reformat

[escobert]

How do you exactly reformat your HD? I want to get rid of everything on the computer. I needs to be cleqaned off like it was brand new. I have ME on it. I have XP on my other computer and I could set that up on my desktop that would be nice but ME will do for now. So how do you get rid of everythgihng and start from scratch?

[Baloki]

shove in XP and get it to boot from CD, when the install gets to asking about partitions you want to edit them and delete all partitions and create a new one, that clears everything off and then gives you a nice clean install of XP.

Else you need a boot disk and need to use a program called fdisk (type format in DOS). I think thats how you do it :)

Check with clout though

[escobert]

But can I use the same XP for my desktop and laptop?

[Endless]

If you're one of the poor people who has a legit XP that requires to do a phone activation, no, you can't (one license = one machine). In all other cases, nothing prevents you from doing so, even if you're not supposed to.

[escobert]

I dunno it came with my laptop. I never called or anything. just didn't know if I set it up on my desktop that MS would shut it off or somthijngh since if you have XP can't MS lookinto your system?

[NM]

Any manufactured PC will come with an OEM version of Windows which won't require you to activate it, unlike a retail version of XP. However hardly any PC's come with an actual Windows CD so you won't be able to install it on another machine.

As for formatting your hard drive. Using a boot disk at the command prompt type "format c:" without the quotes.

[escobert]

argh that sucks, I hate ME >:0

it won't let me boot off the disk.. god I hate this computer

[Baloki]

argh that sucks, I hate ME >:0

it won't let me boot off the disk.. god I hate this computer

Pay the $80 dollers for the upgrade, its not that much or switch to linux

[escobert]

I was just going to say I'm thinking of switching it to linux :p. I don;t plan on every using it for gamming but the reason I was doing all of this was to see if the RAM is still good or if it was just the lack of clean up on the PC that was causing memory problems. It's it lack of clean up I'll switch to linux otherwise I'm going to get it fixed/upgrade hardware then upgrade to XP. and it's more lik $99 for XP :p