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How to completely erase partition space?

H

happy

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hi,
so i just reinstalled winxp hoping to erase all of dell's bullcrap software. however it seems tha windows media center os is still in a partitioned space. every time i boot the computer i get the option of which os to boot.
my question is how do i erase windows media center? i tried to erase it in the bios but it seems impossible.
thx.
 
Jetster

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You don't erase it in the bios. Right click on My Computer / Manage / Disk Management There you have limited control over partitions

Installing XP you could have deleted all the partitions and then created a new partition taking up the whole drive when you reinstalled (clean install) XP

Another option is run msconfig in th run box. In that section there is an option to remove the "dual boot" where it will not ask you which system to boot. But it doesent touch the partitions
 
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Jetster said:
You don't erase it in the bios. Right click on My Computer / Manage / Disk Management There you have limited control over partitions

Installing XP you could have deleted all the partitions and then created a new partition taking up the whole drive when you reinstalled (clean install) XP

Another option is run msconfig in th run box. In that section there is an option to remove the "dual boot" where it will not ask you which system to boot. But it doesent touch the partitions
Click to expand...

so after i finish the install. i erase the windows media partition live meaning erasing it like erasing a folder?

i did delete all the partition before the clean install. dell kept a partition in the hdd if people needed to restore their computer.
 
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Jetster

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Ok so to do it right. boot to the XP install disk Delete all the partition. highlight a partition hit d then L for confirm. Again delete all the partitions. Then C to create a new partition Format it then install to that one.

If you dont want to reinstall. Right click My Computer (Manage) (Disk management). you ma be able to del the partition there

Yes you can del that Del restore partition from the format screen. Ive done it at least 20 times

If its asking you what system to boot to its not the Dell Restore partiton. You didnt do a clean install. You need to format the disk
 
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Jetster said:
Ok so to do it right. boot to the XP install disk Delete all the partition. highlight a partition hit d then L for confirm. Again delete all the partitions. Then C to create a new partition Format it then install to that one.

If you dont want to reinstall. Right click My Computer (Manage) (Disk management). you ma be able to del the partition there

Yes you can del that Del restore partition from the format screen. Ive done it at least 20 times
Click to expand...

when i highlighted the partition that was 8mb. i was unable to delete it. i was only able to delete the partition i previously installed winxp.
 
Jetster

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The dell system restore partitionis at least 10 Gb. Make sure you format Dont worry about the 8mb

You can always get a Hirens boot disk and boot to that and format the drive www.hiren.info
 
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Jetster said:
The dell system restore partitionis at least 10 Gb. Make sure you format Dont worry about the 8mb

You can always get a Hirens boot disk and boot to that and format the drive www.hiren.info
Click to expand...

ok at this moment i am almost finished with the new install. i think the 8mb partition is still on the drive. but will try ur method of deleting at device management.
 
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thx for the help seems that the media center at boot is gone after the installation. but i have a question. i am downloading drivers and do i need to download the chipset and bios?
 
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BIOS Well it depends, Are/Did you have a lot of problems running a clean install before?
How old is the BIOS, look thru DELL for your model and see if it has the latest date for you and see what the comments say about specific fixes,

IF you were smooth running before on a fresh install, and you dont see any "fix" in the newer BIOS that will help you, ie.... "Support to Boot to xxxx Drive" or whatever, then you can prolly skip the BIOS,
 
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