* Dr. Internet columnist Steve Blass offers advice on how to install a clean copy of Windows 2000 or XP without reformatting the hard drive How can you install a clean copy of Windows 200 or XP without reformatting the hard drive?How can you install a clean copy of Windows 2000 or XP without reformatting the hard drive?If your system has enough free disk space for a second operating system, you can reinstall Win 2000 or XP from scratch without wiping out the entire drive.Clean up the drive and make a backup. Gather the installation disks and files for your operating system, antivirus software and applications. Download the latest updates and save them to a diskette or CD.Use an NTFS-capable partition management utility (such as BootIt-NG https://www.terabyteunlimited.com/bootitng.html) to split an existing disk partition to create fresh unformatted disk space on your computer. Follow the instructions on your partition-manager software to mark the new partition active. Shut down the computer and reboot from a write-protected operating system installation disk. Install a clean copy of the operating system.After installing it, test to ensure you successfully can restart the system to boot the new clean version of the operating system. Install your operating system updates, anti-virus software and virus definitions.Once you are comfortable that the new installation starts correctly, you can erase the Windows (or WINNT) directory from the old boot partition. Then reinstall your application software. Related content news Fortinet brings AI help to enterprise security teams manage threats Fortinet Advisor aims to help customers respond to threats more quickly By Michael Cooney Dec 11, 2023 3 mins Network Security Security how-to Getting started with scripting on Linux, Part 1 Once a script is prepared and tested, you can get a significant task completed simply by typing the script's name followed by any required arguments. By Sandra Henry-Stocker Dec 11, 2023 5 mins Linux feature Starkey swaps out MPLS for managed SD-WAN Hearing aid manufacturer achieves performance boost, increased reliability and cost savings after a shift from MPLS to managed SD-WAN services from Aryaka. By Neal Weinberg Dec 11, 2023 6 mins SASE SD-WAN Network Security news Nvidia races to fulfill AI demand with its first Vietnam semiconductor hub Vietnam has been a growing tech manufacturing destination for the past few years, and Nvidia said it is open to a new manufacturing partner in Vietnam. By Sam Reynolds Dec 11, 2023 3 mins CPUs and Processors Technology Industry Podcasts Videos Resources Events NEWSLETTERS Newsletter Promo Module Test Description for newsletter promo module. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe