Is booting and formatting from Win XP cd the best way to get a "clean" install?

[toadstool]

I'm still trying to figure out why Windows XP would not let me install some files like "progman.exe"...even though I must have tried 50 times to get it to copy that file.

I got a reply from someone, and he said that the file was from Windows 3.1....and not an important file, so I'm not really too worried about the file not loading . My XP install seems to be running ok.

But it WAs weird, that no matter what i did I couldn't copy the file during install and had to skip it.


The rest of the message when I couldn't copy the file said something like, "the image file is not a valid setup file". It was something like that.

So, what my main question is, if I formatted ...using the selection to use NTFS......................wouldn't I have a clean hard disk?


Does Windows leave remanents of a previous install of "Win XP "on the hard drive? (maybe that's why I was having problems reinstalling)




Is there another way to format than selecting the option from the cd that works better?



Thanks

 

[kerykeion]

Does Windows leave remanents of a previous install of "Win XP "on the hard drive? (maybe that's why I was having problems reinstalling)

Yes, but that isn't why your having problems...

Is there another way to format than selecting the option from the cd that works better?

Try doing a full format from a Windows 98SE bootdisk ... or better yet, a low-level format if you have the time and utility (usually provided from the manufacturer) to do so. Be aware that a LLF renders everything on this disk unrecoverable. Also, you'll have to fdisk and format afterwards (=more time). After that, you can proceed with the WinXP deployment and choose NTFS if you wish.

 

[AKA]

Sounds like you dont have a decently burned cd of XP.

 

[toadstool]

Cute.


No, it's a legit copy. I donated another $100 toward the "Bill Gates Foundation" like everyone else.


I think the next time I try to reinstall, and reformat etc.......I'll try doing the low level format described above....or from a Win 98 boot disk, and then see if I get the same error messge while Installing.

I've already returned one copy of Windows Xp, only to come home and find out the new copy does the same thing. So, must be something screwy on my system.


Anyways, thanks for the help.