I got a bit confused: do I need to delete both Partition 2 (c:) and unpartition space (also under c: ??? and you are right, it's about the size of 8MB), then create a new partition again to clean install? My main concern, as I have stated, is to avoid dual boot situation.

Also (I know it's going out of XP topic, sorry), how much partition size would you assign for C and D (new partition) drives? I will follow Denny's recommendation in that I keep Windows XP and other applications on C and data on D. I have 80 GB total (minus 3-4 GB for E drive, which is FAT32 restore image, and -drive, which is diagonistics from Dell)

I have found the information shared here much more helpful than the replies from actual Dell services. You guys are awesome.

Man, I have been surfing the websites of all the Dell experts. It's overwhelming yet very exciting.

Upon reading materials from http://www.goodells.net/dellrestore/fixes.htm, I started to wonder: Will - (FAT diagnostics) and E drive (FAT32 PC restore image) be still useful after Windows XP reinstallation? It seems that the restore image is still recoverable after reinstallation as long as I keep it, but what about the diagnostics, which is also downloadable (right?) anyway?

If you delete the present partition 2 (marked C: NTFS) you add it to whatever space is presently unpartitioned.  If you simply recreate the partition using however much space is made available, the new partition should include the portion that is presently labeled as unpartitioned.  The only way this won't happen is if the calculation that Win XP makes of how much space is available for the new partition has a round-off error that prevents it from making use of the space.  In that case your disk partitions will wind up looking very much as they do now.

When you perform the partitioning, Win XP will ask what percentage of space you wish to allocate to each new partition you make.  In this case, the old unpartitioned portion will be added to the total and you will make use of it in the new partitions.  As a practical matter, however, 8 MB is really insignificant on a drive of the size you have, and the unpartitioned space might actually increase a bit if you make two partitions out of the present C: partition as the calculation must be done for each partition you create.  I doubt it will be enough to worry about.

The one nice thing about the restore image is that it also includes all the drivers that you are certain will work on your computer.  If you read all of Dan Goodell's tutorial, you should know that it is possible to use Norton Ghost to save the image elsewhere and restore it at a later time.  Many people simply delete the image, however, as they have serious problems with the Dell added stuff, and it is not that much more work to do a clean install from the reinstallation CD.  You are also correct about the diagnostics.  If you have the Dell Utilities and Drivers disk, you have it already on CD, and if not, the diagnostics are available for download from the Dell site.

 

Message Edited by JackShack on 04-12-200609:34 AM

I deleted partition 1 (FAT diagnostic), then tried to delete partition 2, which is C drive and is where current XP resides, to do clean install. However, I got the message as following:

"Setup is unable to perform the requested operation on the selected partition. This partition contains temporary setup files that are required to complete the installation."

I looked at Michael Stevens' website (http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html#steps) where he puts the link for "Delete NON-DOS Partition" in case of the situation I am currently facing. However, in that link (also Michaels' site) the title is "Use a Windows 98/Me startup disk to delete a non-dos partition", not XP cd. Could anyone help me?

I thought the reinstallation was easy thing to do, but now have realized it's a lot of work...

Ok, I shouldn't have done this, but please let me explain what has happened...

After I deleted diagnostic and rebooted the computer in order to just get to current XP and turn it off, it said something like "it cannot start Windows because it's missing ??? dll." Well, I thought the reinstallation CD could just "repair" that part, so I went back to installation Setup.

There, I was told that something like I have to copy files from current XP to new Setup Windows installation folders, losing all the data (which I don't care since I just purchased it). The computer also said that this reinstallation will replace the old one.

Now, all the copying files are done, and new XP is being installed right now (it says it'll take about 40 min to complete).

So, please help me understand what this means...Did I just clean-install, or do I need to do it again? Well, I would like to do it again anyway because I could not delete C: and make 2 partitions (C & D) as I was hoping to. And please, if you know how to delete current C: (as I said, I couldn't delete Partition2 C: because it has temp Setup files), please let me know.

Thank you very much.

