Hard Drive Question?

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Hi Guys,

Wondering if you can help me?

I have an old computer that was being thrown out at work, the OS is Windows 2000 Professinal and i need a passwork to access this but i do not have one.

Is it possible for too wipe the hard drive completeley so i can load my copy of XP? And how do i go about doing this?

Thank You!!!!

 

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If you're not bothered about saving any data then yeah, sure.

Boot to your XP CD (hit any key when prompted to boot to CD-ROM) and follow the on-screen instructions, you'll need to format the drive though, but it should be fairly simple.

Here's a MS support article which you can follow - http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/316941

Qs

 

To expand slightly on Qs' reply - the installation will see that there is already a copy of Windows on the drive. Select 'delete' to remove it, then select 'all the disk' (or similar) when it asks how much to use for the new installation.

If you know about the old FDISK system under DOS then XP includes this functionality in the installation section.

Harry.

 

Yep ^^ That too. Thanks Harry.

If you have any problems then post back.

Qs

 

Dont forget to put the cd drive as 1st in the boot priority list in the BIOS, otherwise windows 2000 will just load normally.

 

Hi Guys,

Progress report!

Having a few problems, i have tried what you said. It does not seem to be working, but i am not sure why. I have made the CD Rom the primary bootable device but it still keeps booting into Windows 2000, i have even made the CD Rom the only bootable device and i does not boot at all, but it will open and shut so it must have power to it, any ideas???


Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions!!!!

 

when you start the computer with the disc in the drive are you presented with the blue Windows screen where it allows you to creat/delete a partition and install windows?

This is what should happen if it is booting from the CD (remember you need to save the setting in the BIOS when you have changed the boot device priority)

It will have a press F8 to agree at the bottom of the blue screen and it will load the windows drivers then you should be able to install.

 

I am saving the settings in the BIOS because it asks me if i want to before i leave! And then boots into Windows 2000. Any ideas??? I am not sure if the disk is faulty, but i have also tried it with a vista disk and have the same results.


Regards.

 

with my system if I have the first boot priority as CD, the second as hard drive and the third as USB when the system finishes POST it still asks me to press any key to boot from CD if I am not quick enough it boots from the hard drive. Try that and see if it works

 

Hi,

It does not ask me that question, i have changed the order in BIOS and also i have a boot device menu, when i enter that i want to boot from the IDE CD-ROM Device it keeps saying 'strike F1 to retry boot, F2 for set up utility' and when i press F1 it makes a couple of beeps and asks me the same question again. I just cant seem to boot from a CD-ROM, could it be faulty???Should i replace it with another, this is just an old computer that i had from work to mess around on.


Thanks.

 

When you are you in Windows can you run a CD?

If you can't then I would say it's the drive.

Is the drive reconised at all? if not it could be the cable or controller.

 

Also I would ask where this CD came from. Is it an original or a copy?

Harry.

 

HI Guys,

The computer is not that old i dont think, it is a Dell Optiplex GX60. My XP disk is a copy but my Vista is an original, but dont think my computer is good enough to run this. I cannot get into windows to see if a Cd will run. Got to go to work now. Will have a play this evening and let you know how i get on.



cheers.

 

If the XP CD is a copy it is possible that it was copied incorrectly - and the 'autoboot' feature may not have copied.

1) Does the CD boot in another computer?

2) Does any other autoboot CD work on this one?

Harry.

 

It is. http://www.dell.com/downloads/emea/products/optix/optix_gx60_uk.pdf Specs on page 2.

Assuming your optical drive is being recognised during POST I think it's time to get the screwdrivers out and swap the optical drive into a working computer.

 

Hi Guys,

I have put the CD- Drive into another computer and i works just fine, also when i put in the copied XP disk it does ask me if want to boot from cd. Does this mean that may be one of my cables is dodgy, what else could it be?



Regards.

 

if you used a different cable in the other pc with the drive an it worked it probably points to the cable/controller like I said last night.

Also I'd like to point out you shouldn't be using a pirated version of xp.

 

I'd try the cable in the good computer first.
If that was good I'd put the drive back in the opti but connect it to the other controller, just to make sure that the controller's not an issue. Remember to change the boot options.
After that, no idea.

 

keane14,

Does the computer have a sticker on the outside that says something like "Designed for Windows 2000?"