How can i erase everything from my HD and start all over like it was when i first got my PC?

Question

I have an HP Compaq 6715b.

A coupel of days ago i ordered some recovery cds from hp and they sent me the xp installation cd and another cd with the necessary drivers.

Im running windows vista business right now.

Problem is when i put the XP installation cd in my dvd drive doesnt recognize it.

What i want to know is how can i force it in a way soo that i does?

I dont care if i lose all my documents and work i just want to go back to XP

Answer 1

1. put a Windows XP CD in the drive and booted to install.

2. When it asked me what I wanted to do I deleted the recovery partition and I deleted the Vista OS partition.

3. Now I had 160 GB unformatted hard drive and chose {quick} format and installed Windows XP Professional.

4. It installed perfectly and I had a 160 GB hard drive with Windows XP Professional.

5. I installed Microsoft’s NetFramework 1.1

6. I installed Partition Magic. BUT NOT “Boot Magic”.

7. I installed PowerQuest Drive Image 7.0.

8. I opened Partition Magic and right clicked on Drive C {160GB’s} and clicked on label and labeled it “January”.

9. I booted the computer.

10. I opened Partition Magic and in the upper left hand corner selected “create a new partition.”

11. I made the new partition 120 GB’s and took all the space from January.

12. I made sure it was a primary partition. {Click on primary because default in partition magic is {extended logical}.

13. In the lower left hand corner click on apply. The computer will reboot to do this.

14. Now you have a 40 GB {Partition 1} with Windows XP operating system.

15. You also have a PRIMARY {Partition 2} of 120 GB’s.

16. Open Partition Magic and right click on the 120GB partition and click on label and label it February.

17. Now I opened Partition Magic and click on “create a new partition”.

18. Unchecked all the boxes except February and created a logical partition 80 GB’s. Clicked apply. Took all the space from February.

19. Now February is 40 GB’s.

20. Open Partition Magic and right click on the 80 GB and label it March.

21. I opened Partition Magic and in the upper left hand corner selected “create a new partition.”

22. Unchecked all the boxes except March and created a logical partition 40 GB’s. Clicked apply. Took all the space from March.

23. Right clicked and labeled the new partition April.

24. I opened Partition Magic and in the upper left hand corner selected “create a new partition.”

25. Unchecked all the boxes except April and created a logical {FAT 32}partition two {2}GB’s. That’s right, only 2 GB’s. Clicked apply. Took all the space from April.

26. Right clicked on the 2GB’s and labeled it “Boot Magic”. But still have NOT installed boot magic.

27. I then right clicked on Partition Two Labeled February and at the bottom “click on advanced and set Partition Two ACTIVE {the partition it will boot to}. Partition 2 is a blank partition with NOTHING on it.

28. I put the Vista DVD in the DVD rom drive and booted.

29. Vista loaded and asked me which partition I wanted to load Vista on and I selected February.

30. Vista installed perfectly {exactly the way it was when I bought it.} and I booted it several times to make sure. I installed some small programs including Adobe 8.0 and Nero 7.

31. AT THIS POINT I CAN’T GET OUT OF VISTA.

32. The only way to get out of Vista is to put the “Boot Magic Rescue Disk Floppy” in the USB drive {I use an external floppy disk that plugs into USB port}and boot the computer.

33. The floppy loads and asks me which partition I want to boot to.

34. I choose Partition 1 {January} and press enter and unclick the floppy from the floppy drive so it doesn’t load again.

35. It boots perfectly to Windows XP Professional.

36. NOW I INSTALL BOOT MAGIC and it goes right into the 2GB partition labeled “Boot Magic”.

37. I now click on the “Boot Magic” folder and click on the wrench folder {It has a picture of a wrench”.}

38. I make sure only January is the default {Windows XP} and put a check mark in the box in the lower left hand corner and reboot.

39. The computer boots to Boot Magic and gives me a choice of Windows XP or Vista.

40. After I boot several times to each one to make sure it is a true dual boot I open boot magic again and click on each partition and click on properties and label one XP Pro and one Vista. Now when it boots to “Boot Magic” I see which is which.

This whole thing took about two hours.

Cheers:Jimmy Carter

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Answer 2

Boot from the xp installation disc.  When you start up you should have an option (usually F12) for boot menu.  Select your drive and boot from the xp disc.  After you choose to install windows you will be given the options for where to install.  I would suggest that you delete the partitions that are there and let windows create a new partition then do a quick format.  If your hard drive is SATA the drivers may not be included in the XP disc and it may not recognise the drive.  If this happens go into the bios (usually F2) at boot and in the configuration set your hard drive to ide mode.

Answer 3

who is you hard drive manufacturer?

Answer 4

It's a lengthy process but it's easy!  Go here and it will show you step by step... don't worry that you currently have Vista.. it will work!

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/operatings...