Going back to XP32...

[Riptide]

Wow. Just wow.

So yesterday I decide that I want to go back to using XP 32bit. XP 64bit is fine but I am sick of all the hassles that go along with it because of insufficient developer support. Games that use StarForce copy protection don't run, some games need modifications before they install, etc.. I was just sick of the idiosyncracies.

Well this morning I come to find out that if I try to run setup for XP 32bit it will blue screen on me before I can even get to the point of copying files to the partition. I was hoping since it was NTFS that it would just let me remove the existing Windows install and then continue from there.

Apparently NTFS between the two versions is not compatible. GREAT. This is a problem for me because I have huge files on my drive that I don't want to lose. We're talking 120gig worth of high def TV/movies. So I am faced with a fun little dilemma - I have to wipe the partition before I can install. But I have noowhere to put these files at home.

So tomorrow I'm going to have to bring my PC in to work, hook it up to the network, and copy all that stuff up to a server that has enough space to host the files temporarily. Then I can wipe the drive and get XP 32bit installed again. What an inconvenience.

DAMNIT. (mikec)

[rewt]

Apparently NTFS between the two versions is not compatible.

Where do you get this info? I dual boot XP32 and XP64 and I can read/modify the same files from either OS.

[Riptide]

They aren't fully compatible in that you can't install XP32 into an existing XP64 partition. NTFS or not the two don't like each other.

Either OS can see and read from each volume yes but running setup is another matter.

[rewt]

So basically what you are trying to do here is run a 32-bit repair on a 64-bit OS, so as not to lose data? I had learned my lesson a long time ago about this. That is to never store sensitive data on the same partition as the OS.

[Riptide]

Basically I have an NTFS partition that XP64 is installed on. XP64 created and formatted that partition.

When I run setup for XP32 it gets a blue screen of death during the blue screen part of setup right before you get to the point of partitioning the drive or choosing a partition to install on. Bam reboots. Game over.

So yeah even though the two OS's can see each other's NTFS volumes and write data there is no way to take an NTFS partition that XP64 created and install XP32 onto it. I am not trying to do a repair. It should let you remove the existing installation and reinstall. But it doesn't get that far.

IOW yes if I had not kept this data on the same partition I would be fine. Next time I will probably split the drive up into two partitions. My long term plans were to get a second drive entirely in an external enclosure and put the data there. Didn't have the money yet though.

[Sazar]

Join the club. I stopped using xp64 ages ago. I prefer stability and keeping my hair on my head :)

[Riptide]

I've had no stability issues that I can blame on the OS itself. I'm just sick of having to deal with games that need cracks, won't work at all, or require editing some .MSI in order to install.

[rewt]

How do you remove an existing installation without formatting, deleting/recreating a partition, or repair? I don't know how you could do this without losing data, even if the xp32 disc would let you install the OS fresh onto a xp64 partition. Since you stored important data on your windows partition you basically have to bring it in to work to copy it anyway. Next time just make two partitions on your hard disk. One for Windows, and another for your data. Then you won't have to worry as much about losing your stuff when you want to reinstall the OS.

P.S. - Make sure to change "My Documents" path to another partition. Many apps store data in My Documents folder, and if that folder resides on the same partition as Windows, you will lose it when reinstalling the OS.

[npras42]

Yeah as rewt said I don't understand either. You couldn't really uninstall windows from the partition anyway... or can you, and I've missed something???

[Riptide]

You guys are confused.

If you run setup on a drive with an existing XP installation it will allow you to reinstall over it without having to reformat. If you choose to install in the same path as the existing installation it will even remove it (the system folder) for you automatically and create the new one leaving your other folders on the drive untouched.

The problem I'm having is that when I run XP32 setup the machine blue screens right before I get to the point that I can tell it to install on the existing partition or reformat it. Mentions something about chkdsk /f. Which to me indicates XP32 is having problems when it goes to attempt a read on the existing NTFS partition. Thus I am forced to repartition the drive instead of doing what I had planned on.

