unable to format XP MC hard drive prior to Vista Prem installation

[Guest Mike F from TN]

My new eMachines pc (2G RAM) has XP MCE. I am trying to install Vista Home

Premium from an Express Upgrade disk acquired on a special Vista upgrade

program from eMachines/Gateway. I wish to do a clean install, which requires

formatting the hard drive.

 

The preparation instructions say this: "because the hidden area on your hard

drive used for Windows XP recovery uses storage space, we recommend that you

re-partition and format the entire drive (including the hidden recovery

partition) before installing Vista." So I tried to format the C: drive

partition prior to running the Vista installation disk, but it cannot be

formatted because it contains some Windows system files. I can understand

that. I was successful in formatting the D: drive partition.

 

What do I do? Thanks. Mike

[Guest DL]

Re: unable to format XP MC hard drive prior to Vista Prem installation

 

You cannot format the system disk within windows

The Vista cd would contain the utilities to delete partitions, prior to

creating a new one.

I assume you have the winXp MCE disk as this will be required during the

upgrade process.

 

"Mike F from TN" <MikeFfromTN@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:B141DBDA-7844-4F31-9CD1-7D89FE8D29EE@microsoft.com...

> My new eMachines pc (2G RAM) has XP MCE. I am trying to install Vista Home

> Premium from an Express Upgrade disk acquired on a special Vista upgrade

> program from eMachines/Gateway. I wish to do a clean install, which

> requires

> formatting the hard drive.

>

> The preparation instructions say this: "because the hidden area on your

> hard

> drive used for Windows XP recovery uses storage space, we recommend that

> you

> re-partition and format the entire drive (including the hidden recovery

> partition) before installing Vista." So I tried to format the C: drive

> partition prior to running the Vista installation disk, but it cannot be

> formatted because it contains some Windows system files. I can understand

> that. I was successful in formatting the D: drive partition.

>

> What do I do? Thanks. Mike

[Guest Mike F from TN]

Re: unable to format XP MC hard drive prior to Vista Prem installa

 

Re: unable to format XP MC hard drive prior to Vista Prem installa

 

 

 

"DL" wrote:

> You cannot format the system disk within windows

> The Vista cd would contain the utilities to delete partitions, prior to

> creating a new one.

> I assume you have the winXp MCE disk as this will be required during the

> upgrade process.

>

> "Mike F from TN" <MikeFfromTN@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

> news:B141DBDA-7844-4F31-9CD1-7D89FE8D29EE@microsoft.com...

> > My new eMachines pc (2G RAM) has XP MCE. I am trying to install Vista Home

> > Premium from an Express Upgrade disk acquired on a special Vista upgrade

> > program from eMachines/Gateway. I wish to do a clean install, which

> > requires

> > formatting the hard drive.

> >

> > The preparation instructions say this: "because the hidden area on your

> > hard

> > drive used for Windows XP recovery uses storage space, we recommend that

> > you

> > re-partition and format the entire drive (including the hidden recovery

> > partition) before installing Vista." So I tried to format the C: drive

> > partition prior to running the Vista installation disk, but it cannot be

> > formatted because it contains some Windows system files. I can understand

> > that. I was successful in formatting the D: drive partition.

> >

> > What do I do? Thanks. Mike

>

>

>

[Guest John John]

Re: unable to format XP MC hard drive prior to Vista Prem installation

 

It doesn't work like that with Vista upgrades. "Officilally" you can't

upgrade unless there is an operating system installed, Vista upgrades

won't ask for a previous Windows cd. There is a way around it:

http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0geu6U1KspGNIABFUZXNyoA?p=vista+clean+install+upgrade&y=Search&fr=yfp-t-501

 

John

 

DL wrote:

> You cannot format the system disk within windows

> The Vista cd would contain the utilities to delete partitions, prior to

> creating a new one.

> I assume you have the winXp MCE disk as this will be required during the

> upgrade process.

>

> "Mike F from TN" <MikeFfromTN@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

> news:B141DBDA-7844-4F31-9CD1-7D89FE8D29EE@microsoft.com...

>

>>My new eMachines pc (2G RAM) has XP MCE. I am trying to install Vista Home

>>Premium from an Express Upgrade disk acquired on a special Vista upgrade

>>program from eMachines/Gateway. I wish to do a clean install, which

>>requires

>>formatting the hard drive.

>>

>>The preparation instructions say this: "because the hidden area on your

>>hard

>>drive used for Windows XP recovery uses storage space, we recommend that

>>you

>>re-partition and format the entire drive (including the hidden recovery

>>partition) before installing Vista." So I tried to format the C: drive

>>partition prior to running the Vista installation disk, but it cannot be

>>formatted because it contains some Windows system files. I can understand

>>that. I was successful in formatting the D: drive partition.

>>

>>What do I do? Thanks. Mike

>

>

>