Can not reload Windows XP, newer version

[Lewis G]

I have Windows XP Home Edition on my laptop, it came with it. It has been
giving me problems so co-worker suggested reloading Windows. I tried to do
that, but I get a message saying that the edition of Windows on the computer
is newer than the version I am trying to load. This is puzzling, the CD I am
using is the one that came with the computer and I have not loaded any newer
version on the computer. I will not let me go futher, it simply states that
I am trying to load an older version and that is that. Any suggestions?

 

[Bob I]

You have installed a Service Pack since the original installation.

 

[thehman]

you have to boot to the disk. resart your computer with the cd in the disk
drive and the machine shuld boot to it. you can rebuild from windows. if the
machine does not boot to the disk you will need to change the boot order in
the bios. let me know and i will explain how to do this. when you enter the
install utility (it should be a blue screen) you will want to format the
drive and erase all data. Be sure you have the product key before
rebuilding. if you don't have the key you will not be able to finish the
rebuild.

 

[Twayne]

I have Windows XP Home Edition on my laptop, it came with it. It has

been giving me problems so co-worker suggested reloading Windows. I
tried to do that, but I get a message saying that the edition of
Windows on the computer is newer than the version I am trying to
load. This is puzzling, the CD I am using is the one that came with
the computer and I have not loaded any newer version on the computer.
I will not let me go futher, it simply states that I am trying to
load an older version and that is that. Any suggestions?

The Service Packs and hotfixes make it a new version as the CD sees it,
and it cannot install from the mode you've chosen. If you're determined
to reinstall windows, you can try a Repair Install or go for a complete
reinstall, which is sometimes the only way to get rid of some problems,
none of which you described though.
Back up your important data, pop the CD in the drive and boot from
it. Delete the parition, recreate it, start the format, and follow the
instructions on screen. Everything on the drive will be deleted, so be
sure to have backed up any data on it that you want to keep and put
back.

A reinstall probably isn't necessary though; what problems are you
having?
If you haven't been backing up your data, this is a great time to start.

HTH

Twayne

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

On Mon, 29 Dec 2008 11:02:04 -0800, Lewis G <Lewis

I have Windows XP Home Edition on my laptop, it came with it. It has been
giving me problems so co-worker suggested reloading Windows.

Why? What are your problems? Reinstalling Windows is almost always the
wrong reaction to problems, and is way more trouble and work than is
normally needed.

Moreover, it leaves you without finding out what caused your problems,
so you will very likely repeat the behavior that caused them, and
quickly find yourself back where you started.

I tried to do
that, but I get a message saying that the edition of Windows on the computer
is newer than the version I am trying to load. This is puzzling, the CD I am
using is the one that came with the computer and I have not loaded any newer
version on the computer. I will not let me go futher, it simply states that
I am trying to load an older version and that is that. Any suggestions?

Two points:

1. The reason you get the message is that you have installed a service
pack that the CD doesn't have.

2. It doesn't matter whether you've installed the service pack,
because you are doing the reinstallation incorrectly. If you do it
correctly, it begins by formatting the drive and whatever is on it to
begin with doesn't matter.

Just boot from the Windows XP CD (change the BIOS boot order if
necessary to accomplish this) and follow the prompts for a clean
installation (delete the existing partition by pressing "D" when
prompted, then create a new one).

You can find detailed instructions here:
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

or here
http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org/how_do_i_install_windows_xp.htm

or here http://windowsxp.mvps.org/XPClean.htm

or here http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm

 

[Lewis G]

you are probably right, reloading it is not the correct answer. When I turn
on the computer it takes forever to boot, the hard drive shows busy but, when
I open Task Bar nothing shows running but it is using up almost all my
resources. Sometimes the hard drive never stops running and I end up having
to turn off the computer and restart. Then the second or third time I do
this it boots up in just a few minutes. I have gone to the start up menu via
typing MSCONFIG in the Run command, then turn off unnessassary applications.
This seems to have little effect. Something is running in the background and
I can not find out what it is to turn it off, any suggestions?
In other words, it is running very slow becaise something is running and I
can not stop it.
HELP

 

[Daave]

you are probably right, reloading it is not the correct answer. When
I turn
on the computer it takes forever to boot, the hard drive shows busy
but, when
I open Task Bar nothing shows running but it is using up almost all my
resources. Sometimes the hard drive never stops running and I end up
having
to turn off the computer and restart. Then the second or third time I
do
this it boots up in just a few minutes. I have gone to the start up
menu via
typing MSCONFIG in the Run command, then turn off unnessassary
applications.
This seems to have little effect. Something is running in the
background and
I can not find out what it is to turn it off, any suggestions?
In other words, it is running very slow becaise something is running
and I
can not stop it.
HELP

Actually, you've got the right idea, Lewis.

Here is the proper method to configure a clean boot environment:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353

Does it still take forever to boot? If not, use the process of
elimination to determine the bottleneck.

Out of curiosity, once the PC is booted and all the startup processes
calm down, what is the performance like? Assuming there is no malware on
the PC (and that is the first thing that needs to be ruled out!), the
next cause of performance problems is *certain* anti-malware programs
(Norton and McAfee are the biggest offenders), especially if they are
configured to scan the entire hard drive every time the PC is booted up.

 

[Lil' Dave]

I have Windows XP Home Edition on my laptop, it came with it. It has been
giving me problems so co-worker suggested reloading Windows. I tried to
do
that, but I get a message saying that the edition of Windows on the
computer
is newer than the version I am trying to load. This is puzzling, the CD I
am
using is the one that came with the computer and I have not loaded any
newer
version on the computer. I will not let me go futher, it simply states
that
I am trying to load an older version and that is that. Any suggestions?

You probably unknowingly did load a newer version of XP by downloading an
installing a subsequent service pack.

Some laptops with CD installation of XP have a form of a repair option which
doesn't affect 3rd party apps installed. This will not work and produces
the failure message you're getting. If the service pack installed is listed
in add/remove programs and removed, such a repair installaion may or may not
work. A clean restoration which overwrites everything would work. Bear in
mind you would lose all that you've stored on the laptop as a result.