Tips on installing RAM?

[LT. Columbo]

thanx for posting guys. i've decided that for the time it takes to try band-aid solutions, i can have a clean install again and i kind of was planning on it one day. i just don't have the time to mess around.

one thing maybe some of you know though? when i last installed windows on it, it ended up installing a second instance of it (when i screwed up the first install and decided to start over). xp it seems can do this. (yes on the same HD). so when you start the PC, it asks you to choose which one to load...

so my question is, will my windows cd allow me to COMPLETELY ERASE the c drive and install just one OS without leaving one of them behind? (i must have done something wrong the last time, cause i certainly didn't want that). i just want my c drive wiped clean, so i can install windows and be sure it's done right.

[Chewy]

you have to delete the partition, otherwise windows glitches and keeps a boot record of the old OS, even if you format

[katzdvd]

you have to delete the partition, otherwise windows glitches and keeps a boot record of the old OS, even if you forma

Yup, agreed! We've all done that one, LT! As Chewy suggested, you need to delete & recreate that partition during the install.

It is easy to miss/overlook that step if you are not really looking for it...
I know I have before...

[doctorhardware]

You could always write zeros to the HD. That is what I did to the 100 gig HD I installed in my laptop, it was suppose to be new and there was crap on it and was causing problems so I have the western digital software that will zero out the HD. So I did the complete drive and reloaded a fresh install of XP.

[LT. Columbo]

hey fellas. a friend of mine always likes to "zero" it out too. i don't have this software, but from what your saying the windows boot disc can delete that partition, so what part do i have to be on the lookout for when reloading windows to make sure everything is being wiped?

[BR7]

If you installing a fresh copy then this is what I do.
After I put in the Windows disc the welcome screen will pop up
I hit F8 to agree
then it will give you some options after that I hit the fresh copy option by hitting the ESC button.
From there it will give you more options I then select D to delete partition and then L to confirm after you have deleted your partitions it should then show you what you have and don't on your HD.Now that your disc is clean just select to install windows.I hope this is what you were after, if not I am going to feel like a forking idiot LOL

[LT. Columbo]

If you installing a fresh copy then this is what I do.
After I put in the Windows disc the welcome screen will pop up
I hit F8 to agree
then it will give you some options after that I hit the fresh copy option by hitting the ESC button.
From there it will give you more options I then select D to delete partition and then L to confirm after you have deleted your partitions it should then show you what you have and don't on your HD.Now that your disc is clean just select to install windows.I hope this is what you were after, if not I am going to feel like a forking idiot LOL

that is precisely what i was after. well now i see how two got on there. i never deleted the partion the second time i went through this.

[doctorhardware]

I forgot to mention this when I first posted a reply to LT, so that is why my post was deleted, my bad for not mention that it is free to use and works on most drives. The site for the free software from western digital is www.wdc.com and the software title is Western Digital Data Lifeguard Diagnostics for windows, DLGDIAG For Windows. There is also other operating systems available on there site.

[doctorhardware]

Lt did you try the software and did it work?

[LT. Columbo]

Lt did you try the software and did it work?

not yet. i'm taking it in on sunday to get the new ram put in (no charge) because i bought another kind "vdata" and IT didn't work. they suggested to bring it in and let them test all the different kinds they have to see what will work with my MB, which i know now is an ASrock. i don't want to wipe it untill the ram is in to avoid screwing up my new windows install like last time. but i will try it.

[doctorhardware]

Actually LT that is a good a idea, because that can cause alot of really scewy os problems.

[LT. Columbo]

Actually LT that is a good a idea, because that can cause alot of really scewy os problems.

yep, found that out real quick! from now on i'll always be nervous about installing ram. i guess it would help if i didn't have a piece of crap computer assembled with the crappiest obsolete generic components. the computer i'm on now is good stuff though. that's why my wife is NOT allowed to use it

[doctorhardware]

My son has his own, my wife has her laptop and I have my laptop. So if the screw their computers they get fixed when I feel like it or let them use the software I use at work and hopefully the fix their own computers.

[LT. Columbo]

My son has his own, my wife has her laptop and I have my laptop. So if the screw their computers they get fixed when I feel like it or let them use the software I use at work and hopefully the fix their own computers.

the day mrs. columbo learns how to fix anything on her computer is when pigs fly.

[soup]