How to Format A31

[pixtureskk]

I just got an A31 2652 J3U from an IT guy who thought he was helping me by installing Tiny XP, this OS is useless so I want to install my legit XP Pro Corporate SP1 from scratch. However, when I put the cd in the player, the install window comes up but tells me that my XP Pro is older than the OS currently on the computer, will not let me continue. Can I get this version of XP Pro to work somehow or must I format the "C" drive to start from scratch? I am not much of a techie, my first experience with the A31, so please make your reply in point form, very easy to follow. Thanks, Ken.

P.S. I got, what I think, are all the drivers for my particular A31 model from the Lenovo site. So after installing the OS, shall I then install these drivers, then my security software, then install Firefox, then go to the MS update site to install all the updates?

[Neil]

Hey, welcome to the forum! We hope you come around here often.

Yes, you will need to format drive C, and then install XP SP1 and looks like you have the right idea from your P.S. comments also.

If i recall, the way XPs installer works, you will be offered the option to delete the partition with your current OS on it first. Do that, then created a new partition. When you proceed with the install on the new partition, XP will first format the partition and then start copying files need for setup.

[RealBlackStuff]

Welcome to the forum.
A31 machines are 3-spindle, use one of them for a floppy drive.
Use e.g. a W98 boot disk. Boot from floppy, then use FDISK to delete all partitions on the hard disk.
You should now be able to boot from the XP CD and install it.
Alternatively, get e.g. Killdisk or DBAN (both freely available on the web) and wipe the hard disk.
Since it's a regular (read non-IBM) XP, you will need to download/install all the A31 drivers etc. manually.
Have fun.

[Neil]

...after installing the OS, shall I then install these drivers, then my security software, then install Firefox, then go to the MS update site to install all the updates?

BTW, I usually install service packs off-line also, then get on-line for any additional updates.

[RealBlackStuff]

Ditto, install SP2 and SP3 first.
Just in case, Software Installer is no longer supported, get System Update instead.
This requires DotNetFX v2 or higher. When you finally go to M$ for updates, you'll be getting 50-60 updates, incl. the monster DotNetFX V3.5.
Once you have all your M$-Updates installed and are happy with XP, delete all the C:\WINDOWS\$NtUninstall..... files.
That will free up about 0.5 GB.
You'll only see these if Hidden and System Files are showing.

[pixtureskk]

Thanks guys. I see I have my work cut out for me, will report back, this might take awhile, weeks, months, my winter project. Thanks.