Quick question! If I delete a partition during setup will I mess up other partitions?

[GreenLantern]

I am reinstalling windows xp on my main partition. At the beginning of setup you can delete partitions. If I delete my c: drive partition (my primary partition), will the whole harddrive be affected? Will the data on my extended partitions be safe.

I essentially I just want to reformat it, but setup (FOR WHAT REASON I HAVE NO IDEA) doesn't offer to reformat, only to A)install over top as a 2nd OS or B) delete and recreate a partition to install on.

Help!

 

[TheOmegaCode]

I thought there was an option to format or leave the partition the way it was... It's been a while, so I'm not 100%.

Anyways, if you delete the primary partition, it won't mess up the other partitions.

 

[stevewm]

2k/XP setup DOES let you just format the partition without deleting/recreating it. I do it everytime I reinstall. You are just not reading the directions carefully enough

But to answer your question no it will not harm the other partition.


To just re-format the partition do this: Say you want a fresh install of XP, when you get to the partition selection screen select your current "C:" partition. You'll get a warning about a OS already being there, continue on with it anyways, you will THEN get the option for format the partition as NTFS. It will only format the partition, not delete/re-create it.

 

[GreenLantern]

If I select C: and hit C, nothing happens. If I select unpartitioned space, it will allow me to press C. This is WinXP Pro by the way.

But are you guys saying that effectively deleting and recreating a partition in the same space will be overkill but produce the same effect?

Thanks for the responses.

 

[stevewm]

At the partition screen highlight your current C: partition and hit ENTER! Not C!

It will then warn you there is already a existing windows installing on that partition. Ignore the warning and it will then let you select which filesystem to format with

 

[GreenLantern]

thanks steve. you're right