Reformatting with XP

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G

Guest

I installed Vista on my laptop and am now trying to get rid of it and
reformat with XP. I am not given the option to boot from the CD when I
restart, so I tried booting the computer in safe mode with command prompt and
running it from there, but when the program opens, I immediately get a popup
that says "You must be an administrator to run this application" and when I
hit "OK", it quits and I'm back where I started. I need help with this. If
anyone has any suggestions, I would really appreciate it.
 
When you turn on the laptop do you see something like "Press F2 for setup"?
When you see the message press whatever key it asks for. Failing that look
in your manual for how to access the BIOS. Different computers use different
methods to access the BIOS. With most it is a key you press on startup.
 
My startup is not running normally right now. When the computer starts, I
see the Intel logo directly followed by a menu asking me whether I want to
run windows normally or run an earlier version of windows. When I choose to
run windows, I don't get any startup screens like I used to, it just goes
straight to Vista.
 
You have to press the key to enter the BIOS setup as soon as the first logo
appears. By the time you see the menu you are describing your machine is
already loading Windows. Try F8 or delete.
 
How did you install Vista on that laptop? Did you install it to another
partition? Do you have a dual boot with XP?

CH
 
Apparently, you have an XP CD and you want to boot from it and format during
XP setup.

An XP CD *should be* bootable without having to touch the Bios setup boot
order just as a Vista DVD is bootable without having to reset the bios boot
order to put the CD/DVD in the # 1 position. So I don't know why you have to
reset anything in the bios setup.

Anyway, to get to bios setup is dependent on what kind of computer you have
and it can even vary from model to model with respect to some computer
makers and bioses.

On most Dells you can use F2 (and some say on 85% of PCs) or F12.

Again by definition these OS CDs are bootable intrinsically, the bios
doesn't need moding but for reference in some other context:

Access/Enter Motherboard BIOS
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm

If you had to to format, for whatever reason you could also use these
alternatives as well as many other formatting tools:

1) Why not just download a format tool onto another compupter and transfer
it with a thumb driver and since you probably don't have access to what they
called back in the 1800's an A:\Drive and a floppy disc just burn it to
media (CD/DVD)

There are any number of utilities that format including some from MSFT the
past few years, but

You could use these from Boot Disc or Dell and they should clean that
disc: (I do see the number Win 98 in the link and it should work)

Clean Slate 1.0 Partition/MBR Formatter/ Backup/Cleaner Tool

http://www.bootdisk.com/canada/slate10.zip

or from Dell (it doesn't matter whether your box is Dell or not to use
this)--use another PC and download it and transfer with a thumb driver or
burn it to media (CD/DVD):

From Dell:

2) Why don't you download this from some box, transfer to thumb or burn and
format it on the PC you're trying to format using the disc?

How Do I Quick Format My Hard Drive
http://support.dell.com/support/top...04A74957845DB9AE6987846286E1B&c=us&l=en&s=dhs
Download A Boot Disk Containing The Format Command

http://support.dell.com/support/top...A74957845DB9AE6987846286E1B&c=us&l=en&s=dhs#1

CH

CH
 
Chad, if the BIOS boot order is set to boot up first from a hard drive, then
that will override the ability to boot from a CD/DVD. It will look for the
boot files on the hard drive and boot straight into the operating system
without giving you the chance to boot from CD/DVD. CD/DVD has to be set as
first boot device in BIOS to enable booting from said CD/DVD, unless there
is no operating system installed. (It can be set as second after floppy
drive)
 
I checked my wife's Compaq and the boot order was PXE, HDD, CDrom. He might
have to change the boot order.
 
Jane--

You're right if as in this case an OS (Vista) is on the drive although the
OP (85% of them) was never clear about whether Vista was the only OS on the
HD. However, if the HD is blank, then the bios override you referenced does
not come into play with either an XP CD or a Vista DVD which are booth
BOOTABLE intrinsically without help from the bios setup boot order.

If you want to do a repair install on an existing XP booting from the CD or
Access Win RE from the Vista DVD, then it's necessary to set the bios boot
order for the CD or DVD to be #1 in the boot order.

CH
 
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