WayneW wrote :

"I am a victim of information overload.  I have a new hard disk after mine failed, and I need to know if I need to format it w/ FDISK, or does the Windows disk do that?

You partition and format the HD as part of installing XP The following article may help

http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_sg_clean.asp

  Also, I have XP upgraded from Me.  Can I just install from the XP disk, or do I have to use the Me disk first?

You only need the XP disc for the installation, but keep the WMe disk handy, as it may be requested as qualifying media during the install of XP

Also, should I use NTFS or FAT32?  I read somewhere in this mass of information that NTFS will not read Dell driver disks.........

You can use either.

Bev.

The Dell contract guy just left.  He installed the new hard disk, using XP to start, and the Me disk as required to validate the Windows purchase.  The XP disk reformatted the new hard disk.  NTFS is the best file system to use if you are using only XP.  Thanks for all the good advice...

PS to Michael Dell:  This is a very simple fix, but the knowledge base is over full of related, but extraneous and outdated information.  A Dell tech told me to fully install Me and the do XP.  That works, but isn't necessary.  A good database cleanup of Knowledge is in order................