How to reformat Windows XP for beginners

For whatever reason, there are times that you need to reformat your PC and reinstall Windows XP. There reasons for this could be manifold, such as having a computer which is too infected with viruses to be cleaned or when you've just installed a new hard drive for instance. This can be a daunting prospect for some people, but here I shall guide you through the process.

Things you will need

When you need to format your computer, reinstalling XP requires two essential things. Without them then we can't continue. These are: - A Windows XP CD You should have received one of these with your computer. If you don't have one or this is the first time you are installing Windows XP, these can still be purchased. Microsoft sell them directly and so do some computer hardware shops. The cheapest option however is to buy online.
- A valid Windows XP license key This will either be on the CD's packaging or on computers that already came with Windows XP installed, usually on the back of the PC's case.

Installing Windows XP

Installation process -With your PC on, place the CD into the drive then shut down your computer. -Start up your computer. You need to get the PC to boot from the CD. Settings for this vary from machine to machine but instructions on how to do so will be found in the user manual. -A screen will appear asking you to press any key to boot from the CD. Press any key. -You will soon be presented with a Welcome to Setup page. Press F8 to continue. -You'll be asked if you want to repair your existing Windows XP installation. Press ESC to bypass the repair and install a fresh copy. -You now need to choose which partition you are going to install Windows XP on. Using the arrow keys, choose the one that had the original copy of Windows XP on it. Press D to delete it then L to confirm. Press Enter to create a new partition. -Choose this newly created partition as the one to install Windows XP on. Format the drive as NTFS (the will be a quick option or a thorough, quick is usually fine). -The installation process will now begin. Now and again, it will ask you to enter certain details (such as your license key) and it may restart several times. During these restarts if you get the message asking you to press any key to boot from the CD, do not press anything. And that's it! Typically it will take between 30 minutes to over an hour to reinstall Windows XP.