And that is why I made the remark about how XP32 setup doesn't like my XP64 partition. This problem doesn't come up if I attempt to run XP64 setup on my drive.

[rewt]

If you run setup on a drive with an existing XP installation it will allow you to reinstall over it without having to reformat. If you choose to install in the same path as the existing installation it will even remove it (the system folder) for you automatically and create the new one leaving your other folders on the drive untouched.

Ah I see! I never knew you could reinstall Windows in such a way. Thanks for the info.

[Son Goku]

About the only way to do it without formatting would be to install the OS on another partition, and then from within it:

- Delete the Windows directory (to the old install)
- Delete Program Files
- Delete the pagefile.sys on the old partition
- Delete Documents and Settings

Of course don't delete any of these on the partition where the new instance of winXP is installed. Finally, look in a file called boot.ini with a standard text editor, and delete the line for selecting the old instance of Windows off the boot menu. Best to back this up first, in case another line is deleted.

Also note, that boot.ini doesn't use DOS style drive letters, but refers to them as disk number, partition number, etc... There's no doubt a tutorial you can find out there that can help with deciphering the boot.ini file. Alternatively, look at it before installing XP on another partition, and make note of the XP lines in there (not actually in the file, but on a piece of paper or something).

Then leaving the new lines added, after installing XP get rid of the old...

BTW, I've had some stability probs in XP-32 with my A64 for unknown reasons...and things were fine at first. But I wouldn't upgrade to XP 64 at this point anyhow. Support isn't all there, and why buy a newer version of XP anyhow, when Longhorn/Vista is already in beta?

[Riptide]

No XP64 was a mistake. Not so much for when I bought it, because I've had it more or less since it came out. There are just some things about it that get on my nerves. Nothing that is XP64 or MS's fault - it's the developers mainly that are the problem.

I still think it works pretty well all things considered. But I've had to do a lot of swapping around with hardware and rebuilding as of late. So I'm coming up short on patience because of the constant headaches.

BTW the ATI Catalyst control center's dependence on .NET 1.1 (and 1.1. *only*) are indirectly responsible for forcing me into this latest complete reinstall. I loaded 5.13 and had an unbelievable nightmare of a time getting it to work. It works now but I've had to do so much nonsense to get it working that the machine isn't really "clean" any more. And I'm pretty anal about that stuff. :)

[saturnotaku]

BTW the ATI Catalyst control center's dependence on .NET 1.1 (and 1.1. *only*) are indirectly responsible for forcing me into this latest complete reinstall. I loaded 5.13 and had an unbelievable nightmare of a time getting it to work. It works now but I've had to do so much nonsense to get it working that the machine isn't really "clean" any more. And I'm pretty anal about that stuff.

Impossible. ATI's drivers are absolutely perfect. They are forged from the hammer of God himself. (xmastong)

[Riptide]

Impossible. ATI's drivers are absolutely perfect. They are forged from the hammer of God himself. (xmastong)
LOL

This issue and the GL performance are the two things that irritate me most about them. But hey at least they don't blue screen my machine, which is more than I could say for 81.xx forceware. ;)

[npras42]

You guys are confused.

If you run setup on a drive with an existing XP installation it will allow you to reinstall over it without having to reformat. If you choose to install in the same path as the existing installation it will even remove it (the system folder) for you automatically and create the new one leaving your other folders on the drive untouched.

The problem I'm having is that when I run XP32 setup the machine blue screens right before I get to the point that I can tell it to install on the existing partition or reformat it. Mentions something about chkdsk /f. Which to me indicates XP32 is having problems when it goes to attempt a read on the existing NTFS partition. Thus I am forced to repartition the drive instead of doing what I had planned on.

And that is why I made the remark about how XP32 setup doesn't like my XP64 partition. This problem doesn't come up if I attempt to run XP64 setup on my drive.

Yes. Right you are. I went back to XP32 from XP64 as well, but I dont remember which method I used to do it. I definitely did a full format, but I cant remember whether I deleted the partition and reformatted it, or just tried to format it. Its a strange error...

