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Thread ID: 121307 2011-10-20 02:33:00 removing bad xp install starrekin61 (10116) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
1238724 2011-10-20 02:33:00 how do i remove a bad xp install (wrong disc used) on a lenovo 3000 n100? need to format and re-install correct copy of XP.

Thanks.
starrekin61 (10116)
1238725 2011-10-20 03:23:00 A new install of XP will ask if you want to format the partition ?OK and it will reformat before the new install kjaada (253)
1238726 2011-10-20 21:09:00 Bad how? wrong version or wrong key? the disk is not really important and the key can be changed I think.

In any case as kjadda said, you can just reinstall and let the installer reformat the drive to wipe the old one.
dugimodo (138)
1238727 2011-10-21 17:09:00 That's what I thought too. But once i finally got the disc to run, no format option was there. I treied repairing disk, did not work. I have a lenovo, and it was a gateway laptop disc that was used to install XP. The hidden drive with the recovery on it, i am unable to access. That drive is fat32, c:\drive is ntfs. i tried to install updated drivers via usb flash drive, but system first made me shut down because flash drive was fat. when rebooted, did a chkdsk on flash drive and fixed errors. took numerous times before it recognized it, installed drivers, but when i checked in device manager all were still uninstalled. what should i try next?

thanks for any ideas.
starrekin61 (10116)
1238728 2011-10-21 18:03:00 Get a puppy linux disk and you can boot from it and "see"everything on yr HD.You can also then save anything you want to a usb and
then run g parted from the puppy disk and reformat the HD.
Puppy is a real boon in this sort of situation every one should have a copy.You can go here:puppylinux.org and get the .iso to burn to CD
kjaada (253)
1238729 2011-10-22 04:08:00 thanks kjaada. will try this. i have been trying to use a linux live cd. perhaps this will work.

i went to the site and i am amazed at what this op sys can do. and off a usb? cool. thanks so much for the link and info. i never would have found it otherwise. i'll let you know how it works out. again, thanks.
starrekin61 (10116)
1238730 2011-10-22 06:38:00 Not sure how PartedMagic (partedmagic.com)compares with Puppy Linux - but I find it good. johnd (85)
1238731 2011-10-22 15:24:00 hi again. will try parted magic next. puppy linux did not work the way it nshould and i'm not sure why. it froze in the middle of booting, with a strange message:
kernel panic - not synching: attempted to kill init!

went to puppy forum, trying to find an answer there, too.

I have an older thinkpad and a netbook - just wondering if i could use the hard drives from one of those maybe? any ideas?

thanks for the help, any suggestions at this point are appreciated.
starrekin61 (10116)
1238732 2011-10-22 19:08:00 Not an expert here but from what I have read it appears;
As xp has boot problem and two different linux distros will not boot
It could be a problem with RAM.
One fix to try is to remove one stick of ram and try booting.
If it boots the stick u removed is faulty.If it does not boot
try removing the other stick with the first one replaced.
Puppy actually goes in to ram and does not go on yr HD
so it has to be a ram fault.
kjaada (253)
1238733 2011-10-22 21:19:00 The more I think about it the more convinced I am that it is bad ram.
(1)3 OS's balk while loading
(2)A live CD will not run (live CD,s do not require a HDD to run.
I think you will find that with the bad ram out you will even be able to go back to yr
original XP install.
I am also surprized no "Tech's" have replied to this thread but lets hope we can get it sorted anyway.
kjaada (253)
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