cleaning off old hard drive

Hi, I have a computer that is 4 years old, 12gb hard drive. and she is doing well, but alot of stuff i dont need or have gotten rid of but is still ghosting around. I would like to get rid of everything and start over, like the day she was brought to me. I updated it to windows xp from 98.

can i do this. i heard reformating would stil still leave things on there.
I like to pretend it crashed and I had to reput stuff.

also was thinking about replacing the drive with a new of 40 g to 80
can i reinstall using the disk i got for old computer, upgrade xp and blam i am set!

any help website or info would be great.
thanks

 

I'm no expert but have had a cd for a few years. SO,
suggest you make backups of all your data on another medium (CD's).
You can back your programs that you want to keep but you will more than likely
have to re-install them (they normally put things into the windows folder and
registry).

Reformatting is supposed to remove everything from a HD and get it ready to
receive whatever you want to install.

As a global -
a. Do your backups, data, and programs if necessary.
b. Reformat your HD.
c. Power down and install your new HD.
d. Power up and install XP from your Operating System CD's.
e. Apply your backed-up data/programs (re-install programs from their CD's).
f. Power down and install your old (blank) HD.
g. Xp should find new hardware when you power up and assign it a drive
letter.

Depending on what you have this could take a day or more until your satisfied
with your system.
Dont rush, wait for other responses from smarter heads than mine.

 

Opssss,
First sentenance - read "cd" as PC.
All these years and i still type or proof read apparently.

 

no problem

awsome, will do that. thanks so much for you help!

 

Just use a windows 98 boot disk and your Windows 98 CD to install windows, and then, right after installing Windows 98, just install XP. all your stuff will be gone. If you wan tto keep your My Documents folders and such, burn them to a CD and then just copy em from CD to HD once XP is reinstalled. Personally, Unless I know all the hardware is proven compatible with XP, I will install the OS, power off PC, remove all PCI cards and peripherals, using just video card, one CD Drive, and HD's while i upgrade to XP. then I will put everything BACK in and install drivers as necesary. but, in an upgrade, you only have to update drivers not install. Just install Win98SE, then remove all unneccasy hardware, install XP, replace hardware, and install programs.