Formatting Hard Drive And Clean Install Win Xp

[RickB]

Hi,

 

I've had my laptop about a year now and I'd like to do some "spring cleaning" by formatting the HD and reinstalling Win XP using the System Restore copy of Win

XP. I tried installing today, but there was no option to format the HD. Consequently, all it did was install Win XP into a small "D" particition. I have a Gateway M500 laptop.

 

Thanks, Rick

[TCH-Dick]

if the laptop has a floppy drive make yourself a boot disk, win 98 boot disk works fine you can download one here bootdisk.com. Boot to a c prompt and format from there. Then once its finished formatting run your restore CD

[RickB]

Unfortunately, it does not have a floppy drive, only CD, SD slot and PC card slot.

[stevesh]

Take a look here: http://www.bootdisk.com/nero.htm for instructions on making bootable CD's.

 

Also, I usually delete the partitions with the boot floppy/CD and let the XP installation program recreate and format them. Saves any hassle with dual installations.

[TCH-Dick]

There is no need to go thru all of that trouble. You can create, delete and format partitions during the intial setup of XP. With your Gateway you need to create 2 partitions if you use the use the audio DJ functions.

Here are the instructions for your computer

http://support.gateway.com/s/Mobile/Gateway/M500/3501654su120.shtml

Since you already have partions created at step 7 just follow the on screen directions to delete the partions and then create new ones.