Reinstall XP Advice

[oceanclub]

I need to reinstall XP on the same disk as before but don't wish to
wipe the disk or anything. Can anyone tell me if the following will
work?

1. Create a separate primary partition (say, D on the same physical
disk.

2. Install XP to that partition - XP is now on both the primary
partitions C: and D on the same physical disk.

3. Delete the folder C:\Windows.

Cheers.

P.

 

[Tom Porterfield]

I need to reinstall XP on the same disk as before but don't wish to
wipe the disk or anything. Can anyone tell me if the following will
work?

1. Create a separate primary partition (say, D on the same physical
disk.

2. Install XP to that partition - XP is now on both the primary
partitions C: and D on the same physical disk.

3. Delete the folder C:\Windows.

What is the purpose of doing this? What problem are you trying to
solve? Knowing that, a better solution may be available.

If you go with your current plan, you will need to reinstall all
programs under the installation on D in order to use them. You will
have many "dead" files on C under the Program Files folder there. All
user profiles will need to be recreated under the D installation,
although you could copy the data files from the profile directories on C
- do not copy the registry files. Your boot menu will show both entries
and all boot files will be on C.
--
Tom Porterfield
MS-MVP Windows
http://support.telop.org

Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup only.

 

[Guest]

(From [Tsuniper-X])
For that issue, you can copy Program Files folder, then also copy the saved
registry file. HOPEFULLY, the registry will automatically correct the file
paths.

 

[Tom Porterfield]

(From [Tsuniper-X])
For that issue, you can copy Program Files folder, then also copy the saved
registry file. HOPEFULLY, the registry will automatically correct the file
paths.

No, the registry will not automatically correct the file paths and you
will likely end up with an unbootable Windows installation.
--
Tom Porterfield
MS-MVP Windows
http://support.telop.org

Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup only.

 

[Paul Moloney]

What is the purpose of doing this? What problem are you trying to solve?
Knowing that, a better solution may be available.

Just to elaborate, I have a single 120GB disk, one partition, with
XP on it, with about 100GB of files on it that I don't want to have
to back up. I need to do a full install (a repair install didn't work).

Thinking about it, is this plan better?:

1. Delete as many program as possible to make more space.

2. Using the extra space, create a second partition D>

3. Copy as many files as possible to this partition.

4. Increase the size of D and decrease C until the latter only
contains the Windows installation.

5. Do a full install of Windows to C as normal.

?

Cheers,

P.
Create a second partit

 

[pmoloney]

What is the purpose of doing this? What problem are you trying to
solve? Knowing that, a better solution may be available.

I have a 120GB hard disk with one partition with Windows installed. I
tried a repair installation after a motherboard swap, but I now have
problems with my wireless connection. So it looks like a full reinstall
is in order. I'd like to do this without having to backup the 100GB of
files on my hard drive.

P.

 

[Tom Porterfield]

1. Delete as many program as possible to make more space.

2. Using the extra space, create a second partition D>

3. Copy as many files as possible to this partition.

4. Increase the size of D and decrease C until the latter only
contains the Windows installation.

5. Do a full install of Windows to C as normal.

That is a better plan and leaves you in a better place when you are done.
I configure all of my machines with OS on one partition and data files on
another. I regularly backup the partition with data files, and if I ever
need to do a full reinstall of Windows I don't need to touch the partition
with the data files.
--
Tom Porterfield
MS-MVP Windows
http://support.telop.org

Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup only.