RE: Installed XP twice- hdd full

From: mjkaiz (mjkaiz_at_discussions.microsoft.com)
Date: 09/06/04 

Date: Sun, 5 Sep 2004 19:07:02 -0700

This is not stupid...I suspect many people reinstall with problems

First of all, it's better to install a fresh copy over a clean drive. In
other words, use either a utility or the DOS prompt to clean the drive (write
"zero's" to the drive), and then install the OS. This insures a "clean
install." Note, reformatting a drive is NOT the same thing as writing zero's.
To reformat from DOS, first go to explorer and double click My Computer.
Right click the "A: Floppy Drive" and choose to creat a MS-DOS start up disc.
Use a clean, formatted floppy disc of course. Reboot with the disc in the
drive. At the prompts, you can type in your formatting, deleting commands.

Two, your RAM problem is not a result of the OS reinstallation, rather with
something else. I like "Rick 'Nutcase's'" suggestion of cleaning the page.sys
files; however, there are other things that may be more cupable: viruses,
conflicting versions of programs from the 1st install, spyware, etc. Most of
this is resolved by doing a "clean install."

When you do a clean install, to help maximize the RAM your system does have,
install all your applications after the OS, and after having installed the OS
updates. Then go to >Start>Run and type "msconfig." Choose the checkbox,
"selective startup," choose the "startup" tab, and proceed to uncheck
everything except for antivirus software elements, firewall, and display or
video components. By doing this, you prevent the ridiculous amount of startup
applications that run in the background from your various
applications--things that consume RAM, often without your knowledge.
--MK

"littlebit_202" wrote:

> Okay, I admit that this was very stupid but I couldn't get Windows to start
> one day. So I reinstalled XP. I thought that it would give me the option to
> repair instead on reinstall somewhere along the way but it didn't. So now my
> computer is working but it is very low on memory and I'm guessing that its
> from the info that was left from before. But now I can't access those files.
> If anyone could help me with step-by-step instructions on how to fix this, I
> would really appreciate it. I really do not know much about computers so if I
> need to reformat or something like that, please tell me how. Thanks in
> advance.

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