How to do a Clean install of Vista

Keltin

New member
Gold Site Supporter
If you do a hard format and then clean install, there is no way you can have leftover windows.old files.

But, I’m talking about a hard format done outside of the OS Restore disk. I typically make a Boot Disk or CD with nothing more than FDISK and the Format commands on it. I then set the Boot Order to CD/DVD drive first. From there, I have a command prompt only, no Windows OS. I then issue the Format command from the command line, and the HD is utterly wiped out and formatted. Nothing left.

Then, reboot with the Windows Install disk, and follow the prompts.

Is this what you have been doing?
 

Lefty

Yank
If you do a hard format and then clean install, there is no way you can have leftover windows.old files.

But, I’m talking about a hard format done outside of the OS Restore disk. I typically make a Boot Disk or CD with nothing more than FDISK and the Format commands on it. I then set the Boot Order to CD/DVD drive first. From there, I have a command prompt only, no Windows OS. I then issue the Format command from the command line, and the HD is utterly wiped out and formatted. Nothing left.

Then, reboot with the Windows Install disk, and follow the prompts.

Is this what you have been doing?
It sounds like she did a re-install or recovery if she has win.old directory.
 

Wart

Banned
I run always with administrative privileges as I'm the only one that uses both of my computers. I'm also running XP Pro not Vista nor would I.

Yep, XP PRo. This machine came with Vista Home Premium?) and I tried the Beta of Windows 7, .... No. I would be using XP 64 if I could find security for it.

While Wife and I are the only 2 who have access to this machine I still don't want to run in an account with Admin privileges. I'm not worried about the 'keyboard' as much as the nastiness on the Web. I know it won't stop them but it should slow them down.


Wart, et al - I build a lot of systems. My routine
Format hard drive.
Load windows.
Load drivers.

I load only the NIC and Video drivers and make sure the firewall is On.

THEN PLUG IN NETWORK CABLE
Download and install AVG free.

This is a coin flip for me, Should be able to trust Windows Firewall long as the update process isn't calling out to a resource that's going to give the machine the AIDS. OTOH it is a Microsoft OS running a MS App ... ;) .. I either trust Win Firewall or use NIS since NIS seems to have given me the least bugs in the past.

Turn on automatic updates and leave on overnight.

I don't even let the machine on overnight in a user account. Paranoia?
:confused:

.

andy i say this over and over again. I DID DO THE FULL REINSTALL WITH FULL FORMAT that is SUPPOSED to wipe/erase the drive and ALL the files. but i get the windows.old folders and i know there are old settings being saved from the previous install. if it had wiped all the old files then how can there be these windows.old folders? IT DOES NOT WIPE EVERYTHING OFF THE DRIVE. do you have VISTA? have you done a reinstall? sorry for the caps but i get so frustrated when people keep saying the same thing to me but they don't see what i have said.

I know what you mean.

I don't know how billions of Zeros and Ones march through the machine per second and do what they do. But then you don't need to know how a car works to drive one.

Over the years I have read enough about MS and some dumb things they have written into their OSs and Programs that it wouldn't surprise me to learn that when doing a low level format from a Vista disk the format would create a hidden partition for old data that would survive the format. I imagine that could be an avenue for Cooties to survive and reinfect. I Dunno ... seems possible. And I do seem to remember reading somewhere several years ago how some bugs were written to hide themselves and survive formats.

That reminds me of something else I read years ago, how MS is job security for writers of utilities. Things like disk shredders and system optimizers. LOL
 

Adillo303

*****
Gold Site Supporter
Keltin - does your CD format fat32 or NDIS?

The reason that I would use an XP cd is to get the drive formatted NDIS.

I came across a really good way to make bootable CD's though.
http://www.nu2.nu/bootcd/

I also have a CD binder with every Microsoft O/S back to and including DOS. It comes in handy. Somewhere I have a copy of "Diskedit" In the early days, I used to save a copy of the partition table on a floppy and erase it on the hard drive when I traveled. When I came back someone would usually tell me that my machine was broken, I would snicker and put the partition table back. Kept people out of my PC while I was gone.
 

Keltin

New member
Gold Site Supporter
Keltin - does your CD format fat32 or NDIS?

The reason that I would use an XP cd is to get the drive formatted NDIS.

