Unsolved
This post is more than 5 years old
2 Posts
0
750
April 25th, 2009 17:00
What is up with this xp reinstall? What does all this mean?
Please Help!! I'm about ready to throw this computer out the window! Ater frequent BSOD and a service pack 2 mess up several months ago resulted in some missing files, I really need to reinstall.
I am trying to reinstall windows xp, service pack 2 with a Reinstallation CD that Dell sent me for my Dell Dimension 4600. Here are the results so far:
After booting to the cd, I chose the NTSF partition, and this is the message it gave me:
"You chose to install xp on a partition that contains another operating system. This may cause the other operating system to not function properly. It is not recommended to install multi systems on a single partition."
There was an option to delete the existing NTFS partition, but when I tried to do that it gave me this message "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."
So, I cancelled the reinstall to get some advice first. What good is a reinstallation cd, if it won't let me reinstall? Anyone know whats up with this? Thanks for any help you can give me! I am so frustrated right now!:emotion-42:
Kim:emotion-42:
kim9727
2 Posts
0
April 25th, 2009 18:00
Thanks Jack! I was wondering about that very thing! How can it need those files when they are already on the cd? Great, I will try your advice and hopefully it will work this time around. Thanks again...I so appreciate your help!
Kim
jackshack
6.4K Posts
0
April 25th, 2009 18:00
I'm sure you believe that you are booting from the installation CD, but since all the necessary installation files are on the CD, you can't get this message when the boot is successful.
Which boot method have you selected? The two possibilities are:
1. Restart the computer with the CD in the drive, press F12 during post, select CD ROM drive as the start-up option, get on screen message to strike any key to boot from CD, and the boot proceeds after you press a key.
2. Restart the computer with the CD in the drive, press F2 during POST to go to system setup, navigate to the boot order menu, follow the on screen directions to make the CD ROM first in the boot order, escape out selecting Save Changes, get message to strike any key to boot from CD, press a key, and Windows Setup begins.
On the last option, if you don't press a key within a given time limit, the computer will proceed to boot from the hard drive and ignore any choice you have made with regard to the boot process.
Edit: Neglected to mention one additional thing; the 4600 usually has two optical drives, both having an IDE interface. Only the drive attached to the end connector of the IDE ribbon cable will support a boot disk. If you have followed the procedure and the computer still wants to boot from the hard drive, try placing the CD in the second optical drive.