Help reinstalling Windows XP

[akshatp]

I finally decided to reinstall XP on my home PC for various reasons. After taking a full backup onto an external HD, I put in the XP CD and away we go.

The way it was before:
Two partitions, one XP (230gb) and one Vista (70gb) on a barracuda 300GB drive (http://www.seagate.com/support...sata/st3300622as.html)

Now this is a SATA drive, but I have it connected to an aOpen AX45-533 U2 motherboard which only has IDE ports. I am using an IDE->Sata converter.

Obviously, this worked okay before because I had both OS'es installed. Now what happens is this:

Once it gets into windows setup, on the exisiting partitions page it only shows one partition as follows:

C: Partition1 [Unknown] 131062 MB (131061 MB free)

It doesnt seem to be detecting the correct size, even though I verified in the BIOS that it is correctly detecting it as 300GB.

Also strange is that it is detecting the whole thing free, and sure enough when I tried to boot into my existing XP install, it says no operating system found!!!

Help!! I need to reinstall XP tonight!

 

[law9933]

I don't know , did you try one of the programs that erases/destroys all HD info, from a floppy.? Then install.

???????????????

The reason for the reinstall-the HD is dieing??

 

[akshatp]

Reason for reinstall has nothing to do with the HD dying.

What kind of program can I download that destroys all HD info?? I dont even think i have a floppy!!!

 

[Fardringle]

Are you trying to install XP using a CD that has at least Service Pack 1 (preferably SP2) included? The original XP wasn't able to partition and format large hard drives correctly.

 

[myocardia]

Originally posted by: Fardringle
Are you trying to install XP using a CD that has at least Service Pack 1 (preferably SP2) included? The original XP wasn't able to partition and format large hard drives correctly.

This has to be the problem. At least, it's what I was going to say, if you hadn't beat me to it.

 

[akshatp]

No it was a CD without SP1 included...I have another WXP CD w/ SP1 but its a Dell CD and I need to install using my CORP copy.

Dang now what!

 

[akshatp]

Originally posted by: myocardia

Originally posted by: Fardringle
Are you trying to install XP using a CD that has at least Service Pack 1 (preferably SP2) included? The original XP wasn't able to partition and format large hard drives correctly.

This has to be the problem. At least, it's what I was going to say, if you hadn't beat me to it.

You guys are the best. I tried to start the install with the Dell CD w/SP1 and it correctly recognized the HD as 300gb.

I guess Ill have to slipstream SP2 into my existing WINXP CD.

 

[ForumMaster]

Originally posted by: akshatp

Originally posted by: myocardia

Originally posted by: Fardringle
Are you trying to install XP using a CD that has at least Service Pack 1 (preferably SP2) included? The original XP wasn't able to partition and format large hard drives correctly.

This has to be the problem. At least, it's what I was going to say, if you hadn't beat me to it.

You guys are the best. I tried to start the install with the Dell CD w/SP1 and it correctly recognized the HD as 300gb.

I guess Ill have to slipstream SP2 into my existing WINXP CD.

why not sp3? go with sp3 already. it will save you time from updating windows.

 

[akshatp]

Originally posted by: ForumMaster

Originally posted by: akshatp

Originally posted by: myocardia

Originally posted by: Fardringle
Are you trying to install XP using a CD that has at least Service Pack 1 (preferably SP2) included? The original XP wasn't able to partition and format large hard drives correctly.

This has to be the problem. At least, it's what I was going to say, if you hadn't beat me to it.

You guys are the best. I tried to start the install with the Dell CD w/SP1 and it correctly recognized the HD as 300gb.

I guess Ill have to slipstream SP2 into my existing WINXP CD.

why not sp3? go with sp3 already. it will save you time from updating windows.

I heard there are problems slipstreaming SP3 into XP using a Vista OS. The only other PC i have is running vista

 

[Quiksilver]

Originally posted by: akshatp
Reason for reinstall has nothing to do with the HD dying.

What kind of program can I download that destroys all HD info?? I dont even think i have a floppy!!!

DBAN.