SYMPTOMS
When you use Winntp.exe from the Windows NT Resource Kit 3.51 with the /D:
option to remove your current installation of Windows NT, the following
error message appears:
Windows NT Profile Setup
Setup is unable to find the Repair.WinntFiles section in the setup log
file named below.
C:\WINNT35\REPAIR\SETUP.LOG
Setup is unable to remove Windows NT files from the specified directory.
WORKAROUND
The following paragraphs describe how to remove Windows NT from the system
without reformatting the disk drive.
NOTE: This method only works if the drive has been formatted for a FAT file
system and the partition is less than or equal to 2 gigabytes (GB).
By default, Windows NT creates the following directories of the ROOT of the
drive:
\WINNT35
\USERS
\WIN32APP
By default, Windows NT places the following files in the ROOT of the drive:
Boot.ini
Ntldr.
Ntdetect.com
Pagefile.sys
Bootsec.dos (if MS-DOS is on the system)
Fatboot.bin (if the current install was done by CPS)
To remove Windows NT from the system without reformatting the drive,
perform the following steps:
- Create an MS-DOS boot floppy
- Place the following files on the boot floppy:
- Sys.com
- Attrib.com
- Deltree.exe
- Scandisk.exe
- Defrag.exe
- Create a batch file called Cleanup.bat
- Enter the following into Cleanup.bat:
@echo off
a:
SYS C:
DELTREE /Y C:\WINNT35
DELTREE /Y C:\WIN32APP
DELTREE /Y C:\USERS
DEL C:\PAGEFILE.SYS
A:\ATTRIB -S -H -R C:\BOOT.INI
DEL C:\BOOT.INI
A:\ATTRIB -S -H -R C:\NTDETECT.COM
DEL C:\NTDETECT.COM
A:\ATTRIB -S -H -R C:\NTLDR.
DEL NTLDR.
A:\ATTRIB -S -H -R C:\BOOTSECT.DOS
DEL C:\BOOTSECT.DOS
DEL C:\FATBOOT.BIN
REM
REM It is important that maintenance is
REM done on the drive to prevent an unreasonable
REM amount of fragmentation.
REM
A:\SCANDISK C: /CUSTOM
A:\DEFRAG C: /F
- Boot the computer from the boot floppy created in step 1 and run
Cleanup.bat
When this procedure is complete, Windows NT has been completely removed
from the system while all other existing data and files remain intact.