DOCUMENT:Q152291  22-FEB-2002  [winnt]
TITLE   :Removing Windows NT with Winntp.exe/D: Option
PRODUCT :Microsoft Windows NT
PROD/VER::3.5,3.51
OPER/SYS:
KEYWORDS:

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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5, 3.51 
 - Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 3.51 
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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:

1. Create an MS-DOS boot floppy

2. Place the following files on the boot floppy:

    - Sys.com

    - Attrib.com

    - Deltree.exe

    - Scandisk.exe

    - Defrag.exe

3. Create a batch file called Cleanup.bat

4. 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

5. 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.

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

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Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNT351search kbWinNTW351search kbWinNTW351 kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS351 kbWinNTS351search
Version           : :3.5,3.51

=============================================================================

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