Microsoft KB Archive/152291

= Removing Windows NT with Winntp.exe/D: Option =

Article ID: 152291

Article Last Modified on 11/1/2006

-

APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.5
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.51
 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.5
 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.51

-



This article was previously published under Q152291





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.



CAUSE
The Setup.log does not contain a Repair.WinntFiles section. Adding the Repair.WinntFiles in place of the Files.WinNt in the Setup.log allows Winntp.exe to detect the Setup.log but does not remove the current installation of Windows NT.



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</li> Scandisk.exe</li> Defrag.exe</li></ol> </li> Create a batch file called Cleanup.bat</li>  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 </li> Boot the computer from the boot floppy created in step 1 and run Cleanup.bat</li></ol>

When this procedure is complete, Windows NT has been completely removed from the system while all other existing data and files remain intact.

<div class="status_section">

STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 3.5x Resource Kit Winntp.exe. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

Additional query words: prodnt

Keywords: KB152291

-

[mailto:TECHNET@MICROSOFT.COM Send feedback to Microsoft]

© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.