Clean Install Of WinXP Question.

[Burpy]

I was wondering if its best to use the Quick Format or the other Format option which takes much longer. Does quick format leave old files from your previous installation?
I ask because recently i reinstalled XP using quick format and programs like nero, quicktime already has my registration information. I found that a bit odd.

[retsam]

I was wondering if its best to use the Quick Format or the other Format option which takes much longer. Does quick format leave old files from your previous installation?
yes, it will leave files intact...thats why you should break the partition then do a complete format of the drive...you could also do a low level format of the drive...but this is only recommended if you use the hard drive manufactorers format program ...

[Burpy]

Thanks for clearing that up. Exactly what do you mean by break the partition?

[retsam]

Thanks for clearing that up. Exactly what do you mean by break the partition?oh sorry, i should have gone into more dept.... what i ment was you need to set the partition size just a tad smaller then what you had on there...

[j0j081]

I just boot from the XP cd delete the system partition, recreate it, and do a regular format (not quick). is there something wrong with that?

[crainger]

I just boot from the XP cd delete the system partition, recreate it, and do a regular format (not quick). is there something wrong with that?

I hope not! Thats exactly what I do.

[Ringthane]

That's what I do, and I've never had a problem with it.

[i.r-fool]

me niether.

[i.r-fool]

Although, there is this "thing" that happens, let me elaborate: I have 2 HDD's, C: and D: make up the first SATA drive, E: is the entire second ATA drive (both physical drives are 160GB each). Now: Before reinstalling XP, i make backups of all my stuff onto the E:, then I do either a full or a quick format on both C: and D: BUT before I boot from the XP cd, I remove the ide cable from the 2nd ATA drive because my stupid BIOS configures the drive letters the wrong way around.

So, I install XP with the second drive disconnected to avoid confusion for my BIOS and to install xp on the C: that I intended. Then, after installing XP, i plug the second drive back in and to my horror; roughly 10% of all my backups, whether it's mp3's or .exe's are suddenly corrupt (ANY mp3 player gives errors and any exe program has a blank icon and when I open any one of them, they all have a dos prompt that says "not enough memory" or something to that effect). But I have 2GB of RAM and they worked fine b4.

And this happens everytime I install XP by plugging out the ATA drive first.

Maybe it's just bad luck, maybe it's something I'm doing wrong - i dunno.

I just wonder if anyone else had the same problem.