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scubagal
11-29-2005, 05:04 PM
I have a notebook computer with XP running using FAT 32 file system. I want to format and reinstall XP but the version I have isearlier than the version already installed and there is no floppy drive for me to slap in a Win98 disk to format off of. Is there another way around this so that I can use the version that I already have? :D
jcnoernberg
11-29-2005, 05:16 PM
using a bootable windows cd? It will format during the install
Sylvander
11-29-2005, 06:45 PM
"I want to format and reinstall XP but the version I have is earlier than the version already installed"
And therefore?
I don't understand what point you are attempting to make.
Are you implying [rather than saying explicitly] that you MUST reformat because of this?
Is there no way to save the Windows installation?
Why do you feel you are being forced to replace it?

"there is no floppy drive for me to slap in a Win98 disk to format"
How to make a free EBCD bootable CD
http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?t=41485
This has a number of useful utilities included including "Image" [for DOS, by Terabyte], "File Manager", fdisk, format.com.
File Manager can be used to manipulate [delete, replace] files making up the existing Windows installation.
At the bottom of this thread I show how to use "Volkov Commander" [or "File Manager"] to copy Windows installation files from the CD to a HDD partition and run an installation from there.

Ultimate Boot CD = www.ultimatebootcd.com [free]
Has many useful utilities.
scubagal
11-30-2005, 02:02 PM
Actually, there is nothing wrong with the computer. I am merely taking it over from a friend and instead of removing all of his junk I thought I would wipe clean. I was surprised to see that who ever installed XP is running it using FAT32 as opposed to NTFS, so I thought I would convert it with the re-install. When I booted to the install CD it told me that the version on the laptop was newer than the version on the CD so I could not format.
Paul Komski
11-30-2005, 04:01 PM
When I booted to the install CD it told me that the version on the laptop was newer than the version on the CD so I could not format.
Instead of formatting use a boot CD to delete all the partitons and then recreate them as required when installing WinXP. EBCD's fdisk should do it as should BootItNg from www.terabyteunlimited.com