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Dual Boot - How to Remove?

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4 replies

by jwgronner

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I have a Dell with w2k and wxp on it as a dual boot. I want to remove the w2k but only have the miserable recovery/re-install CD's from Dell. How can I get the w2000 off-completely. I know I could edit the boot.ini and delete the directories but I want a clean xp install, w/o having to scrub everything and start over. There are no options in the w2k or wxp recovery cd's to help me.

4 replies

by ashishs

Is it possible for you to get into boot menu and delete the win2K partition?

by eddie.limoncelli

if you boot to the dell winxp recovery cd, it will give you an option of deletion any partitions you don't want and reformatting the HD to do a clean install. don't invoke toe repair function, esc past that and you'll get the reformat option.

by jdclyde

If you don't want to format and reinstall (which would be the ONLY way to get a "clean" install)
edit your ini file to get to the single boot first.

Once you have that and are booted into the XP get to a command prompt and use fdisk to remove the other partion. I would then create a new partion that would then show up as a second drive letter (like it does now) and move all data and temp/swap files to that partition.

This would put all the data that changes, thus causing fragmentation in one area and all programs are on the other.

This is assuming of course that the drive is big enough to give you the room for each partition to do their job.

Did the system come with XP or w2k? If you have a valid license for the XP there are utilities you can download that will give you your authentication numbers, which you could legally use with a buddies disks to reformat your system.

by jwgronner

Unfortunately it is not a separate partition but on the C drive. The admin before me did not think of that I guess. I believe I will just delete the directory and be on my way unless there are any better possibilities. I think I migh just image my drive and then fdisk and start over - I just hate to spend a day doing it!

John

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