-=PCTechTalk=- Re: freezing
- From: "Dolores" <inquisitive@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <pctechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 22:43:11 -0500
I've saved this e-mail - the way my computer likes to be taken over by the
mischievous elves, it would be a lot cheaper to reformat myself rather than
sending it out - then too when I replace this system I plan to still keep
the computer and want to be able to keep it clean - thanks! Dolores
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike" <mikebike@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <pctechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2004 1:55 PM
Subject: -=PCTechTalk=- Re: freezing
Hi Sylvia,
here is a tutorial that Ron Allen wrote for my newsletter a couple of years
back but it is still valid info.;
Reinstalling Windows, Clean Install
By Ron Allen <chizotz@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Here's a step-by-step, or as close to one as I can manage, for you :)
Under Windows9x, you create a boot floppy disk by formatting a floppy from
within Windows Explorer and ticking the "Copy system files" option.
Alternately, from a DOS prompt you can put a floppy in your a: drive and
then use
format a: /s {enter}
which formats the disk and copies the system files to the floppy and makes
it bootable.
Then you need to copy several DOS utilities from your c:\windows\command
folder over to the floppy. You have to have:
format.com
mscdex.exe
which is the DOS program that formats disks and the DOS CD-ROM support
file, respectively. I also like to have:
fdisk.exe
edit.com
on the boot floppy. FDisk is the hard drive partitioning utility, and
edit.com is the DOS text editor, handy for reading files and for making
changes to autoexec.bat and config.sys files if needed.
Now you will be installing Windows from your CD-ROM drive, so you also have
to copy your DOS CD-ROM drivers to the floppy and set up the autoexec.bat
and config.sys files on the floppy to load your CD-ROM drivers. You just
have to know what the DOS driver for your CD-ROM is, there is no way for me
to tell you since it may be named almost anything. You might get a hint
from loading your config.sys file from c:\ into notepad and looking for a
line, possibly REM'd out by Windows setup, that includes the path to a file
ending in the .sys extension and followed by something like /D:x where x is
a string of characters and/or numbers, i.e. /D:CD001 or /D:MSCD01 or
similar. Your CD-ROM drive should have come with a floppy disk with the DOS
driver on it, and some kind of documentation to tell you what the file is
called. That may be a better place to look... if you still have that floppy
and documentation.
At any rate, you need to create an autoexec.bat file on the floppy that
looks something like this:
MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001
and a config.sys file that looks something like this
DEVICE=CDTECH.SYS /D:MSCD001
LASTDRIVE=Z
Where "CDTECH.SYS" is replaced by the file name of your CD-ROM driver file.
Note that the parts after the MSCDEX.EXE and the CD-ROM driver file name
are IDENTICAL. This is extremely important for the CD-ROM to work. The
actual characters after the /D: part are not as important as the fact that
the exact string is used in both autoexec.bat and config.sys.
Try booting your system using the boot floppy. Your computer should boot to
an a:\ prompt, and you should be able to change directory to d:\ where d:\
is replaced, if needed, with the drive letter of your CD drive (make sure
there is a CD in the drive).
cd d:\ {enter}
dir {enter}
If this displays the directory listing of the CD in the drive, then your
CD-ROM support is working.
Mike reminded me recently that it's a good idea to use XDrive
(http://www.xdrive.com) or another such Internet drive site to store a copy
of your boot floppy on so even in the event of a complete hard disk crash
at the same time you discover a bad boot floppy you can still get a boot
floppy already customized for your computer as long as you can get to the
Internet some way.
By the way, you can also create a boot floppy from start - settings -
control panel - add/remove programs - startup disk but this also installs a
RAM drive that automatically loads when you boot with it and some utilities
you don't really need (at least, I never have) and leaves off a few things
you do want. The RAM drive causes problems later because it installs
between your hard drive(s) and your CD-ROM drive(s) in the drive list.
Meaning that if you have just a C: drive and D: drive in your system, with
the RAM drive running you will have a C: D: and E: drives, where D: is the
RAM drive and E: is the CD drive. This changing of drive letters is
particularly annoying later when Windows is installed, the RAM drive gone,
and yet Windows constantly asks you to find the Windows CD for it because
it keeps on expecting to find it in drive E instead of D. This, too, can be
fixed... but I prefer to just avoid the situation all together :)
Now that you have a working boot floppy with the needed support files on
it, you can continue the process.
BACK UP YOUR DATA FILES!
When you format the hard drive, all data is LOST. So you need to copy all
of your data files to floppy disks, backup tapes, CD-R/CD-RW -- somewhere
where you can copy them back later. By data files I mean all of the files
that you have created that hold the data that will not be reinstalled with
the software. Examples:
word processor document files (letters, recipes, etc.)
spreadsheet files and other financial records
image files you have downloaded or created
music files you have downloaded or created
and so on.
Also, if you have downloaded programs from the net, you need to also back
up the original .zip or .exe files so you can later reinstall them.
Once your data files are backed up, and you have your boot floppy, original
Windows CD, and any and all hardware driver CD's or floppies, you are ready
to format the hard drive.
Boot the computer with the boot floppy. At the a:\ prompt
format c: {enter}
You should see a warning about all data on non-removable disk C: being
lost. Press Y to continue, and it will say it is formatting C: and give you
updates on percentage done. When the format is complete, you will be
prompted to enter a name for the hard disk. I always name my main boot
drive MAIN, but any name 10 characters or less will do. Enter the name and
press {enter} and you will be returned to the a:\ prompt with a newly
formatted c:\ drive.
Now put the Windows CD in the drive.
cd d:\ {enter}
setup.exe {enter}
(where d is the letter of your CD drive again) will start Windows setup.
Follow the prompts and soon you will have Windows reinstalled. Then you can
reinstall your programs, recopy your data files back to the hard drive,
and, finally, you're back in business. Hopefully with a lean, mean, clean,
pristine, smoothly running computer.
You can install any Windows upgrade directly from the upgrade CD, provided
that you have an original full-install version of Windows either on CD or
floppy. During the Windows setup, about the third or fourth step I believe,
you'll get a message that the version you are installing is an upgrade but
no previous version of Windows was found. There will be a "browse" button.
Put the full version CD of the previous Windows version you have (or the
first floppy of the install set, if you have Windows 3.1 or Windows 95 on
floppy) in and browse to the drive you put it in. Click on OK (or "select"
or whatever the actual button says) and setup will verify that you do,
indeed, have a legitimate full version of Windows and qualify for the
upgrade. It will (should) ask you to replace the Windows setup disk in the
CD drive and will continue to install the latest version of Windows on your
machine.
Hope this helps!
Ron
_________________________
Mike
*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********
On 15/01/2004 at 11:18 AM sylviavandewall wrote:
Hi Mike,
I wish to do a clean install on a computer of one of the senioers I =
help, he has Win98, 500 Mhz, 320 RAM, and FAT32.
How do I go to about to save the drivers and internet settings as you =
said here??
What are the best steps to take?
Thanks in advance,
Sylvia.......Holland
You will have to have your drivers, and internet setting saved so that =
you
can re input the information if something goes wrong.
You may wish to do a clean install if you can backup all your important
information.
It will be much better and is the only sure way to erase all the old
problems.
Mike ~ It is a good day if I learned something new.
Editor MikesWhatsNews see a sample on my web page
http://www3.telus.net/mikebike=20
<http://www3.telus.net/mikebike/mikes_virus_page.htm>
A Technical Support Alliance & OWTA Charter Member=20
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