John
Sun May 11 16:14:23 PDT 2008
You can dowmload a Windows 98 boot diskette from
http://bootdisk.com/ if
need be. Download the proper file then run it and it will create the
diskette for you.
John
Dee wrote:
> John John,
>
> Thank you. I have now had a little time to read up and jog my memory of
> fdisk, and it does not seem as daunting as it did half an hour ago. So I
> shall probably give it a go. I read that it should work with a Win95B disk,
> which is what I will have somewhere.
>
> Dee.
>
>
>
> "John John (MVP)" <audetweld@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote in message
> news:eck4ze7sIHA.1436@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>
>>Yes, a regular or retail Windows XP cd inspects your disks and partitions
>>and then gives you the options to delete, create and format partitions
>>and/or select the installation partition. Fdisk should also be able to
>>delete all the partitions, it is a quick and easy way to do it.
>>
>>John
>>
>>Dee wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Thank you for the fdisk suggestion. No, I do not need to save anything on
>>>the hard disks. At first glance it seems to be getting into what is for
>>>me deep waters. I last used fdisk with Win95, which was a long time ago,
>>>and I have forgotten all I ever knew about it. I shall consider it
>>>carefully though. I never thought I should ever be thinking of using
>>>fdisk again.
>>>
>>>In case fdisk does not work out, would a WinXP (or Vista) full
>>>installation disk give all the options needed to remove all unwanted
>>>system partitions and leave me with only one system/boot partition
>>>containing Windows? If so, that could be my other option.
>>>
>>>Regards,
>>>
>>>Dee.
>>>
>>>
>>>"John John (MVP)" <audetweld@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote in message
>>>news:%23h71Gp5sIHA.1872@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>>>
>>>
>>>>Do you want to keep anything at all on this first hard disk? If not boot
>>>>the computer with a Windows 98 boot disk and use fdisk to remove all the
>>>>partition then create only one of the desired size to install Windows XP
>>>>on. Don't format the partition, Windows 98 can only format to FAT32 and
>>>>you don't really want that, after you create the new partition with fdisk
>>>>just exit and see if your XP setup cd can take it from there and format
>>>>the partition NTFS for you. You can create other partitions with the XP
>>>>Disk Management Tool after Windows XP is installed.
>>>>
>>>>If you get caught up in a logical drive loop error with fdisk and find
>>>>that you cannot delete partitions get delpart.exe
>>>>
http://www.russelltexas.com/delpart.htm and copy it to the Windows 98
>>>>floppy, you can use it to deleted NTFS drives.
>>>>
>>>>John
>>>>
>>>>Dee wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>John,
>>>>>
>>>>>I disconnected the second HDD, booted from the first HDD, and ran this
>>>>>recovery-type disk.
>>>>>I got yet another copy of Windows (i.e. the third one) this time on
>>>>>volume D. I now have a 'Windows' folder on C, D and K. The Windows disk
>>>>>I have gives no options - it is run it and see what happens, or nothing.
>>>>>
>>>>>Attempts to delete any of the Windows folders produce that message that
>>>>>it is a Windows system folder; it cannot be deleted.
>>>>>
>>>>>Would getting a full WinXP installation disk let me delete partitions
>>>>>containing system files, and let me install a single copy of Windows
>>>>>wherever I want. Is this going to be the only way out of this mess?
>>>>>
>>>>>Regards
>>>>>
>>>>>Dee.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>"John John (MVP)" <audetweld@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote in message
>>>>>news:O6Fudh4sIHA.5096@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>Your are booting the Windows installation on that drive, Windows will
>>>>>>not let you delete the folder that was used to boot the installation.
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>From reading your first post you wanted to reformat the Windows drive
>>>>>
>>>>>>on
>>>>>
>>>>>>the first hard disk (C:) and reinstall Windows there. If you still
>>>>>>want to do that I would advise that you disconnect the power supply to
>>>>>>the second hard drive (or turn it off in the BIOS) and then proceed to
>>>>>>reinstall Windows XP on the first hard disk. Temporarily turning off
>>>>>>and removing the second hard disk from the picture will eliminate the
>>>>>>risk of further drive mixups or accidental deletion of important files
>>>>>>on that disk.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Once you are satisfied that Windows is properly installed and working
>>>>>>on the first hard disk you can bring the second hard disk online and
>>>>>>then delete the unwanted Windows installation.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>John
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Dee wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Thanks.
>>>>>>>But I get 'Windows is a system folder. It cannot be deleted.'
>>>>>>>Where can I go from there?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Dee.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>
>