Clean install of Windows 2000 without formatting?

GS1

Member
Feb 27, 2000
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0
Does anyone know how I can wipe everything related to Windows (ie. Windows folder, program files folder, documents & settings folder etc.) WITHOUT resorting to reformatting my HD?

With Windows9x, I could easily boot into DOS and just delete everything manually from there and then do a reinstall.

Is there an equivalent way to do it in Windows 2000?

Also, just to make things a tad more complex :), my HD is NTFS NOT FAT32

Ta
 

FOBSIDE

Platinum Member
Mar 16, 2000
2,178
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if you delete c: its not really a clean install. formatting the partition is the only true clean install. since there is no DOS under win2k im not sure if you can even delete c:
 

Raincity

Diamond Member
Feb 17, 2000
4,477
12
81
You can delete the Winnt directory from a command line from the Win2k repair console and reinstall again but you will still need to reinstall your programs or manually add the required lines into the registry so whats the point. Formatting and reinstalling will save you alot of headache than tyring to get the registry to see the programs leftover from the last installl.

Rain

 

GS1

Member
Feb 27, 2000
29
0
0
Rain,

The reason why I was asking this question in the first place is because I want to delete everything related to Windows including program files, registry etc. (I know when I reinstall Windows, I will have to reinstall all the apps again which doesn't really bother me at all).

The reason why I don't want to reformat my HD is because of all the documents etc. in which I have on my HD in which I want to keep. I want to keep all of those files and still have a fresh install of Windows 2000 on my machine.

I know, reformatting the HD would be the best option, but in the situation in which I am in, I simply cannot do that. :|

But if I can delete the WinNT etc. directories from the recovery console, then that is exactly what I wanted to hear. :)

Also a side question, why doesn't the recovery console allow wildcard copying?? ie. you can't go copy *.* ?