I am having trouble uninstalling Windows XP

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Install your OS.

>> Set BIOS to boot from CD drive
>> Place XP CD in drive
>> Reboot
>> Follow on screen instructions

You will be prompted as before if you want to format the drive or not. As stated earlier if you are only going to use XP then go with NTFS. If you plan on dual-booting with 95/98/Me stick with FAT32. If you want to partition your drive you will be given that option as well.

Once installed, install a firewall and download all needed critical updates and security patches form Microsoft. You should be fine. ;)
 
I want everything like how it was as if it was just sent from Dell. But during the bootdisk procedure, it did not give me any NTFS option. Do I have to reformat? thats what I just finished doing
 
98 does not support NTFS hence the reason you were not given the option with the 98 boot-disc. If you want NTFS then yes you will have to reformat the drive again using your XP CD, the install process will guide you through that, it's simple. If you don't want to reformat and want to stick with FAT32 that is fine as well, it's just that NTFS is a better file system. It's your choice. :)
 
ohh I see...and what do you mean when you said If you want to partition your drive you will be given that option as well?

Do I want to, I don't know? What does that do if I do?
 
Partitioning your hard drive is taking your "physical drive" which is your actual hard drive and splitting it up into "logical drives".

Example, You have one 60 GIG hard drive. You could split that physical drive into two 30 GIG logical drives or have one 20 GIG and one 40 GIG logical drive or any mathmatical combination possible. You can go even further and have multiple logical drives of 3 or more if you want. Dual-boot machines require partitioning as each OS needs its own drive.

Some people such as myself partition their drives so that I can keep my data (movies, pics, mp3's etc etc) separate from my OS so that when I reinstall Windows I don't lose everything nor do I have to back it up to CD/DVD before my reinstall.

If you want to partition, Windows again will guide you through the process but it is not necessary and you will be fine leaving your drive alone. ;)
 
OK Thank You...Last time I reinstalled XP, everything was huge on my screen. I didn't do anything or change a setting during installation, it just turned out huge.

Do you know why it did this?
 
Your welcome. Your monitor resolution defaulted to a large resolution because the driver for your graphics card or onboard graphics chipset was not installed yet.
 
Do you where I can get it back? ....It's formatting NTFS now....also to go along with the monitor problem, I lost my sound too
 
Dell should have sent you restore disks. This will contain all the software it came with in addition to Windows XP as well as all your drivers for all the devices.
 
You need to install drivers for your sound card if you have one or for your on-board sound if you do not. Windows is pretty good at detecting on-board sound and such and should download and install the needed drivers during Microsoft update. If you have a sound card you will need to download the drivers from the manufacturer etc.

Let's get your OS installed with all the needed security patches and hot-fixes first and we'll go from there. ;)

edit -When I say Microsoft Update I am referring to Microsoft's Update website, not the install process itself.
 
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