Help with installing XP and merging hard drive

[VincentVV]

Hi, I hope this is the correct forum - I have both hardware and software questions.

I have revisited an old Pentium II system running Windows ME, and attempted the following:-

To install Windows XP

(Found I could not, because of only 50 meg left on C drive - discovered 'drive partitioning')

To remove hard drive partitions for more accessable memory in C drive

(Used BootIt program first, then Partition Magic. Totally new to the concept of partitions, believe I successfully merged the C, D, E and F drives I found to make a bigger C drive. Decided to uninstall Windows ME first, before attempting to install Windows XP)

To uninstall Windows Millenium

(not possible through add/remove programs, so uninstalled from DOS prompt - uninstal.exe)

To format hard drive

(used Windows Millenium Startup Disk to 'Format C' - also formatted D and E drives for good measure. There was apparently no longer an F drive)

To install Windows XP - boot CD

(system repeatedly hung on 'checking system requirements', until I used Windows ME Startup Disk 'fdisk' facility to try and finally 'delete partitions' - now got past this hanging point to begin installing Windows XP)

After the first phase of Windows XP installation, the computer told me it was rebooting and to remove any floppy from drive A. I did so, but then it went back into (what I soon realised was) the first stages of installing Windows XP from the CD drive again (it said nothing about removing the Windows XP bootup disk from the CD drive!). I though it best to let it continue uninterrupted, but when it came to reboot again during the setup, I this time removed the CD. I then followed instructions to successfully install Windows XP.

To cut a longer story shorter, I have ended up with two Windows XP operating systems on my Pentium II. One of which, I continued through the long (45 minute) setup sequence and which runs nicely on my computer. But on startup, it still asks me which operating system I want to use. I choose the first one, and everything loads fine. When I choose the second one, it wants to take another 45 minutes to continue the installation process of this second Windows XP.

The 'other' Windows XP - which was of course only partly installed - I want to remove from the computer as it is reduntant. How can I locate and remove the 'partly installed' Windows XP?

Also, looking in My Computer, I see there are in fact 2 x hard drive partitions within the new Windows XP. C drive has a mere 1.99 Gb and has 1.50 Gb free, but F drive has 5.82 Gb with 4.07 Gb free. The folders in C drive are My Documents and Windows, the folders in F drive are My Documents, Windows and Program Files...

It must be wrong that there are two sets of My Documents and Windows folders spread over C and F drives, and Program Files lies in F drive? What should I do with regards to merging C and F drives so I can have simply one hard drive partition (C) with the most available memory?

Hope I have been clear here - I can elaborate on any aspect of this if necessary, hope somebody can help!

Specs:-

INTEL PENTIUM II - MMX 290 mhz
WINDOWS XP PRO
256 mb RAM
DIRECT X 9.0C
MGA-2164 W

[VincentVV]

Just looked at it again - am I correct in thinking that the 'fully installed' XP, since Program Files is in there, is lying in the F drive?

So the 'partly installed' XP, without Program Files and without some of the files and folders that should be present within the Windows Folder, is lying in the C Drive?

Should I simply remove everything from the C drive? If so, how should I go about making F the 'new' C drive, or better still merging the two so I only have to deal with one big hard drive?

What a headache!

Thanks for any help

[liljim]

Installing XP on a 290 MHz machine is asking for WAY too much. Concerning your partition problem, your easiest bet would be to start from scratch but only use the XP disk.

During the XP installation your asked to choose a partition to install to, this same screen gives you the option to delete existing partitions which is what you need to do. All of the partitions should be listed and i suggest deleting them all until your only option on that screen is "unpartitioned space". Choose to install to the unpartitioned space and you will be asked to format to NTFS, press enter and let windows install from there. If you do that you will have just a C: drive when its all said and done.

This is just a quick reply, im only passing through for now but greater detail can be provided as needed. Hope it helps.

[VincentVV]

Thanks for your advice -

According to my research, this old computer more than meets the minimum system requirements for XP... so we'll see how it goes!

I've blitzed the whole hard drive and started from scratch, installing Windows XP on the 'unpartitioned 8Gb' of space.

I will report back with any further issues!

[liljim]

It will run, just not very well but its a good learning experience. Let us know how it turns out.