Reinstall Windows XP without Installation CD – Just the Recovery Partition

December 29, 2008

Update (April 24, 2009): The following entry applies to dual-boot (Ubuntu or Windows). After learning the fact that I can install Windows inside Ubuntu (not the other way around) via VirtualBox for Ubuntu, I do not recommend dual boot anymore. When you get used to Ubuntu, you will use it more and more and you can completely get rid of Windows or only need to use Windows for certain applications you do not want to forsake.

Today I tried to reinstall the Windows XP Media Center Edition that was preloaded with the HP Pavilion a1520n computer we have as it is getting slow and has a program installed half way – cannot be removed.

Basically I tried to reformat the hard drive but the system would not allow me to do so as the machine did not come with a Windows XP installation CD – it just came loaded with recovery files in a separate partition (drive D). I tried to create a bootable startup CD but did not know how to do it and could not find a way to do it by searching the internet. I did find from the Microsoft website ways to create bootable startup diskettes but our machine does not have a floppy drive

I know I could format the hard drive from within BOIS (the place you normally use to set the boot sequence) but the file structure formated this way won’t be NTFS that is best for Windows XP.

Then I came up with the idea of installing Ubuntu (linux desktop OS) and using it to reformat the Windows XP partition. I installed Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron) for 64-bit PC (AMD64) as this is the version required by our HP dual-core machine.

After installing Ubuntu, I learned that there is linux program called Gparted Live CD that can be used to modify or even remove partitions. Since it can be burnt onto a CD and make it bootable, I downloaded its ISO image file from here and had it burnt onto a blank CD.

Indeed the Gparted Live CD was bootable. First I used it to reformat the Windows XP partion to NTFS – the same format as before – this did not work in deleting the used space. Deleting the partition and re-created it in the NTFS format did not work either as the used space always came back – my goal is to completely wipe out the used space and reinstall Windows XP fresh using the Recovery partition. Having tried several ways, one thing worked nicely…

Deleting the Windows XP partition without reformating it – leaving it in the unallocated state. Then I reboot the computer and choose Windows XP from the booting list. Then I used the Recovery Console to reinstalled Windows XP. It generated a prompt saying there is no partition found and then it went ahead recreating a new partition and the Recovery proceeded without any problem – it restored Windows XP to its fresh factory default stage and it is just what I wanted!

However, there was a small problem created from this Windows XP reinstall – I could not select Ubuntu from the boot list. The computer just automatically booted into Windows XP.

After googling on the internet, I find that the problem can be easily fixed by booting into Ubuntu using Ubuntu Live CD and then following instructions given here to reinstall Grub that is needed by Ubuntu.

Now I have Windows XP/Ubuntu dual-boot with Windows XP freshly installed!

I do have a little problem for other people using the computer: when starting the computer, the Ubuntu comes as the default item  on the list – to boot Windows XP one has to manually move the cursor down to select Windows XP to boot. I want the Windows XP to be the default OS on the boot list.

After searching again, I find this link gives the simplest solution. Note: you have to edit /boot/grub/menu.lst again after major Ubuntu update as it may push the Windows XP boot down further on the list.

Hope what I went through helps you if you are looking for ways to reinstall fresh Windows XP with just the Recovery CDs/partition.

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