XP install - delete partitions?

**Bluff** · June 15th, 2005, 01:50 PM

Hello everyone.
Basic question, but one I'd not like to test and risk myself.

When installing Windowz XP, it asks you which partition you'd like to install onto. Now, I have a few partitions on my system drive, but i obviously only want to wipe the one with windows on it and then install over it. but the wording of the setup states: 'to delete a partition, press 'd' (not quite the phrase, but something like that.)
does pressing 'D' simply wipe the partition, or delete the 'partition wall', meaning it and the adjacent partition become one?

thanks

**geoscomp** · June 15th, 2005, 01:52 PM

It deletes the highlighted partition and converts it into unused space..the next step will ask if you want to create another partition in the unused space. Setup can't combine partitions in the way you are talking about.

**Bluff** · June 15th, 2005, 01:54 PM

so it simply wipes the partition? not the partition 'wall'

**geoscomp** · June 15th, 2005, 01:57 PM

Originally Posted by Bluff

so it simply wipes the partition? not the partition 'wall'

correct...the wall, as you call it..is simply the beginning cluster of the next partition. Setup will simply delete the highlighted partition..it will not do anything else.

**Bluff** · June 15th, 2005, 01:59 PM

thanks... aberration.

**Kodiak** · June 17th, 2005, 10:00 AM

Unless ofcourse you delete all partitions or more the one in which case they will combine and you will have lost the data on that partition. Deleting all partitions would create one drive and all data will have been lost.