My system is crashing and I need to restore my computer to its original
settings and wipe out all updates, upgrades, etc. Are there steps to do so
and how do I find them or what do I do. Need to get this done quickly please
help. Kim I have Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004

See http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html#steps

After the clean install, you'll have the equivalent of a "new computer" so
take care of everything on the following page before otherwise connecting
the machine to the internet or a network and before using a USB key that
isn't brand-new or hasn't been freshly formatted:

5 steps to help protect your new computer before you go online
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/com...nced/xppc.mspx

HOW TO get a computer running WinXP Gold (no Service Packs) fully patched
(after a clean install)
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...5afa8ed33e121c

HOW TO get a computer running WinXP SP1(a) or SP2 fully patched (after a
clean install)
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...66ae41add7dd2b

Also see:

Steps To Help Prevent Spyware
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/com...e/prevent.mspx

Rogue Security Software - Microsoft Security:
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/com...ses/rogue.mspx
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002
www.banthecheck.com


HotSauceKim wrote:
> My system is crashing and I need to restore my computer to its original
> settings and wipe out all updates, upgrades, etc. Are there steps to do
> so
> and how do I find them or what do I do. Need to get this done quickly
> please help. Kim I have Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004

"HotSauceKim" wrote:

> My system is crashing and I need to restore my computer to its original
> settings and wipe out all updates, upgrades, etc. Are there steps to do so
> and how do I find them or what do I do. Need to get this done quickly please
> help. Kim I have Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004

Computer manufacturers provide the end user a way to restore the operating
system to the "as shipped" condition. The best way to do this is to follow
the instructions in the owner's manual that came with the computer. If you
don't have the manual, you can download it from the website of the
manufacturer.

On Sep 21, 11:33*pm, HotSauceKim
<HotSauce...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> My system is crashing and I need to restore my computer to its original
> settings and wipe out all updates, upgrades, etc. *Are there steps to do so
> and how do I find them or what do I do. *Need to get this done quickly please
> help. *Kim *I have Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004

No you can't. you need to buy a new Os and start again. You have
reached the maximum allowed in your license of using XP Media. 5
years is a long time and it is time to pay again.

On Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:33:02 -0700, HotSauceKim
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> My system is crashing and I need to restore my computer to its original
> settings and wipe out all updates, upgrades, etc.


No, you don't *need to* do that, and in fact it's almost always a poor
thing to do. You should troubleshoot the system, find out what's
causing the problems, and fix it. Reformatting and reinstalling should
be a last resort, to be done only if everything else fails.

With a modicum of care, it should never be necessary to reinstall
Windows (XP or any other version). I've run Windows 3.0, 3.1, WFWG
3.11, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista,
and now Windows 7, each for the period of time before the next version
came out, and each on two or more machines here. I never reinstalled
any of them, and I have never had anything more than an occasional
minor problem.

It's my belief that this mistaken notion stems from the technical
support people at many of the larger OEMs. Their solution to almost
any problem they don't quickly know the answer to is "reformat and
reinstall." That's the perfect solution for them. It gets you off the
phone quickly, it almost always works, and it doesn't require them to
do any real troubleshooting (a skill that most of them obviously don't
possess in any great degree).

But it leaves you with all the work and all the problems. You have to
restore all your data backups, you have to reinstall all your
programs, you have to reinstall all the Windows and application
updates, you have to locate and install all the needed drivers for
your system, you have to recustomize Windows and all your apps to work
the way you're comfortable with.

Besides all those things being time-consuming and troublesome, you may
have trouble with some of them: can you find all your application CDs?
Can you find all the needed installation codes? Do you have data
backups to restore? Do you even remember all the customizations and
tweaks you may have installed to make everything work the way you
like? Occasionally there are problems that are so difficult to solve
that Windows should be reinstalled cleanly. But they are few and far
between; reinstallation should not be a substitute for
troubleshooting; it should be a last resort, to be done only after all
other attempts at troubleshooting by a qualified person have failed.

And perhaps most important: if you reformat and reinstall without
finding out what caused your problem, you will very likely repeat the
behavior that caused it, and quickly find yourself back in exactly the
same situation.

If you have problems, post the details of them here; it's likely that
someone can help you and a reinstallation won't be required.




> Are there steps to do so
> and how do I find them or what do I do. Need to get this done quickly please
> help. Kim I have Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004


Assuming that you have an OEM computer, you need to check your
documentation or contact your OEM (Dell, Gateway, etc.) for
instructions. The procedure varies depending on what computer you
have.

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

Shenan if that were an option I wouldn't be posting here.

"Shenan Stanley" wrote:

> On Sep 21, 11:33 pm, HotSauceKim
> <HotSauce...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> > My system is crashing and I need to restore my computer to its original
> > settings and wipe out all updates, upgrades, etc. Are there steps to do so
> > and how do I find them or what do I do. Need to get this done quickly please
> > help. Kim I have Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004
>
> No you can't. you need to buy a new Os and start again. You have
> reached the maximum allowed in your license of using XP Media. 5
> years is a long time and it is time to pay again.
>

HotSauceKim <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Shenan if that were an option I wouldn't be posting here.

Shenan did NOT write that. Some bozo is getting some wood spoofing.

>"Shenan Stanley" wrote:
>
>> On Sep 21, 11:33 pm, HotSauceKim
>> <HotSauce...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>> > My system is crashing and I need to restore my computer to its original
>> > settings and wipe out all updates, upgrades, etc. Are there steps to do so
>> > and how do I find them or what do I do. Need to get this done quickly please
>> > help. Kim I have Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004
>>
>> No you can't. you need to buy a new Os and start again. You have
>> reached the maximum allowed in your license of using XP Media. 5
>> years is a long time and it is time to pay again.
>>

On 9/21/2009 5:33 PM, HotSauceKim wrote:
> My system is crashing and I need to restore my computer to its original
> settings and wipe out all updates, upgrades, etc. Are there steps to do so
> and how do I find them or what do I do. Need to get this done quickly please
> help. Kim I have Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004


It depends on who made your PC. Some manufacturers include a set of
CD's with which to restore your system, and others have the restore
software on a hidden partition of your hard drive. One way to find out
which method you'll use to restore your system is to read the owners
manual that came with the PC. Another way would be to go to the support
section of the company's website that made your PC and ask there.


--

Roy Smith
Windows XP Pro SP3