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DPChallenge Forums >> General Discussion >> Windows sucks. Hard!
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Showing posts 1 - 12 of 12, (reverse)
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03/09/2009 10:07:37 AM · #1
...or maybe i suck, i dunno.
Anyways my problem is that my xp pro version is on my computer for like 2 years and more and more problems kept adding up slowing down my system and other crap so i decided to reinstall it.
I have a 20gb partition (C:)on my 80 gig hard drive only for windows and drivers/programms.
Now usually when i was reinstalling windows it automatically (?) formatted the windows partition (C:) before installing windows again on the same partition. This time it didn't! Instead it installed a seperate windows folder next to the old one! I tried again hoping to find an option during the xp setup that would let me select the drive to be formatted before the installation. Nothing. So now i have 3 seperate windows "profiles" (they all still work, even the old one) next to each other on the same partition filling up pretty much all the space on that partition (C:) now...
So i thought, ok let's install windows on a different partition (D:) and try to manually format the multiple windows partition (C:), then install windows again on that partition, then format D: from there and everything is fine. OK so i install windows the god damn 5th time on D:, but it won't let me format C: from there?! It starts formatting but in the end it tells me it couldn't finish formatting the partition...WTF
I tried to do it via ms dos but it wouldn't let me format the partition either.

So does anyone know how i can solve this? i'm pretty much fed up with windows right now, switching to mac is not an option for me though (funds). ;)
03/09/2009 10:15:33 AM · #2
I would delete both partitions in setup (unless you have stuff on D: you need to keep and can't copy elsewhere) and start from a completely clean hard disk. Also I would think about assigning the whole 80GB to a single partition - it'll soon get used up if you're installing programs to it as well - and get another separate hard drive for data if you can.

You're booting from CD, right, and not trying to 'repair' your installation I presume?

Oh and whatever you do don't think about upgrading to Vista :)
03/09/2009 10:20:57 AM · #3
thanks jim, i was actually thinking about doing that, deleting the partition and starting all over again but i thought there'd be another way to solving this...?
and yes, i have saved everything from that 80 gig drive so maybe you're right and i should start from a clean hd, and make the windows/programms partition a bit bigger (like 30 gig should be enough for the stuff i'm going to install i think). Do i just delete the partitions from the boot setup or is there another way of doing this?

oh and yes, i have two extra hd's for all other data so i needn't worry about space.

Message edited by author 2009-03-09 10:22:19.
03/09/2009 10:37:00 AM · #4
Originally posted by Mephisto:


oh and yes, i have two extra hd's for all other data so i needn't worry about space.


i was about to say with the price of hd's being so cheap now a days not many people worry about partitions the way they used to
03/09/2009 10:46:03 AM · #5
ok but how do i delete the two partitions from the hd to make it one again? Is it enough if i delete the smaller 20gb partition from the boot setup and then the rest (60bg) will automatically become one with the other partition?

(just wanting to make sure i don't spend another 2 days messing with this crap...)

Message edited by author 2009-03-09 10:46:57.
03/09/2009 11:10:14 AM · #6
Originally posted by Mephisto:

ok but how do i delete the two partitions from the hd to make it one again? Is it enough if i delete the smaller 20gb partition from the boot setup and then the rest (60bg) will automatically become one with the other partition?

(just wanting to make sure i don't spend another 2 days messing with this crap...)


when you boot off the xp cd there will be a choice to delete the partitions, it asks you like 3 times to make sure, if i remember right you hit 'd' to delete a partition and then 'enter' to confirm and then 'L' for another confirmation, i think they want to make sure you are really ok with blowing away all the data
03/09/2009 11:33:35 AM · #7
go buy a new HD for use as C.
Somethings to check as to why it's slowing down -maybe you don't have to reinstall at all: The drive with Windws on it wants at least 20% free space on the drive. The drive with the swap file is the same way. And if your drive/files are fragmented things will be very slow as well.

