Multiple ReInstalls of XP Pro

[scaryfast]

When installing it says that there is already another operating system on the partition. It says that it is not recommended.

The last time I did this I ended up with extaneous users and folders. E.G Lets say my original installation used "MyMainUser". When I reinstalled and used the same, it did not overwrite the original with the new one. It left a ghost of the old one and the new one was called "MyMainUser.MyComputerName".

I also noticed there was another folder that was preserved. I think it was something like "Windows.MyComputerName" and the original "Windows" was still there. Maybe it wasn't exactly Windows but I think it had that in the name. But, you get the idea.

I do not want to format the partition and I want to have it on this particular C partition.
I do not want the other installation of windows.
I do want the files on C other than the old operating system and I have already backed up files that would be lost from installing as the same main username, including a few other directories that I think might lose files.

Everything worked fine last time except I didn't get the user name that I asked for because it added " .MyComputerName" to it without even asking me.

I do not want these ghosts of the past to keep adding up. I tried to delete them just now but I can not get it done.


Is there anyway to install as "MyMainUser" again without leaving these ghosts behind ?

And if not, will these ghosts get left behind even is I choose a new name instead of "MyMainUser" ?

Thank You Very Much !

 

[mechBgon]

Taking an end run around all this... if you're trying to delete the old users' folders and getting "Access denied," then you need to take ownership of them. Does that get the issue resolved, or is it still fighting you?

 

[scaryfast]

Ty. I was able to delete the original "MyMainUser".

When I tried to delete "MyMainUser.MyComputerName", it says that it is required for Windows to run properly. I already tried to delete it from the installation disk's command prompt with owner as administrator. BTW I gave ownership of "MyMainUser", to MyMainUser to delete that one.

I now see again some of the ghosts such as "Administrator.MyMainUser" and "All Users.WINDOWS". These are the new editions of "Administrator" and "All Users".

Will the old ones be the only ones deletable for now?

 

[Billb2]

You can't (or at least shouldn't) have two windows installs on the same partition, or you end up with multiple My Docs, etc.

Why don't you want to do a reformat and clean install?

 

[mechBgon]

Will the old ones be the only ones deletable for now?

Yeah. If you don't want to delete the partition, one possible workaround would be:

1) remove the hard drive and slave it into a different computer

2) delete the entire \Documents and Settings directory, taking Ownership of stuff where necessary.

3) delete both of the Windows directories

4) might as well delete the BOOT.INI file while you're in there, it's in the root directory of the drive

5) now put the drive back into its own computer and install Windows on it again.



Any good? 😕 (and yeah, if it were me, I'd just back up whatever I want to keep, delete the partition from Windows Setup, then exit Windows Setup, start it over, make a partition, quick-format it, and carry on)

 

[scaryfast]

TYVM. I can see that taking the disk out is a personal total solution 4 me.

The first workaround worked well enough for me since the old files were the ones I wanted to recreate. Next time the new ones will be the ones I want and so I will have to install twice, once to make the current new ones into old ones and once to end with the username that I want. Or use your "disk out" solution. Gud stuff all around. TY again.

BTW, I already have the stuff on the partition backed up, but I like multiple copies. So, I prefer it the way we achieved. And there are not two Windows directories, just the dupes that I posted above as far as I know.

Thank You.