Upgrade Win Me to Win Xp question

[csaag]

I was originally running Win 98; I upgraded to Win ME and now have the Win XP Pro upgrade disk.

When I did the XP upgrade I specified the clean install option (whatever the other choice from 'upgrade' was) The computer shortly afterwards did a reboot and I came up to a DOS looking screen to continue the upgrade process. I had to tell it to install on the C drive over the other copy of Windows. In the end I still have all my original files. It certainly looks like it did an upgrade. I had wated a clean install A) because everythig I read said that was the least error prone way to go and B) I have a ton of old stuff that I had wanted to clean out.

I haven't registered XP online yet, can I reinstall XP and get a clean install? Is it better if I boot from a boot disk and format the C drive myself then reboot with the XP upgrade disk in? If I need to reformat myself, is it simply 'format c:'

thanks

[Cobra]

Tell it you want to make a clean install and when it comes to partitioning the hard drive, delete all the partitions you can see. Then, when you move to the next screen it will ask you if you want to do a quick or full NTFS format. Tell it full format, go make a cup of tea, burn mouth and eventually come back when it's done and install.

That should sort it out.

Cobra

[wingnut2003]

you will need a set of xp boot disks to do a clean install from an upgrade disk. you will need 6 floppies and you can get the file from microsoft here http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=55820EDB-5039-4955-BCB7-4FED4...displaylang=en

[BobK]

You'll also want to back up all your data if you re-partition and format. Everything on the HD will be gone after that.

[Cobra]

My Windows XP is an upgrade, and I do not need boot floppies. Every Windows XP installer should have this step in it, unless I am mistaken. Mine's certainly does.

Cobra

[DVDDave]

just boot off of the xp disk. choose new install and quick format. at some point it will/may ask you to put in an original win 98 or ME disk in to verify that you have an existing OS which validates your xp upgrade.

[mob]

I was originally running Win 98; I upgraded to Win ME and now have the Win XP Pro upgrade disk.

I think you need the FULL version in order to do a clean install. You say you have the upgrade version which I believe can only be used to upgrade a previous Windows to the new one.

[DVDDave]

as long as you have a full version of win 98 or me, the xp upgrade will work. during the xp installation, it will ask you to insert your 98 or me disk and then it will do a full install.

[csaag]

My PC originally came with 98 installed; The only disks that came with it were recovery disks. I have a Win ME disk for the upgrade.

The installation process did ask me for a disk & I put in the ME disk.
It just didn't wipe the disk clean.
I'll try repeating the XP install.

[sacajaweeda]

All windows setup discs contain the full install. The ONLY difference between the full version and the upgrade version is the extra cost of the license you pay for when you buy the full version.

[jimmalenko]

I have never used and Upgrade version before, but the following is how you use a full version. Maybe you can figure some stuff out from this.

When the DOS screen comes up, don't select "retain existing windows install" or whatever the option is. You should get to a point where you can choose the drive and partition that you wish to install to. I think you need to highlight the partition you wish to wipe, then press D for Delete, then press L to confirm. You then have to select "Unpartitioned space" and hit C for create. Press enter when it shows the size to create the biggest disc given the available unpartitioned space, or enter a custom size. Highlight "New Partition (RAW)" and press enter. It will then ask you to select how you wish to format the drive. Select the Full NTFS file system format (not the quick format) and press enter. It should then perform a clean install.

As I said, this works for the Full Version so I don't see why it wouldn't work for the upgrade version, given what sacajaweeda has said.

[csaag]

Thanks! Once I deleted the partition on the C: drive I got a full clean install. All went very smoothly.

[jimmalenko]

Thanks! Once I deleted the partition on the C: drive I got a full clean install. All went very smoothly.

Glad that worked - I thought it might.

I gather that the install asked you at some point to verify that you qualified for an upgrade ?

[csaag]

The 1st install - the one that didn't do the full clean install I wanted - asked me for a disk. The re-install did not, but I guess somewhere it noted that I had already verified the process.