When Windows is installed on a computer, and you try to install again (either over the existing installation or dual boot), Windows Setup detects existing installations.

How does it find these installations?

I'm about to install Windows fresh, and I don't want it to know of any other installations.

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Originally posted by rav0
and I don't want it to know of any other installations.

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I want only to use the newly installed OS.

It can be done, but I don't know how. I had done it a few times (by accident). The last install I did, Windows Setup detected the previous one, and I don't want that. My previous installation is useless.

I don't want it to build boot.ini to let me dual boot. I know that I could edit boot.ini, but I'd be editing the old one that's been modified for dual boot. I want Windows Setup to just create one new one, for one bootable OS (the new one). Drive letters also go strange when you have multiple installs, so I want Windows Setup to think that the install being performed of the only OS, and Windows to think that once it's been installed.

Right here goes.

You put in the CD boot from it.

You'll get to the point where it says we found a pervoius version of windows would you like to repair it press enter (i think)

Would you like to install fresh copy press esc(i think)

it takes you to screen with with all your partitioned hard drives.

the installation your using now would be on C;\ drive.

So you pick different hard drive E:\ or what ever providing you have 2 hard drives in your computer. if not you must have current hard drive split in to(can only be done during the install of windows for hard drive one.

windows can not install on same hard drive twice ( or technically same partition)


so even when it says you have previous version just hit esc. then select a different hard drive/Partition for installation.

when your PC boots it will give you the option of what windows to choose 1st one or the 2nd one



Technically you probably didnt daul boot you probably reinstalled windows and it pretended like you had to versions. (that is installation bug were it doesnt remove first entry in the boot.ini lolM$ is for u)

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Originally posted by joemailey
so even when it says you have previous version just hit esc. then select a different hard drive/Partition for installation.

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you can't make it not detect it lol.

unless your format your hard drive first.

But you said you wanted daul boot. so i told you how to daul boot.

So as i said you can go to it when it gives the preious installation hit esc.

it takes you to next screen shows you your hard drives.

C:\ drive will have windows on it.

you can go to it HIT D to delete it follow the instructions.(anything else on the drive will be deleted.)


you end up back at the same screen you press enter on the unpartitioned space. select what you want to do size of the disk how you want it formatted.


*"*"*"*"*"*"* IF YOU HIT ESC IT CONTINUES TO NEXT SCREEN AS IF YOU DONT HAVE A COPY OF WINDOWS ON YOUR PC *"*"*"*"*"*"*"*

You can not stop it from detecting the version installed end of it does it by default its part of the CD which can't be altered.


Also post exactly what you wish to do because you don't make sense. you want to use new installed version but what the hell you gonna do with the version already installed?

you must format hard drive to get rid of it

I didn't say that I want to dual boot.

I can make it not detect it, I have done so before, but I don't know how. When I did, I did it not on purpose.

I dont want to delete anything.

I already have unpartitioned space to format and install to.

I know that I can't stop it's detection. I want to know what the detection does, so that I can make it detect that there is no installation.

I want to use the newly installed version.

I dont want to do anything to the already installed version.

I know I can format to get rid of it, but I don't want to get rid of the entire partition. I just want to make it so that Windows Setup can't tell that there is/was an installation there.

my boot ini

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect



see the part under operating systems delete it. and the default part delete it ( Iwouldnt do it because its not good idea to edit the boot ini.)

BUT be warned. you delete it you have to reinstall windows because it won't know its there(i dont think)

but your better of just installing it over the top and once the new version is installed edit the boot.ini delte the old one.

your gonna end up with your windows partition on drive E or something anyway because during the install of windows C:\ drive will be formatted with files all ready.

Most of the programs you have in stalled at the min wont work anyway. because new version of windows  equals new registery and new dll's.

So files you currently have will point to wrong place and new windows in stall wont have the registery keys.

BEST back up your downloaded files, music etc. make sure you back up your browser favourites. and just restarting O/S install from scratch.

because either way your system will be unstable at the end of it.

the free hard drive space you have copy all ur files there. because currently installed program might work and if they do they'll be buggy and leave you with unstable PC




also if you done it before this is probably why you end up back at same spot.

I'm ICT technician never had to reformat my pc in bout 1yr(i do it usually every six months because it speed up pc )(3.2GHZ H/
T P4)

the other machine i have has had windows XP pro on it for like 3yrs now with out problem ( amd 1GHz 256mb ram lol it owns )

I can't install over the top of my current version.

I want Windows Setup to think that there is no installed version so that the new Windows (which Setup thinks is the first and only) will have its home on C:\.

I know that some programs wont work because of registry and library dependancies.

My backup copy will be the files where they already are.

I am going to install fresh, and when I do, I want Setup to believe that the other partitions don't have Windows installed.

well it cant be done that way at all.

lol i dunno what the hell your trying to do but it won't work.

ALL OF THE PROGRAMS WONT WORK !!! (properly)

God just back up the files you need to different Hard Drive or partition and reinstall.


Its windows we're talking about it is impossible to do it EVEN if you could it would be half assed job which would be unstable.

windows installs in a folder called windows if tht folder exists then you cant do anything about.

Just back up your files and start from scratch that way you free up your PC it will be faster as well and you get rid of unwanted programs and files that have been left behind(like there always )


TBH i think the way your doing or wanting to do it is bad for system and also stupid

No offense but i never ever done it that way and wouldnt advise anyone else to either lol.

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Originally posted by joemailey
well it cant be done that way at all.

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Originally posted by joemailey
lol i dunno what the hell your trying to do but it won't work.

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quote:

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Originally posted by joemailey
ALL OF THE PROGRAMS WONT WORK !!! (properly)

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quote:

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Originally posted by joemailey
God just back up the files you need to different Hard Drive or partition and reinstall.

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Originally posted by joemailey
Its windows we're talking about it is impossible to do it EVEN if you could it would be half assed job which would be unstable.

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Originally posted by joemailey
windows installs in a folder called windows if tht folder exists then you cant do anything about.

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Originally posted by joemailey
Just back up your files and start from scratch that way you free up your PC it will be faster as well and you get rid of unwanted programs and files that have been left behind(like there always

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quote:

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Originally posted by joemailey
TBH i think the way your doing or wanting to do it is bad for system and also stupid

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Originally posted by joemailey
No offense but i never ever done it that way and wouldnt advise anyone else to either lol.

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That folder doesn't exist. I'll be formatting, and installing to, unpartitioned space.

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new Windows (which Setup thinks is the first and only) will have its home on C:\.

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I have a full ass and plan to sit on it stably.

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I already have unpartitioned space to format and install to.

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Originally posted by Adeptus

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I already have unpartitioned space to format and install to.

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If you want to install to a new partition and fools Windows into assigning it the C: drive letter and installing the boot loader there, you can accomplish that by temporarily changing the old partition's type, so that Windows completely ignores it.

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It's not something that comes up a lot.  I've only ever needed to do it once and I used the classic Linux fdisk. 

I am quite certain Microsoft doesn't provide anything that could be used that way -- although, there might be some third party partitioning software that would work.  If you don't want to try it the Linux fdisk way, I am afraid you are on your own.

OK, I'm in Ubuntu Live now.

I've opened the disk in fdisk.

p to print the partition table gives this:

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   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hdd1            1139        6130    40098240    c  W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/hdd3   *        6131        9729    28908967+   7  HPFS/NTFS

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