Now I'm in a deep trouble, I think...

First of all, there are 2 operating systems now, both XP Home. I guess I successfully created the new one, but could not get rid of the old one.

When I tried to open up the old XP, the same screen came up "missing Window roots/hal.dll.....needs to install that specific file" or somethingl like that.

Worse, I cannot boot from reinstallation CD...it doesn't show up. I can open the CD from the new-installed XP, but I don't know if that helps. I will try that route now.

But please help me everyone!!!

Some followup of what happened

Now I'm able to get to installation Setup again. The wierd thing is, although the computer seems to recognize 2 operation systems (both XP home) when I start up, when I use the Setup, it only has one system (in C: Windows).

I tried to delete C: partition, hoping that will solve, but still couldn't do it (temp files for setup there).

gfunk1978,

The error, "Setup is unable to perform the requested operation on the selected partition. This partition contains temporary setup files that are required to complete the installation" indicates that you did not boof from the XP CD but rather let it autostart from within Windows.

Denny, thank you for your info. But I don't know what to do with it...

It seems like CD's spinning when running the Setup (and still can't delete C:), but if what you say is correct, then what should I do to boot from CD?

I really appreciate you guys' patience and effort, by the way.

Denny, I obviously missed to read your site, making CD/DVD rom to be read first by changing BIOS. Although I didn't have specific info for my B130 on Dell's website, I was able to change the BIOS booting sequece, pressing F2 and going to the setup menu.

And now...I DELETED C:!!! I recreated C: and created E: (I guess D: is my CD/DVD), respectively in 10GB and 66GB. I also deleted the former E: which was PC Restore image (I figured I don't need it).

Now the Setup is formatting the C drive to NTF something.

Man, the whole thing was new to me, but I'm glad I was able to go through it. Thank you so much and I think my knowledge about computer got boosted (maybe from 1 to 5 if yours are 100).

One last question: my new E drive is still "Raw", or unformatted. Do I need to do something before using that drive (saving documents, mp3's, and other data)?

Thank you!!!

Any drive must be formatted before you can use it.  When you get to the point that you need to do this, refer to this article from Microsoft:

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/win_format.mspx?mfr=true

Use the instructions in the hotkey labeled "Format a basic volume".

 

Message Edited by JackShack on 04-12-200602:42 PM

Now that I reinstalled Windows XP Home, I'm in the process of installing drivers. Interesting notes and questions (thank you!!!)

After the reinstallation, my computer (Inspriron B130) is no longer recognized; instead, it is seen as "ME051", which I asked to Dell chat person but did not get clear answer (his info was one-way and he shut down when I asked him to describe more user-friendly). At least it is not a problem, according to that guy.

Now that I am installing all the drivers from Resource CD & Dell website, I was wondering exactly which drive and applications I need to download from the website. Specifically, I have two options for my CD/DVD DLA drives (under "applications"). I tried to install both, but they don't like to stay together (one asks that another to be uninstalled first in order to be installed). Can I install both somehow? Which one I do I need if I need to choose one?

Release Title: Application: Sonic Solutions DLA 5.x, Application, Windows XP, Multi Language, Multi System, Roxio DLA 32bit v5.2
Release Date: 4/12/2006
Description: Drive Letter Access (DLA) is a utility that gives you the ability to copy files directly to recordable CD and DVD discs. Using DLA, you can drag-and-drop files to a disc and make the disc compatible with almost any Windows computer

Release Title: Application: Sonic Solutions Record Now 7.0 (Dual Layer), Application, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Multi Language, Multi System, 4.98, Build: 498B12A
Release Date: 1/26/2006
Description: Drive Letter Access (DLA) is a utility that gives you the ability to copy files directly to recordable CD and DVD discs. Using DLA, you can drag-and-drop files to a disc and make the disc compatible with almost any Windows computer.

My logic says get the latest one, but since I have DVD RW with dual layer, I may need the old one...Could you help me?

I also understand these questions go outside of the area of this specific forum, but I didn't know wherelse to put it. Thank you very much.