I came across a really good way to make bootable CD's though.
http://www.nu2.nu/bootcd/

I also have a CD binder with every Microsoft O/S back to and including DOS. It comes in handy. Somewhere I have a copy of "Diskedit" In the early days, I used to save a copy of the partition table on a floppy and erase it on the hard drive when I traveled. When I came back someone would usually tell me that my machine was broken, I would snicker and put the partition table back. Kept people out of my PC while I was gone.

I format it as NTFS. If you go to the Windows/system32 folder, you can find the format.com command, and several other useful command line commands. I copy format and a few others to a disk. I still have a floppy drive, so that is the easiest way to make a boot disk.

You can also boot to command line with a most Full XP OS disks and perform the format that way.

You can also jump through various hoops to make a bootable CD/DVD from scratch.

Once you have that, just boot from disc to command line and issue command “format c: /FS:NTFS” and you’re on your way.
 

BamsBBQ

Ni pedo
Site Supporter
nuke the harddrive...reformat while that is taking place throw vista disc in garbage:yum:, load windows xp pro on, just in case u missed a step, throw vista disc in garbage:yum:..lol

3/4 of your problems would be solved..sorry just trying to lighten the mood Peeps
 

Doc

Administrator
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
If it were me I'd load XP and forget about Vista. JMHO.
 

Wart

Banned
nuke the harddrive...reformat while that is taking place throw vista disc in garbage:yum:, load windows xp pro on, just in case u missed a step, throw vista disc in garbage:yum:..lol

3/4 of your problems would be solved..sorry just trying to lighten the mood Peeps


I think I missed a step ....

What should be done with the Vista disk?
1.gif
 

Adillo303

*****
Gold Site Supporter
Peep - Taking everything that you said as correct, I am not sure why your copy of Vista is not formatting the hard drive. I know for an absolute fact that XP will. I really would not suggest loading XP, if you want Vista. Load the install CD of XP get to the point where is asks you if you want to reforma the hard drive. Say yes, not the quick format.

That will erase what it on the hard drive and reformat it. stop right after the format. You will have a clean drive. You can then reboot with the Vista CD and install. There are lots of other ways to get a clean disk, I am trying to make it as easy as possible using things that you hopefully have on hand.
 

buckytom

Grill Master
peep, if you really really want a super clean hard drive, i could do you a favor. we have a drive tester/certifier in my shop at work that will perform a low level format as well a re-certifying every single block of storage area on the disk.

it will completely wipe out anything on the drive, as well as check and test the disk surface. if it finds corrupt or unuseable blocks, it marks them so that they won't get used once data is restored to the drive. you may lose a few kb or possibly mb of available storage, but it will help to prevent a future corruption of data, or worse, a head crash.

if you can, bring the drive to cbs on west 57th when you're ready all i'll set it up for you. it may take several hours, though, depending on the size of the drive.
 

ChowderMan

Pizza Chef
Super Site Supporter
peep,

by now you've probably 'learned' the various "installations" of Vista.

you can
- upgrade from a prior MS operating system
- upgrade from a lower feature Vista to a high feature Vista
- "repair" an existing Vista installation
- "reinstall" over an existing Vista installation (basically a more severe 'repair' job)
- install fresh from scratch.

all of the upgrade, repair and reinstall options will produce the "old" files you've encountered, regardless of whether you 'format' the harddrive or not.

if Vista "senses" an existing MS operating system it's default behavior is to keep all the old settings and OS - "just in case"
the default behavior can be defeated.


these are some capable folks who will help you sort it out:
http://community.compuserve.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?webtag=ws-winsupport&redirCnt=1
 

Shermie

Well-known member
Site Supporter
I have two Acer laptop computers.

One of them is a year old. Ealier this year, that one had crapped out.

Called Acer for recovery software, got it, and when I tried to install it, the pc wouldn't accept it! I had no other choice but to have it repaired. It's still presently under a 3-year extended warranty from Staples.

Found out that the hard drive had crashed,! Almost half the keyboard were already not working. They only fixed the unit, but didn't install the software. Had to do that myself. Got it installed, but there was this large pop-up that just wouldn't go away, so i had to take it back to the store and they were able to get rid of the pop-up that kept blocking the screen.

But before that, it was pure hell trying to get Windows Vista reinstalled back into the pc!
 
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