New Installation XP blocked

[Peterwolfe]

Had W2k on C:\ and XP(student) on H:\ on the first partition. Advise was to install a real good XP on C:\ and while doing so to remove the partition, which XP would ask for.....well so i did, the partition got unallocated but the install stopped because of an fatal error...so I was left with good old W2K and an unallocated "Partition/HD"?..lol
Couldnt merge the 2 partitions (one was version 3.0 and the other was version/type 3.1.....) but I could extend C:\ to the utmost....whic I did....was only 180Mb left on the H:.....BUT........when clicking on "My PC" I cant see H:!!!!!!!
I see every HD, CDROM, DVDROM etc, but not H:...??
trying to install XP over W2K on C:\ was unsuccesfull, fatal error there too....so what now? not even putting in a repair installation was possible, same fatal error...Is it possible to format C:\ completely? And if so, wil my DVDplayer still be able to read the XP-disc? And what happened to that strange/queer H: which isnt there but is there...lol...

Using cmd I got this:

Microsoft Windows 2000 [Versjon 5.00.2195]
(C) Copyright 1985-2000 Microsoft Corporation
 
C:\Documents and Settings\Peter>dir H:
Volume in station H er Local Disk (H:)
Volumeserialummer is B808-C64D
Content in H:\
Can not find the file.

Have a 2048 Mb RAM, 3200Ghz, Asus

What I want is: C:\ with only XP....that's it....

[patio]

When you make changes to the C: partition in a dual boot setup you are affecting changes to every OS install you have as each flavor of Windows no matter where it is installed to still writes important data to the root of C: ...this cannot be changed .

I would sit down and decide what exactly it is you want on this machine and plan your work.

Save any data you might need and wipe the entire thing and start over.

Plan your work...work your plan.

[Peterwolfe]

well in the last line I wrote what i wanted.....but how to wipe the sh*t clean?
If I format C:\ will that bl...partition H: disappear as well? If not I only have trouble afterwards....and if the format is 100%, will my dvdplayer recognize the installCD?
Or are there things I need to do up front?
Never done this before, you know...lol...so any help is humbly accepted... and yes, I already saved/backedup all the stuff I need or want to keep

By the way: I cant merge partition 1(with W2K) and 2 because the nfts numbers are different 3.0 and 3.1 but the strange thing is the second partition is clean, formatted from all that had to do with XP.....??

[patio]

Start by re-stating how ALL your drives/partitions are setup on that machine and how you would like them to be and we'll go from there.

[Peterwolfe]

1:C:\ 246 Gb with W2K
2:partition H: (nowhere visible): 8Mb no files?
according to PartitionMagic it IS there but well....
3:D:\ 325 Gb only music MP3 files
4:F:\ 325 Gb warez..lol...
5:E:\ = DVD dual player
6:G:\ = CD player

1+2 : I want to be just 1= C:\ and on that one I only want XP
rest stays the same

[patio]

You forgot the relevant physical drive info...all those big partitions can't be one drive can they ? ?

[Peterwolfe]

what do ye mean by physical drive info? Brand-names? They are all western digitals..lol..

[GX1_Man]

No, how many hard drives, and what #1, #2. etc. is on each.

[Peterwolfe]

cant give you anything additional I already did:
1:C:\ 246 Gb with W2K
2:partition H: (nowhere visible): 8Mb no files?
according to PartitionMagic it IS there but well....
3:D:\ 325 Gb only music MP3 files
4:F:\ 325 Gb warez..lol...
5:E:\ = DVD dual player
6:G:\ = CD player

[bowman65]

What, I think, patio is asking is how many actual HDD's are inside the computer. He/she is not asking for the partition information. Also have you tried during the Win XP install deleting the H: drive partition and then recreating it?

[GX1_Man]

It seems obvious to everyone except Peterwolf what the question is.

[patio]

4:F:\ 325 Gb warez..lol...

H: might have jumped to here out of sheer boredom...