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ok so here is the problem... i got this friends notebook that i was to rid of spyware and such... everything was fine until i deleted a couple of viruses.. so i reboot and then windows xp keeps rebooting, never passing the startup screen. i guess i deleted important windows files. unfortunately my friend does not have the xp cds so i got him an upgrade cd from campus. well i am trying to do a clean install and the part where the set up tells me the currently installed windows, i see nothing mentioning windows xp. I do see Partition 1, however. I am scared that if i overwrite this partition that it will ask me for the full version windows and not the upgrade. What do i do? thanks
Can you boot into Safe mode? Hit F8 right after the bios splash screen and before Windows tries to boot.
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How did you go about getting rid of the virus?? It sounds like you deleted files instead of using an antivirus program to do the job. Plus you need to disable System Restore before running the virus scan.
A "clean install" means you're starting with a blank/formatted HDD or partition. If you already have an OS on the system, you're NOT doing a clean install, you're doing a repair. I've never done a repair using an upgrade CD, plus you're apparently trying to install a retail copy of XP over the HP version. I'm not sure if that will work or not. Try using the HP product key, not the key that came with the CD.
Here's how to do a repair:
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_...
"And that's the fishing line, because Sharkboy said so!"
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If you are able to boot into safemode, you may be able to forestall a reinstall. If safemode isn't possible, then a repair install might be a viable option. But whatever you do, start to think about the need to backup any data that is critical on the machine.
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well i cant log into windows as it keeps rebooting after the windows logo screen. I tried going into safe mode and also last known good configuration and it does the same thing. I did a recovery console with chkdsk /r but that did not help. To answer jam's question, I removed spyware with Adware 2007 and SpyBot Search and Destroy. I removed the viruses with BitDefender Total Security 2008. It detected about 5 viruses and so I just delete them and rebooted, when all of this started happening.
Thats the thing my friend does not have his cd that came with his notebook. I tried to do a repair with the xp pro cd upgrade, but it doesn't even give me a repair option, it just lists my partitions that i want to overwrite. He does not mind losing all his information bc I cant log back into windows and save everything anyways.
While writing this, I called the IT department from my school, and they told me that the windows xp i bought from their store is qualified to do a complete reformat. I guess that is my best option now right?
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"it doesn't even give me a repair option, it just lists my partitions that i want to overwrite.
That's strange! Are you sure that you are doing it correctly? The following sites might be off some help:
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/X...
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/...
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Jam: "A "clean install" means you're starting with a blank/formatted HDD or partition. If you already have an OS on the system, you're NOT doing a clean install, you're doing a repair."
sorry if i misunderstand that point, but you can do a "clean install" WITH an OS existing ona HDD. The formatting of the existing partition and repartitioning is done during the initial phase of an XP "clean install". This "clean install" can be done with either a full XP Install CD OR a WinXP Upgrade CD, with the latter requiring qualifying media.
an "Upgrade Install" is done with an existing OS running >>>> totally differant to a "clean install"
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Central Coast NSW AussieThere are 10 types of people in this world: those who understand binary and those who don't.
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LOL, someone teaching the person (Jam) who probably knows as much (and probably a lot more) about PCs than any helper on this forum.
Jam said "A "clean install" means you're starting with a blank/formatted HDD or partition."
Which 'of course' is absolutely correct. You have to delete the current OS to do a clean install.
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"LOL, someone teaching the person (Jam) who probably knows as much (and probably a lot more) about PCs than any helper on this forum."
LOL
"If you already have an OS on the system, you're NOT doing a clean install,"
i repeat, >>>> yes you are ! end of story ;).
Central Coast NSW AussieThere are 10 types of people in this world: those who understand binary and those who don't.
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I've found the repair option won't appear (for me anyways) if you are trying to do a repair install with an incompatible OS version cd.
e.g Trying to repair XP home with an XP pro cd.
It's a bugger, but if you can locate and borrow a different version of the OS on cd (than the one you bought) you might be able to salvage the current OS and have the one you bought for an additional machine. Definitely would come in handy.
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jackdog, the normal convention is that a clean install is a total wipe of the hard drive and installing the OS on it.
Yes, there are two different installation procedures, doing a new install of Windows and doing a repair/upgrade install of Windows. Yes, the new install can be done with existing data on the hard drive. It's not as clean as you would believe, since the hard drive will be littered with unlinked programs (e.g., unregistered in the registry, and thus broken).
It sounds like Julio wants to do a clean install (in the normal sense). (By the way, Julio, you don't seem to know enough to be doing what you're doing.) As mentioned before, you will need a copy of the DVD with the correct version. If you don't care about the data, you can use the upgrade version and wipe out the partitions. During the installation procedure, it'll ask you to temporarily put in a full-version windows CD. Just put one in, such as a win 98 cd. If the upgrade version is all that you have, you will need to retain the partition.
Maybe you can install it into another partition. At least you'll have an OS up, and you can transfer his data over to the new partition. Lots of people say they don't care about the data, but most computers have data accumulated over several years and they might have something there that they really want to keep.
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"..."
"jackdog, the normal convention is that a clean install is a total wipe of the hard drive and installing the OS on it"well that's what i'm saying too !!
an existing XP OS ona HDD >>>> then boot from WinXP Full Install CD (whether Retail or OEM), delete partitions, create new ones, Format in NTFS/FAT, Install XP ! THAT IS A XP "CLEAN INSTALL" !! end of story !
but Jam (with all due respect :) ) stated that a "clean install" cannot be done with an existing OS on it ! >>>>> Quote by Jam: "If you already have an OS on the system, you're NOT doing a clean install,"
so, if what i said in 2 paragraphs above is NOT a "clean install", well what is it ???
Quote Microsoft:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316941
"Method 4: Perform a clean install of Windows XP
A clean installation refers to removing all data from your hard disk by repartitioning and reformatting your hard disk and reinstalling the operating system and programs to an empty (clean) hard disk. You should back up all important information before you perform a clean installation of Windows XP." unquote.(note: i am not "having a go" at Jam. its just that what Jam wrote could be misleading.)
cheers...
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Central Coast NSW AussieThere are 10 types of people in this world: those who understand binary and those who don't.
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Where abouts in Central Coast are ya?
I stayed In Terrigal and visited my cousin in North Avoca. Very nice part of the world there.
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