Couldn't get WinXP booted again / Changing partitions

[suckingspider]

Hi!

Problem description: I was using Win XP on an older machine (MMX CPU). Win XP was installed, but because of unsufficient disk space on the system partition (10 of 80 MB), the system has become nearly unusable (i.ex. memory popups, program installations broke up a.s.o.). So I decided to reorganize the partitions (I wanted to create one out of the existing three) BUT: How to do it? After several attempts to do so using different tools, I gave up and destroyed the existing WinXP installation by deleting all windows paths. In the BIOS setup I set the boot order to "CD-ROM, A:, C:", hoping that Windows will boot from the CD and will prepare a clean installation, so that I would be able to reorganize my partitions, before installing Windows onto the PC again. BUT: Windows still tells me, that some files are not found during the boot-up sequence; that means, that it still tries to boot from drive C:. Then I created a set of boot disks (because if I choose "A:, CD-ROM, C:" for boot order, it loads from drive A:). BUT: When I am asked for a confirmation by keystroke, my keyboard seems to be unsupported, although I can enter the BIOS setup by pressing <F2> during startup. Now I am out of ideas...

Question: How do I get the partitions reorganized on my PC, so that I can install WinXP afterwards? Why does my keyboard not work at all after an OS is (going to be) loaded?

I have three possibilities right now: throw the PC out of the window, commit suicide or someone helps me :)

Thanks so much in advance!

Greets from Sweden, Alf.

[Alan2273]

You do not say what type your keyboard is, can you borrow a PS2 keyboard and try that.

[Scarecrow Man]

Partitioning can be very simple with Microsofts fdisk. Just boot from a Windows 98 boot disk. If you don't have one, you can get one here.

And as Alan says, it sounds like you may be using a wireless or USB keyboard. You will need a PS2 keyboard to install Windows in most cases.

[andsome]

Partitioning can be very simple with Microsofts fdisk. Just boot from a Windows 98 boot disk. If you don't have one, you can get one here.

And as Alan says, it sounds like you may be using a wireless or USB keyboard. You will need a PS2 keyboard to install Windows in most cases.

Now I am puzzled. I have reinstalled Windows XP Home several times on my computer with a wireless keyboard and wireless mouse, with the receiver plugged into a USB port.

[Scarecrow Man]

Partitioning can be very simple with Microsofts fdisk. Just boot from a Windows 98 boot disk. If you don't have one, you can get one here.

And as Alan says, it sounds like you may be using a wireless or USB keyboard. You will need a PS2 keyboard to install Windows in most cases.

Now I am puzzled. I have reinstalled Windows XP Home several times on my computer with a wireless keyboard and wireless mouse, with the receiver plugged into a USB port.

Some motherboards are picky. Yours is not. :)

[suckingspider]

Thanx for the suggestions, but unfortunately the PS/2 KBD doesn't work at all. That means, when I use the USB KBD during startup, I can abort the memory test by pressing ESC or enter the BIOS setup by hitting F2. The PS/2 KBD is not supported, not even during startup. All lights are on, but nothing happens...

I tried out my old Win98 Boot-CD (as you suggested), but of course the setup asks me if I want to boot from either the CD or the Harddisk. Option "1" is preselected - which says "boot from HDD" - the timer counts down to zero and I would love it to just enter a "2" for the CD-bootup now, but I cannot! So the same procedure starts: WinXP tries to boot and tells me after a few seconds that it cannot find some files and hangs up.

Any other ideas...?

Thanx, Alf.

[trackrat]

You say you can access the BIOS through the F2 key, is there an option for failsafe defaults that can be selected?.

[suckingspider]

You say you can access the BIOS through the F2 key, is there an option for failsafe defaults that can be selected?.

Nope! Unfortunately not. I see only one option for me now: I have to get the keyboard working! (HOW?) Then I can rearrange my partitions using fdisk. Is any driver required for initializiation of the KBD? What about KEYB.COM or KEYBOARD.SYS? Could that help? I noted that these files are not used neither in CONFIG.SYS nor in AUTOEXEC.BAT when I create a DOS 6.22 boot disk with an image from bootdisk.com.

Background of my plan is to delete the C: partition under DOS and reboot then with a WinXP CD, so that WInXP has no further choice (between HDD and CD) and is enforced to boot from CD automatically that way (hopefully).

[suckingspider]

Hi folks!

Thanky for your support. The problem is solved now. I just switched the "Support USB" option in my BIOS to "ENABLED". That's it!

Sorry, but I really didn't know that something like that exists and because the BIOS supported the USB KBD I thought, that it must be something different, but it wasn't.....

Cheers, Alf.

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

What I have been wondering since you originally posted this topic: why didn't you just rearrange the partitions - why reinstall XP at all? There is no problem enlarging your C: drive while XP (or any other Windows version) is active.