How to Wipe a Drive & Reinstall Windows XP
While computers have become easier to use over the years, sometimes you encounter a problem that apparently can only be resolved by reinstalling the operating system. Thankfully, this process is not complicated, but the steps must be followed closely. During the course of re-installation, there will be a step to wipe the current installation, so doing that separately is not necessary.
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Things You'll Need
- CD drive
- Windows XP installation CD
- Windows XP product key
- Internet connection
Instructions
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Locate your Windows product key. For retail versions of XP, the product key is located on a labeled sticker in the folder that contained the CD. If your copy of Windows was not purchased at retail, this sticker may be attached to the side or back of the computer case, or it should be in the packaging that came with this version of Windows.
If you cannot locate your product key, try a free utility such as KeyFinder to extract it from the Windows Registry. (See below in the Resources section for a link to this utility.) However, if this version of Windows came pre-installed on your computer, the extracted Registry key may not work. In that case, try contacting the manufacturer of your pre-built computer for technical support.
If your pre-built computer did not come with an installation CD, its hard drive may have a hidden partition containing the files needed to restore Windows to its original condition. You will need to consult your documentation for specific steps, or contact customer support if you do not have your documentation. The same goes for a manufacturer-specific "recovery" CD.
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Determine the size of the hard drive or partition containing Windows. Open "My Computer" and locate the drive containing Windows. It is usually the "C:" drive and contains a "Windows" folder. Right-click on this drive and a select "Properties." Write down the "Capacity" number, because you will need it later.
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Insert your Windows XP installation CD in your CD drive and restart your computer. While the computer is restarting, it will ask you to press any key to access the installer, after which you will be presented with a screen containing white text on a blue background.
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Press the Enter key to start the installation. Press F8 to go to the partitioner. This section of the installer should list all known drives and partitions. Using the arrow keys, select the partition whose number matches the one you wrote down earlier, and press the "D" key to delete it. This partition will now be listed as "Unpartitioned Space."
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Press the Enter key and, on the next screen, choose the "Quick" option to format with an NTFS file system (unless you know you have software or hardware that is incompatible with NTFS). The installer will now format this partition and start the graphical portion of installation. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete re-installation. If you previously registered Windows, or choose not to, you can skip that step.
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Tips & Warnings
Restoring Windows from backed up images will save you a lot of time versus re-installation.
An Internet connection is not absolutely required to activate Windows. You can do so over the phone.
If your computer's hardware has changed sufficiently since the last time Windows was installed, the operating system may force you to call Microsoft to verify the validity of your copy of Windows.
