clean install of xp

[da hound]

i want 2 do a clean install of xp lot of programes on my computer will not work at the mo including cubase do you think by making a clean installation will fix this prob :?: just curious how i should go about this ave any of you done a clean install before and how did u go about it i have tryed un-installing the progs that are not workin and then installing them again and still no joy so i reckon the only way 2 fix it is by makeing a clean installation of xp

[BRADLEE]

I would say just to first backup your project files and wave files asscoiated with those projects. Then the next step is to format the hard drive and install a fresh copy of the OS. Most of the time you'll need a bootdisk unless you have a bootable XP cd. If not you can use any windows bootdisk to get into dos. Once there format the drive. After you format you'll have to restart the machine. Once the machine restarts, go back into the bootdisk. When back in dos, access the CDROM and go to the I386 directory. Once in there you can use the WINNT command and it will load the files for setup.

That is just how I normally go about doing such. Hopefully it is of some help to you.

[da hound]

when it asks me do i want 2 overwrite the current installation for a clean install i should overwrite it yes

[Mirsha]

Remember if you do this you will lose absoloutely everything on the drive, all music and media and so on so make sure it's backed up. You would honestly be a lot better off probably installing a clean version of Windows to another hardrive which doesn't already have it installed so you still have your old Windows setup as a backup in case something goes terribly wrong. From your question above it sounds like you are really unconfident in what you are doing and by doing it to another drive with the guarantee of a backup it should put your mind at ease and just let you plow on with it.

to further satisfy your mind you might want to make sure that the only drive you have connected to your computer is the one you intend to format to save accidents, just this week I formatted a new drive and when I was doing so I physicaly removed all other drives just to be safe.

[da hound]

thanks for the advice people :clap: have backed up everything i need music wavs i have 2 drives i want 2 keep 1 for running windows and apps and the 2nd 1 for audio so it think i will just overwrite the one currently running windows and leave the other free for audio

[MARKEG]

this site is god:

www.musicxp.net

dont do ANYTHING without reading this first.

[Barely Human]

Your best of making a partition on your system drive even if your using 2 drives. This way you dont waste space.

[Apex Beat]

Man, my abletons just died anyway so I gotta reformate as well. Something I've done thousands of times

Just make sure you have all your orginal files backed up. Also make certain that you have all the necessery drivers (i.e sound card, graphics cards etc etc - moden driver or whatever very important because if you are missing any drivers you can download them from the internet). Also, if your not using a netbased email - any important emails to be backed up? Address book? Make sure you cover everything because once you reformate its difficult, if not impossible for a inexperienced user to recall lost or deleted files.

Make sure you reformate NOT just install your OS over a existing one... Make sure your using the right file system (ie FAT32 for anything before XP, I think its NF32 or something for XP).

[MARKEG]

good advice. getting your drivers to one side is important to a smooth install. download all the latest ones and burn them off.

fat 32 has always best for music, whether it's xp or before.

hope it all goes well.