Is it necessary to partition before installing partition on the HDD?

Question

I wiped my hard disk clean. the instruction on the cleaning software says that i need to partition before i install the OS. is it okay if i just pop in the Windows XP boot cd even if i dont have my HDD formatted and partitioned?

Answer 1

No.

It's necessary to "format" before you partition the HDD. What you call "wiped my hard disk clean" can only mean that you formatted.

If you then boot from a Windows installation CD, you'll be prompted to create a partition on which to install the Windows OS. For instance, if you have a 100GB drive, you might choose to create a partition of only 50GB, this will become drive C:, the remainder being "unallocated space", automatically, drive D:, your CD ROM drive will become drive E: at that point, unless at the same time (you'll be prompted to decide), you choose to create from the 50GB unallocated space another partition, say 25GB, etc.

Yes, it is OK to just pop in the Windows XP boot CD even if you don't have your HDD formatted (of course, you wiped it clean, as you said, which is the same thing), because part of the installation process is formatting the drive if it hasn't been done already.

Answer 2

The wiping software probably deleted the old partitions, so you'll have to redo it. The nitwit who said you have to format first has obviously never worked on a computer. Formatting is something you do to a partition. You can't format one if it isn't there. Just put the Windows install disk in. It will do anything that needs doing.

Answer 3

You HAVE to format before you install Windows. IF you want a partition on your hard drive (other than the boot partition), you must do so before you install Windows. Otherwise you can't create a partition AFTER it is installed. So if you want a partition, do it now, otherwise just go ahead with the installation.

Answer 4

you ought to have a minimum of one partition on each and every stress. while you're applying abode windows you will partition one stress once you load the OS beforehand formatting the partition. the different stress you are able to desire to easily partition via disk administration interior the administrative strategies - computing gadget administration. Its as much as you strategies you partition, maximum folk do merely one vast partition on each and every stress, some human beings % to create multi boot desktops so they are in a position to load extra beneficial than one OS. some human beings % to maintain documents in one partition and courses in yet another yet its all quite very own selection. you are able to in trouble-free terms create 4 difficulty-loose partitions according to stress nevertheless. there's a lot of alternative stuff to understand approximately partitions in case you have been smitten by messing around yet for now i think of merely the easy a million great difficulty-loose partition according to stress will do on your desires

Answer 5

Yes. Windows will partition the drive for you.

Answer 6

YUP WINDOWS WILL KNOW THE DRIVE IS NOT FORMATTED/PARTITIONED AND WILL ASK THE REL EVENT QUESTIONS