Partition help?

Question

So my other computer crashed and I need to re-install xp. I get through the setup until it asks me to make a partition. I try to but it doesn't work. any help

there is no partition in the list I did not delete it. the list just says unpartitioned space and wont let me do anything with it

Answer 1

Just leave the partition as is, you could convert it to NTFS if you want. the partition for your hard drive is already there unless you deleted it. if you did not delete it just leave it as is and continue with the installation.

Answer 2

There is more than one reason why the partition will not work. In order to understand the specific reason that applys in your situation, you must know the error message that follows. However, I have supplied ten simple/general guidelines below. Please read them all before you begin.

1. Normally windows is installed on the "C" drive, not any other drive. Windows will ask you if it can use the same partition or if it should create a new partition. Normally, you would let it use the same partition first. Allow the windows setup to create a new partition only if using the existing partition does not work. However, you need to know that repartitioning the drive will make it impossible to recover programs and data. Do not allow the windows setup program to repartition your drive into "C" and "D" on you hard drive. It will ask you before it does it.

2. Before you reinstall windows you should try to repair windows by restoring windows at a "Recovery Point" first.

3. Before reinstalling Windows, bring the computer up in"Safe Mode". Watch the programs load and uninstall the one that crashes, if any.

4. Make sure that you are not losing patience with the computer in the sense that windows takes a longer time to reformat larger drives. A drive that is 160 gigabytes can take hours to complete.

5. Windows setup will ask/warn you that "all data will be may lost" . Then it will ask you if you are ready to proceed. You must answer yes to this question to reinstall the windows operating system.

6. Please remember that you do not always have to reformat the drive to repair windows. The windows setup will ask you if you want to reapair windows or start over. Try to repair it first because sometimes your other programs are recoverable afterwords.

7. If windows asks you if you want an NTFS or FAT file format, try to use the existing format first. NTFS works on all new computers, less than five years old. The FAT format is made for hard drives up to 130 gigabytes. FAT is an older format.

8. If the windows partitioning will not work because the setup says that there are disk errors or unrecoverable sectors, the errors will have to be repaired first. Sometimes, they can be repaired by getting to the DOS prompt and typing the command " Format C: ". This is a last resort becasue no programs or data can be recovered after that.

9. Windows setup may ask you if it is Ok to install a "New" copy of windows on top of the old operating system. If you have tried to repair windows previously, the asnwer to this question is yes.

10. Do not enter the BIOS Setup mode at any time during the windows setup. This occurs by pressing the function keys when the computer is booted up. It will not occur once the windows setup program begins to reintall windows.

Answer 3

If you simply wish to wipe the drive and start fresh (this WILL erase ALL your documents), then during installation, just choose to delete the C: partition and recreate it again, but normally you shouldnt have to as XP install would ask you to just format it.

Answer 4

well does it give you an error message? or is there an existing partition there? need more info. nomaly you need to either delete the existing partiton then create a new one or install on existing partition and just allow it to delete windows folder. at that point it creates a new windows folder or just deletes and replaces existing folder

Answer 5

delete parttions when it asks and choose ntfs not fatt32 and your system will be like new!