WinXP installation questions

[crisscross]

My WindowsXP installation is messed up and I want to do a clean install. I copied all my important files to another partition and i am thinking of formatting the Partition in which Windows is installed. Is it a good idea to format the partition? I read somewhere that formatting should be done sparingly. I have NTFS on the main partition is there anyway by which I could just delete the Windows and Program Files Directory and install Winxp again?

Thanx in advance for ur advice.

 

[btvillarin]

Format the partition...safer, and more effective than just deleting the Windows and Program Files directories, which might not be as effective, because those other folders are left.

 

[crisscross]

thanx but how do I format the partition using the WinXP CD-ROM?

 

[renorocks]

AFTER WINDOWS GETS THROUGH INSTSALLING THE INITIAL DRIVER DATABASE AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE INSTALL IT WILL ASK YOU IF YOU WANT TO REPAIR OR LOAD A FRESH COPY (ESC. KEY). CHOOSE LOAD FRESH COPY. IT WILL THEN SHOW YOU THE PARTITIONS ON YOUR HARD DRIVE. YOU CAN CHOOSE ONE TO DELETE (IN YOUR CASE THE NTFS PARTITION WITH WINDOWS ON IT). YOU CAN THEN CREATE A NEW PARTITION (C KEY) AND LOAD A FRESH COPY OF WINDOWS. JUST FOLLOW THE ON SCREEN DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY AND YOU SHOULD BE O.K.

GOOD LUCK
JR

 

[btvillarin]

You'll see the option. After choosing the partiton with your previous Windows installation, it'll ask if you want to delete this partition, choose another, or continue. Continue with this, and you'll have the option to format NTFS or FAT32.

 

[crisscross]

thanx will check it out but It won't affect the D: Partition rite? coz that's where I have stored all my backups.