Trouble removing partitions while doing clean format

[Impossibles]

I'm trying to do a clean format of my computer, but when I get to the partitioning stage of windows XP MCE install, it won't let me remove the partition windows was installed in before because that partition contains files that are needed for the install.

How do I get rid of that partition, or how can I get Windows Setup to view my HD as new? I don't have another PC to hook the HD up to to format that way.

[jolok]

do you have Boot disc or you try to install from the harddisc ?

[Impossibles]

do you have Boot disc or you try to install from the harddisc ?

I have Windows MCE OEM.

[bmaz]

I have Windows MCE OEM.

You didn't answer the question.

I will say one thing however, if you were installing from a boot disk you wouldn't have any problems.

[ngp]

You are probably trying to reinstall your operating system to factory default, from the hidden recovery partition on your hard drive. If remove that partition, guess what? You won`t be able to reinstall.

See if you can burn recovery cd or dvds.

[jolok]

You are probably trying to reinstall your operating system to factory default, from the hidden recovery partition on your hard drive. If remove that partition, guess what? You won`t be able to reinstall.

See if you can burn recovery cd or dvds.

if you doing this way, partition first, and move the image file to the new partition, restore the image to the C:

[Impossibles]

You are probably trying to reinstall your operating system to factory default, from the hidden recovery partition on your hard drive. If remove that partition, guess what? You won`t be able to reinstall.

See if you can burn recovery cd or dvds.

No, its a custom built PC, there is no factory default OS or recovery disks.

[Impossibles]

You didn't answer the question.

I will say one thing however, if you were installing from a boot disk you wouldn't have any problems.

Are OEM Windows XP disks bootable? The PC just boots normally into windows even if the CD is in the drive.

I did a format about 6 months ago and didn't seem to run into this problem...I don't understand why it wants to save the C: partition now.

[willy]

You should be able to boot up to DOS and configure/delete all the partition(s) with FDISK.