[Riptide]

This is just ****ing wonderful.

Even after wiping the volume I get a blue screen in XP setup. Doesn't give me jack squat for information except asks that I run chkdsk/f. THERE IS NO PARTITION NOW. W T F is wrong with this POS.

Now I'm going to have to re-run XP64 setup and see if it has this problem. If it doesn't - I can't for the life of me understand why XP32 just refuses to work on my PC any more.

[Q]

I bought x64 the week it came out and stopped using it two days later. I had no printer support and not TV card support. I called Canon about the issue and they PROMISED me drivers by June at the latest. Then July. Then August. Then They told me that the hardware was too old to support. ****ing liars.

Compro, the assclowns they are, say "We develop the softwares very difficult" "We no support Itanium" and other blood boiling phrases. What's sad is that the only people who have TV cards in thier systems are enthusists (more or less...less so since MCE). But then the only people running x64 are enthusiasts. Why would NO ONE make a driver for thier damn card! I think there are like what, two companies that support thier TV cards in x64? And those are the ****tiest cards on the market.

BAAAASSSSTAAAARRRDS!

Then...MS has a fit if you want to SELL thier unsupported software. Its going on a year and STILL hardly ever support. Actually, far over a year if you count the prerelease software, which actually worked better for me than the official.

::Tells self to breath::

Yeah...I'm not too happy about it. But MCE 2005 is treating me good for the most part. The theme support alone is pretty nice so I done have to go patching files or running geh stylexp/windowblinds.

You made the right choice, Riptide.

And Saturnotaku...what a quote that "ATI GOD" post is going to be. I love it.

[Q]

This is just ****ing wonderful.

Even after wiping the volume I get a blue screen in XP setup. Doesn't give me jack squat for information except asks that I run chkdsk/f. THERE IS NO PARTITION NOW. W T F is wrong with this POS.

Now I'm going to have to re-run XP64 setup and see if it has this problem. If it doesn't - I can't for the life of me understand why XP32 just refuses to work on my PC any more.

Run the x64 setup. Try deleting the partition and trying again. For some reason this issue seems familiar...

If that doesn't work, do the x64 system and do a quick format of the drive. Do a hard restart before the files are written. Then try the 32bit install.

[Riptide]

Yeah I'm about to try x64 setup again and see if it notices anything on the drive. It shouldn't because I used a wipedrive utility to wipe it. But at this point what the hell it makes no sense anyway.

Oh and after that blue screen the computer stopped detecting USB devices. I had to do a hard reset on CMOS before it came out of it. More fun.

[Riptide]

OK I figured out why it was freaking out. I may have caused quite the inconvenience here and it was apparently my fault somehow.

Basically XP32 setup sees my hard disc now. The change? I didn't hit F6 and load any SATA drivers during setup. I was under the impression you had to load SATA support w/F6 or it wasn't going to see this drive. Yet somehow XP32 setup sees it now. I'm confused. :confused:

Anyhow that may be why it blue screened on me yesterday and got me going on a wild goose chase copying all my data off the drive here at work etc. when all I needed to do was NOT hit F6 and load those drivers.

W T F.

[npras42]

That IS strange... Then again your MoBo is quite new, maybe there is some way of providing SATA support without the drivers... I know mine definitely doesn't work. Caused so much hassle when I first got a SATA drive.

[Riptide]

Yeah it sure seems odd that XP32 will see my SATA drive without loading F6 driver support during the initial part of setup. Got to say I still don't understand why. The copy of XP I'm using has SP2 slipstreamed - but I made this disc years ago before the NF4 even existed. It really doesn't make any sense how it sees the drive. The second thing that's odd is that the SATA drivers that come with the NForce4 chipset package cause the computer to bugcheck and reboot. Very, very strange...

[Q]

Its likely that your board runs SATA in PATA mode until it detects the driver in Windows. My Asrock has a similiar option, so I've read.

[Riptide]

If that were true XP64 setup wouldn't require SATA drivers be loaded via F6 before seeing the disk. Yet it does.