reformatting hard drive and error message

hi..My name is Ron Smock and I live in Conneaut Lake, Pa. Back a few years ago I built this computer and installed Windows 98 with a 550 processor and 384 mb of ram. I have 2 hard drives and the master is a 10 gb and the slave is 6 gb..the slave hard drive was on a older computer and it was petitioned into 3 separated drives..I was wanting to reformat my hard drives and do a clean install of Windows XP. I can reformat, but the Windows XP says that it can't be installed from dos. So I thought , then , that I would reinstall Windows 98 and install Windows XP from the desk top..at least then I would have all of the unless files and programs deleted.. but now I get the message " if you have hpfs or Windows NT file system you need a MSDOS boot partition." I have been trying to figure out what I need to do without looking too dumb..
Could you help me and kind of give me a direction to head too....??

Thank you for any help that you may see to give

Ron J. Smock

 

To install XP, boot from the XP CD. If that is not enabled in your BIOS setup, you will need to do that and make the CD-ROM boot take precedence over the hard drive boot.

XP setup takes care of all the formatting and will ask you questions related to that after you get going.

XP setup cannot be started from setup.exe in DOS, but if you insist in starting setup from DOS, it can be done by navigating to the i386 folder on the XP CD and executing winnt.exe.

The NT kernel that XP uses is quite different from the 98 kernel and you will notice some differences. The setup routine difference is just one of many.
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Alternatives for starting setup include using this floppy:
http://www.madboot.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Downloads&file=index&req=getit&lid=75

or the 6-floppy set from Microsoft:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310994&Product=winxp

 

hi..wanted to just say thank you for your help..i will let you know how it turns out once i redo this...thanks

Ron J. Smock

 

tried to install

hi..i tried like it was suggested to install Window XP..it started then I received this error message..I have not changed anything on my computer for the last 2 years..now I am not sure what went wrong..any advice??

the error read

"unexpected error (768) occurred at line 5118 in d:\xpclient\base\boot\setup\setup.c. "

thanks for your ideas

 

more

I was just wondering if the program Go Back or if Nortons would prevent me from redoing the hard drive and creating these errors

thank you

 

Not now, it's too late. GoBack doesn't work retroactively, its memory begins at the time it's installed. It's a finite memory of your complete drive history and constantly purges the oldest data once the cache reaches its preset limit. Normally it will reach back about a week +- .

I will certainly help you next time if you choose to install it after you get sorted out.

Perhaps I misunderstand and you already have it installed. In that case, by all means, roll it back as far as you can to see if the problem goes away. If not, it may be out of reach for the hiistory file that GoBack has.

You didn't say exactly how you attempted to do the install so let me just give you a link to the proper method if you are able to boot the installCD:

http://www.blackviper.com/Articles/OS/InstallXPHome/installxphome1.htm

You will have to disable GoBack, if it's installed, as the guide tells you.

That should lead you pretty well. Print it out if your memory is like mine.

 

got this far...

ok..guys..you have helped me this far..i know that Win xp will install..ok..after i installed Windows XP, I found i have 2 operating systems on here now..now, if somewhat will direct me on what to do, i will be enterally grateful..i hate to bother, but this is so much fun..
ok, back to this..i have 2 hard drives..i had one on a older computer that i had to have it done into 3 drives..i never changed it when i was running Windows 98 ..my c drive is 9.52 gb..the other drive that i have petition off is on the drive d part of it 1.99 gb drive e is 1.99 gb and the drive f is 900 mb..after seeing that i can get win xp on here..i was thinking of maybe making the number 2 drive all one size drive and doing away with the other partitions..and just having a drive with 4.9 gb..or would you recommend getting a bigger drive ..i think because of having 2 drives it automatic kept the 2 operating systems..i would really like only the one operating system..gee, i think i can understand like step 1..step 2.. step 3 method better..i can really do most things but never had this type of problem before..
can any one give me advice on this..

 

With a drive that small, it may as well be one partition.

Right-click My Computer in XP, Manage, Disk Management.

Right-click each partition on your second drive and remove it. Then, when all the space on the second drive is unallocated, create one large partition, format it and assign a drive letter.

 

how do you get into bio setup

i have a Compaq Presorio here that a friend owns..he needs a new sound card and it has a on board card..i need to go into bio setup to disable it..but when i talked to HP tech, they seem like they had no clue..does anyone have a idea how to enter the set up screen..when it starts up there is nothing on the screen and it goes straight into WINDOWS..I have tried ..del...esc.. f1 .. f2 and still nothing..i would say the computer must be between 7-10 years old

thanks

 

For compaq, try the f10 key.

 

my Thanks to all of you

I just want to thank all of the people that has given me information..Special thanks to : surferdude2 , Abraxas & TonyT..thank you guys for all of your help..you are great people.. have a great holiday weekend

Thank you
Ron J. Smock