How to Reformat a Windows XP Computer
If you've exhausted all other possibilities of attempting to repair your Microsoft Windows XP operating system, you may have to reformat your computer's hard drive. Doing so is a last resort. If you absolutely must, you can reformat your drive and reinstall the Windows XP operating system.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
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1
Backup any files that you do not want to be erased by the reformat process. Then get the original software install disc for any software that you want to retain in your computer.
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2
Write down the brand and information for all the hardware on your computer. To do so, navigate to the "Start" menu and select the "Control Panel," "Systems," "Hardware" and "Device Manager." Then make note of the brand and model of the network adapters, video cards, sound cards, printers, modems and displays. After reformatting your hard drive, you might need this information to reinstall the appropriate drivers.
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3
Get the original install disc for hardware such as printer, scanner, webcam and external drives. If you do not have the disc, you can go online and search the manufacturer's site or similar websites to download and save the drivers to a flash drive or disc for subsequent use.
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4
Insert the Windows installation disc into the CD drive and restart the computer. Press any key to boot from the CD when prompted by the installation disc. If the computer continues to boot from the hard drive, you'll need to go to the BIOS and instruct the computer to boot from the CD.
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5
At the Welcome to Setup page, press "Enter."
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6
After reading the conditions of usage, press "F8" to agree. The installation process will scan the computer's hard drive for some basic information.
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7
After the Windows XP Repair option appears, press the "Esc" button to bypass this option. A list of the hard drive partitions on the system will then be displayed.
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8
Using the "Up Arrow" and "Down Arrow" keys, select the partition containing the Windows XP installation. It might be the only partition listed. Alternatively, it will be the largest partition listed. Press the "D" key to delete the partition, and then press "L" and "Enter" to confirm the choice.
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9
Type the size in megabytes that you want to use for the new partition, and then press "Enter," or just press "Enter" to create the partition with the maximum size.
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10
Select the newly created partition and press "Enter" to install Windows XP on it. Format the drive using the NTFS file system. Then follow the prompts to continue the installation. It's not advisable to select the "Quick" option as it may leave intact certain structures of the old file system. The new Windows XP operating system will boot and request you to select configuration options, and then it will begin looking for hardware.
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11
Install all of the drivers for the hardware on the system, and then reboot the machine as required.
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12
Install all of the software that will be needed on the computer, and then copy all personal files into the new Microsoft Windows XP installation. Do not forget to install a dependable anti-virus and anti-spyware software before you surf the Internet.
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Tips & Warnings
Before you do any reformatting, you will need to print this page to be able to read the instructions as you proceed.
