[killjoy]

I want to reinstall W7.

My install disc is an upgrade only but I do have the original XP disc so that shouldn't be a problem.

However if I try and install XP first windows says no, I already have a later version installed ~ so I obviously need to remove W7 first.

The obvious way to do this is just to reformat the HDD, but how.

When I put Xp onto a machine that already has XP there is not problem, there s just the option to reformat and away you go.

[chrisjr]

I stand to be corrected on this but I think the Win 7 disk will install over an existing installation of Win 7. Shouldn't be any need to roll back to Win XP

[killjoy]

It will, but I wanted to do a 'cleaner' install.

[killjoy]

I can set the system up with an HDD with no OS and a bootable DVD but the machine will not boot from the DVD ~ even though it is set in the BIOS.

I know the DVD is good as I have just used it to set up another machine.

[killjoy]

I suspect it may be the way that the DVD is set up wrt to master /Slave.

Should I set it up with the HDD and DVD on the same cable and which Master/Slave to boot from the DVD. It is an old IDE interface.

[emptybox]

Although you can have HDD and DVD drive on the same IDE cable, it's not usually recommended. Some people say it slows down the HDD (never tried it myself)
Not sure whether that would affect being able to boot from DVD however?

I would have thought if you changed the boot order in BIOS to put the DVD drive ahead of the HDD then that should be enough.
You could always try temporarily making the DVD the master, and see if that made a difference.

If you've only got one IDE channel, the cheapest solution would probably to buy a £15 SATA DVD drive.
That's what I did.

[killjoy]

I do have IDE channels just cannot work out what combination of settings to use.

[Rodney McKay]

Originally Posted by killjoy

I want to reinstall W7.

My install disc is an upgrade only but I do have the original XP disc so that shouldn't be a problem.

However if I try and install XP first windows says no, I already have a later version installed ~ so I obviously need to remove W7 first.

The obvious way to do this is just to reformat the HDD, but how.

When I put Xp onto a machine that already has XP there is not problem, there s just the option to reformat and away you go.

It's a long time since I had to install Windows 7 but you can do a clean install on an upgrade. It really makes no odds.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...ndows-7-a.html

[Loobster]

Originally Posted by killjoy

It will, but I wanted to do a 'cleaner' install.

Boot off the 7 DVD, then choose format drive during setup.

Easy.

[killjoy]

The problem is that I cannot boot of the DVD

[John259]

Recemmended IDE settings that I found on a web site long ago:

Primary:
Master: first hard drive
Slave: second hard drive if any

Secondary:
Master: CD/DVD drive
Slave: second CD/DVD drive if any

AFAIK provided you don't have two masters or two slaves on the same ribbon cable then everything should work ok. I think the advice to put the hard drives on one cable and the optical drives on the other cable is purely to improve the speed.

Sorry, I don't know why you can't boot off the DVD drive. I can only suggest Googling for details of your BIOS, system board, DVD drive etc.

[Tassium]

I have never seen it be a problem having HDD/DVD on the same cable.

The HDD being set to Master and the DVD to Slave.

------------------------
Alternatively you can have them on separate IDE cables (IDE-0 / IDE-1)

In which case both should be set to Master.
----------
It should be marked on the case of the HDD/DVD which jumper sets this. Often a jumper is in place for Master and no jumper for Slave.

[killjoy]

I think I will take the easy Luddite way out and just stuff the HDD in my spare machine which happily boots from the DVD and install from there.

[Zenith]

killjoy...can you just confirm that you have set the CD/DVD drive as the FIRST boot device in BIOS?

When you boot the pc do you get any messages on screen to say press "x/y/z" key to boot from CD/DVD drive? Some BIOS's are automatic, & some require you to press a key.

[killjoy]

Yes to both, it's first and I get the message.

Maybe I just need to start again from the beginning and lay the machine out on the desk and stop trying to kneel under the table trying to swop jumpers in a poor light.

[John259]

Originally Posted by killjoy

stop trying to kneel under the table trying to swop jumpers in a poor light.

An excellent idea IMHO! It might also help to remove the drives from the case to work on their jumpers.

[killjoy]

I know lazy people take the most pains.

[Mr Dos]

Master/slave has nothing to do with boot order - its just a way of putting 2 drives on the old blue IDE cables. Jumpers on the back of drives set one drive to master, one to slave. It doesn't matter which is which as long as you have one of each. Once set leave alone. Boot order is set in BIOS and is nothing to do with master/slave (very non pc expression !!)

If the OP wants to format his drive, I use this free bootable cd quite often.

http://partitionwizard.com/partition...otable-cd.html

as already mentioned, go here for good Win7 advice

http://www.sevenforums.com/

[Loobster]

Originally Posted by killjoy

I think I will take the easy Luddite way out and just stuff the HDD in my spare machine which happily boots from the DVD and install from there.

But all the hardware will be different in that computer, and you won't end up with a clean install, because when you switch the HDD back to the original machine, it will find a whole new set of hardware, and have the wrong drivers installed.

[Tassium]

Originally Posted by Loobster

But all the hardware will be different in that computer, and you won't end up with a clean install, because when you switch the HDD back to the original machine, it will find a whole new set of hardware, and have the wrong drivers installed.

It might not even work at all.