Before reinstalling Windows XP it really IS a good idea to attempt to run
SFC (System File Checker). This version of Windows, in my opinion, is the
ONLY one that SFC should be attempted on if you have never updated the SFC
database on 98 etc. The reason being that Windows XP does appear to update
correctly this database so that when it checks the files it is checking the
latest files installed eg. the service packs/security updates etc
etc.
To run SFC you WILL need the Windows XP cd. Click start, run and type CMD.
The at the black screen type SFC /SCANNOW and press enter. A Windows dialogue
box will open telling you to insert your Windows XP cd. Insert this into
the drive and follow the onscreen directions. Its really as simple as
that.
If you do NOT have the Windows XP cd because your PC did not come with one
(as a lot of OEM pc's are shipped like this) then you can NOT run the System
File Checker. (No doubt someone will come along soon enough to prove me wrong
but then this article is not about proving right or wrong but about helping
you fix your windows without formatting and losing everything you have written
or downloaded)
To reinstall Windows XP by starting your computer from the Windows XP CD,
follow these steps:
1. Insert the Windows XP CD into your computer's CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive,
and then restart your computer.
2. When the "Press any key to boot from CD" message appears on the screen,
press a key to start your computer from the Windows XP CD.
Note Your computer must be configured to start from the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM
drive. For more information about how to configure your computer to start
from the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, see your computer's documentation or contact
your computer manufacturer.
3. You receive the following message on the Welcome to Setup screen that
appears:
This portion of the Setup program prepares Microsoft Windows XP to run on
your computer:
To setup Windows XP now, press ENTER.
To repair a Windows XP installation using Recovery Console, press R.
To quit Setup without installing Windows XP, press F3.
Press ENTER to set up Windows XP.
4. On the Windows XP Licensing Agreement screen, press F8 to agree to the
license agreement.
5. Make sure that your current installation of Windows XP is selected in
the box, and then press R to repair Windows XP.
6. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to reinstall Windows
XP. After you repair Windows XP, you may have to reactivate your copy of
Windows XP.
You WILL have to install the service packs and security updates.
You can also re-install windows by NOT choosing repair. Windows will search
your hard drive for a previous installationl. When it finds it you hae the
choice, reinstall windows into the same directory in which case windows will
remove the previous version and reinstall into that directory. You will then
have to reinstall all the applications and programmes you had installed on
the other version. Or you can choose NOT to install into the same folder
by choosing somewhere else to install it. Windows will then install into
your chosen folder thereby giving you TWO versions of windows. The clean
one you have just installed and the old one. You can then do whatever is
neccessary to save any data you need to save etc before removing the new
version if need be.