Computer question? Erasing hard drive, and reinstalling operating system?

Question

I'm seriously considering reinstalling my operating system, and erasing the hard drive, my computer has gotten so slow. I have the operating system disk that came with the computer . It's only about 5 months old, and everytime i insert the disk im not sure where to start.

Could someone tell me how to go about deleting and reinstalling my operating system. Also to make sure i can get it back up and running . It is a windows gateway XP.

Thanks

Answer 1

Before you do anything so drastic, check for viruses and check the RAM on the PC. I have removed everything down to DOS and built it back up but it took a looooong time. You may want to hire "Rent-A-Geek" or some such company to come out and give you step by step instructions.
-MM

Answer 2

If you have the Windows XP disk, then just insert the disk and reboot. The PC should then boot from the Win XP Disk. If it doesn't, reboot and press the Delete key to go into the BIOS. There you look for the Boot priority and make sure the CD Rom is 1st in line. Then you save and reboot. You will then be asked to press any key to Boot from CDRom, you press a key! This will take you into the Windows setup. There you can read and follow the instructions. You can delete the current partition and recreate one and format it. Its not that hard. Just make sure you have the drivers for you motherboard. Hope this helps!

Answer 3

The question is what do you want to do? If you want to uninstall software or delete files from the computer, then just go to programs and choose the ones you want to uninstall or go to the files that you don't need anymore and delete them. You could run a program that cleans up the computer after doing this to help some more. If you want to clean your entire system and start from scratch, then backup anything you want to keep on a JumpDrive, not CDR as they can get scratched and limit you to just 700MB on a CDR and are not reusuable and CDRW have to be reformatted if it is full. Format the hard drive which for all purposes is not recoverable (forensically, it really is recoverable and just formatting is not safe if you are discarding the drive). Install the operating system and programs and drivers that you are going to use and put the files back that you backedup on the flash drive. If you want to make everything unrecoverable at all and short of demagnetizing the drive, then use Darik's Boot and Nuke and try DoS level security.

Answer 4

to reinstall you need to boot from your windows cd! when the computer starts and then you can reinstall the computer.
im no sure which key you have to press to chose which device to boot from on your computer but you can set this in the bios under boot priority! to enter the bios it is either the F2 or delete key (normally)!

Answer 5

Get the windows XP CD, place in the CD drive then restart you PC and it will boot up from the CD, then you may follow the onscreen instructions.
Hope it helps

Answer 6

make sure in the bios it boots to cd first
and you have burnt all your personal files
some boot cds have to options
1 reinstall os no format
2 reinstall os with format
id try the 1st one first
still backup your files tho
after a install make sure you go to windows updates first!!!

Answer 7

Why not try runing some system software like RegClean

XP saves alot of information and uses alot HD space
doing so!

Or try evidence eliminator gets rid of all those programs you not using in your temp file that you can't find.

Erasing hard d

Answer 8

If the PC is just slow, most likely you need to clean up rather than a new install.

Answer 9

I main thing ...... back - up EVERYTHING you want keep onto CD or DVD ....

Music
Photos
E-mail Addys
Passwords etc etc ......

Then change your BIOS settings to "Boot from CD" and follow the instructions ......

and GOOD LUCK !!!!!!