Windows XP Pro Reinstall

March 25, 2005 | In Developer

Started at 16.55.

Shut down computer, entered BIOS (F2) and chose to boot from CD.
Waited for drivers to load, then entered Recovery Console (R)

In the “Recovery Console”, specify the appropriate Windows installation. It will be listed. It’s probably #1. Then log on by using your Windows XP Administrator password. You are probably the administrator and the password if you have never assigned is probably blank, so just hit the Enter key. If you run Windows XP Pro and want to turn off the password prompt then learn how here.

Next, type:

map

and hit the ENTER key.

Note the drive that you want to reformat. The drive letters may be different in the Recovery Console from what they are in Windows XP, but if you want to reformat the C: drive then its likely the largest.

Next, type:

format C: /fs:ntfs

Or if you don’t want to format C, use the drive letter of the hard drive that you want to format. Hit your ENTER key.

Next, type:

y

Then press ENTER to continue. When the formatting process is finished, type

exit

and then press the ENTER key to restart the computer.

Hard drive is reformatted @ 17.45.
Entering custom details @ 18.00.
Installing XP SP2 @ 18.15.
Installing Norton AntiVirus 2004 @ 18.30.
Uh-oh! No Internet access! @ 18.50.
Locate Dell device drivers CD-ROM. Install network card drivers. Install graphics card drivers. Reboot. @ 19.00.
Still can’t connect. Delete Norton AV shortcut from desktop. Back to the Dell CD. Install audio drivers. Install Intel Mobile chipset drivers. Reboot. @ 19.05.
Cute Windows sounds are back.
Install Dell QuickSet application. Reboot. @ 19.08.
Yay! Internet connection is back.
Install Microsoft updates.
Remove the language bar.
Restart.
Install TweakUI Powertoy. Install Firefox 1.0.2. Install Miranda IM 0.3.3.1. Install Miranda database and plugins.
Restart. Install Office 2003 Professional. Delete installation files. Install Visio 2003. Install Project 2003. Import email from USB HD. @ 19.43.
Can’t retrieve email. Damn!
Back to Dell driver CD. Install TrueMobile 1400 Dual Band WLAN Mini-PCI. Nothing doing. Google Dell TrueMobile 1400. Get a Dell WLAN installer. Radio detection happends. @ 20.25.
Pizza break @ 8.32!