Remove Windows 2000

[mraetrudeaujr]

I did a search (in this forum) and found some useful information on how to get rid of Windows 2000 from a dual boot Win2000/WinXP Pro setup, but I think that my situation is a little trickier.

I have my 1st HDD 60Gig (HDD0) partitioned (Drives C and E) and the 2nd HDD 30Gig (HDD1). The second hard disk drive is used as a backup of files, programs, etc. Windows 2000 Pro was installed first, to the C: drive. Then several months later I decided to re-introduce my family to Windows XP Home. It was installed to the E: drive (partition). Now I want to get rid of Windows 2000 Pro and only use Windows XP Home, to take advantage of the whole 60Gigs.

Can I make a Ghost Image of this XP "partition", store it on the backup D: Drive, boot into Partition Magic, remove the partitions on HDD0, create one (1) partition for HDD0, and then using Ghost, restore the XP image to the C: Drive? Is this feasible? What precautions should I take?

Could somebody detail this out for me? It would be a real pain to back up the users settings (wife, daughter, and son) just to reinstall Windows XP Home 'properly' on the C: Drive. Thanks in advance.

 

[bcastner]

I am sorry, but no.

The issue is that the registry has thousands of references to XP being on Drive D.

 

[mraetrudeaujr]

Yeah. That's what I thought (feared?).

While we are on the subject of re-installing Windows XP; can the Windows XP CDROM disk be copied to a directory on the hard disk drive (backup D: drive or C: drive, etc.) and then be setup from there? You know, like we used to do with Windows 98SE?

Oh, and thanks for the quick reply.

 

[wolluf]

You could do what you propose, if the XP partition is a primary one - BUT:-

- You'd need to create a new boot sector (as currently on the 2k partition - which you're wiping). This is not difficult - needs the 3 boot files, ntldr, ntdetect.com and boot.ini saved and then copied back to new partition - then run fixboot x: from recovery console - where x: is drive as seen from recovery console, then edit the boot.ini file to remove the 2k and change the reference for XP from partition 1 to partition 0).
- XP would still probably be on E: - I have tried what you're proposing - but not with my main installation - and nearly every time XP has kept its drive letter (don't know if this matters to you) - but if it does 'move' to C:, note bcastner's remarks.
- Finally - you may well encounter other issues on the way - which could well leave you wishing you'd just backed up and done a clean install, and then set everything back up again - time consuming though it is.

If this was me - I'd back up and clean install.

 

[wolluf]

mraetrudeaujr -

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307848

(but why, when you just boot the install CD?)

 

[mraetrudeaujr]

In the past with the installation files on the hard disk drive, if the OS needed file 'x' then you wouldn't be prompted to "Please insert your installation CD in the CDROM drive".

Also, the installations always went faster. I know, I know. For the time that it would take me to copy the CD to a directory on the backup drive, I could be halfway through the installation anyways, right?

Yeah, I think that I will just "Backup, Wipe, and Install" --- just not until this weekend! Thanks for the advice.