Formatting/reinstalling will help as you'll delete all the extra crap that if taking up room and it will fix the fragmenting as well. Of course your D drive won't be affected so you should defrag it.

also make sure you've got the latest BIOS update,drivers and such. Windows keeps updating automatically but new drivers for your video, mono and BIOS usually don't and can get so old as to have issues with the newer windows updates.

and of course you know you don't have any spyware/virus issues, right?
03/09/2009 11:33:43 AM · #8
yep sounds right. Then you'll have a disk with 80GB of unpartitioned space - there'll be an option to create a new partition in it in the Windows setup screen, which will format it and name it for you. Should do the trick...

Edit: this is in response to:

when you boot off the xp cd there will be a choice to delete the partitions, it asks you like 3 times to make sure, if i remember right you hit 'd' to delete a partition and then 'enter' to confirm and then 'L' for another confirmation, i think they want to make sure you are really ok with blowing away all the data


Message edited by author 2009-03-09 11:35:14.
03/09/2009 01:32:49 PM · #9
Originally posted by Prof_Fate:

go buy a new HD for use as C.


do you actually buy a new hd everytime you reinstall windows?! haha
i think i'll go with deleting the partitions and building everything from the ground up so i'll be sure i don't have any old fragment crap lying around on the hd...
thanks for the tipps with the drivers and bios updates, i'll try to keep these updated from now on.
thanks everybody for your help, and see you all later hopefully. i have a mission to accomplish...;)
03/09/2009 01:42:14 PM · #10
Originally posted by Mephisto:

Originally posted by Prof_Fate:

go buy a new HD for use as C.


do you actually buy a new hd everytime you reinstall windows?! haha
i think i'll go with deleting the partitions and building everything from the ground up so i'll be sure i don't have any old fragment crap lying around on the hd...
thanks for the tipps with the drivers and bios updates, i'll try to keep these updated from now on.
thanks everybody for your help, and see you all later hopefully. i have a mission to accomplish...;)


If you haven't started yet, you might use something like System Rescue CD to run some disk checks and a virii check without windows in the way. Though, it might be a little confusing if you don't know any li/unix command line.

Another option is to remove as many programs as possible (i.e. you have or know where to get the installation files) run a program like CCleaner and re-install things.

edit: and defrag and find and delete temp files.. and stuff.

However, I'd probably have to go with the idea of buying a new HDD. I just got a 640Gig off or Newegg.com for about $70 with shipping.

Message edited by author 2009-03-09 13:43:32.
03/09/2009 05:15:11 PM · #11
ok i got it!
sure glad that's over with...
03/10/2009 10:42:56 AM · #12
Originally posted by Mephisto:

Originally posted by Prof_Fate:

go buy a new HD for use as C.


do you actually buy a new hd everytime you reinstall windows?! haha
i think i'll go with deleting the partitions and building everything from the ground up so i'll be sure i don't have any old fragment crap lying around on the hd...
thanks for the tipps with the drivers and bios updates, i'll try to keep these updated from now on.
thanks everybody for your help, and see you all later hopefully. i have a mission to accomplish...;)


Actually, I do. I've upgraded my HD twice for a total of 3 OS rebuilds in 5 years for this comp. It's no powerhouse, but it isn't really any slower than any current machine with Vista clogging it up.

As soon as I get some free cash, I've been considering going to a 250Gb for my next re-install. Not because I'm out of space or having problems, just because my computer is a non-SATA compatible machine and I think this may be the last generation of ATA drives.

My current C partition is 9.22 GB and it's very tight. Especially with this space-hog Chrome gobbling up 500 Mb for nothing in particular.

Next time it will be 24GB for C.

I keep my C as clean as possible with no swap file on C. This dramatically reduces file system fragmentation and I generally have the same level of performance even after a year of continual use. This is not the case when I use a single partition.

Try to install only long-term use programs on C if possible. I only have the office suite and chrome (no other options right now) installed to C - although adobe products tend to have a very significant presence on C even when installed to D. Move your My Documents folder to D as well. There's also a powertool for moving your desktop folder to D if you really want to keep C fragmentation low.

I do 80% of my crap cleaning by hand. It pays to know what is going on in C.

Anyhow, I hope you have it all working by now.
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