How does 'Repair' differ from install with 'Leave file system inta

[GaryEE]

If you boot from the Win XP CD and do a normal 'Repair' of an existing
install, it appears to do the same thing as the following procedure:

Boot from XP CD, drill down & eventually press Enter to set up Windows XP
now, choose to continue installing a fresh copy of XP, press Esc, choose to
install XP on the existing partition, choose to leave current file system
intact, choose the existing Windows folder and to delete the existing Windows
installation in it (press L).

I am very curious as to the technical differences between the 2 approaches.
They both appear to delete the existing Windows installation and to reinstall
Windows XP.
Thanks very much for your help!!
GaryEE

 

[DL]

A repair refreshes the origonal installation it doesnt delete it first

 

[Mike Hall - MVP]

A repair refreshes the origonal installation it doesnt delete it first

Installing a fresh copy on an existing formatted partition that already has
Windows installed onto it will leave you with one working Windows
installation and the old one, but the old Windows folder will have been
renamed. The format type will stay the same as it was, but it is a very
messy way to re-install, as it tends to fill up the drive with duplicated
Windows folders.

Installing a fresh copy of Windows of Windows on a previously formatted but
empty partition , essentially leaving the file system intact, will install
cleanly on the partition, and will not change the format type. So, if the
format type was FAT32, it will remain so.

The final alternative is to delete the existing partition which will also
take out the format type, FAT32 or NTFS, and then do a clean format which
will ensure that anything previously held on the drive will be wiped out.
This is the 'cleanest' way to install an operating system.

The only reason for formatting a disk to FAT32 is so that a DOS startup
diskette or Win 9x computer can read it. Best sense is to format to NTFS..

--
Mike Hall - MVP
How to construct a good post..
http://dts-l.com/goodpost.htm
How to use the Microsoft Product Support Newsgroups..
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=newswhelp&style=toc
Mike's Window - My Blog..
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/default.aspx

 

[Daave]

If you boot from the Win XP CD and do a normal 'Repair' of an existing
install, it appears to do the same thing as the following procedure:

Boot from XP CD, drill down & eventually press Enter to set up Windows
XP
now, choose to continue installing a fresh copy of XP, press Esc,
choose to
install XP on the existing partition, choose to leave current file
system
intact, choose the existing Windows folder and to delete the existing
Windows
installation in it (press L).

I am very curious as to the technical differences between the 2
approaches.
They both appear to delete the existing Windows installation and to
reinstall
Windows XP.
Thanks very much for your help!!
GaryEE

Your information is incomplete.

Here are the steps:

1. Boot from XP CD. (Note that you will probably need to enter the BIOS
to configure the PC to boot off the CD-ROM drive.)

2. On the setup screen, press Enter ("To set up Windows XP now"). (Also
note that pressing R at this point does *not* initiate a Repair Install;
rather it allows you to run Recovery Console.)

3. Press F8 to accept the EULA.

4. Then you will see this screen:

http://www.windowsxphome.windowsreinstall.com/installxpcdrepair/Image6b.gif

If you press R at this point, you will be performing a *Repair* Install,
which will leave your data (e.g., Word documents, MP3s, photos, Web
browser favorites, etc.) intact (assuming nothing goes wrong).

What you are describing is known as a Parallel Install, which is
something that in all probability you should never do! However, if at
this point you do not choose "Leave the current file system intact"
option and instead choose to format the partition, you will be
performing a Clean Install, which will wipe all your data (e.g., Word
documents, MP3s, photos, Web browser favorites, etc.) off the hard
drive. Performing a parallel install allows you to a lay down a parallel
installation of XP; that is the old, corrupted version (i.e., the "file
system") will remain on your hard drive along side the newer version
installation of XP. Some people choose to do this in order to salvage
data, but there are better ways to accomplish this!

For more info:

Repair Install
http://www.windowsxphome.windowsreinstall.com/installxpcdrepair/indexfullpage.htm

Parallel Install
http://www.windowsxphome.windowsreinstall.com/installxpcdparallell/indexfullpage.htm

Clean Install
http://www.windowsxphome.windowsreinstall.com/installxpcdoldhdd/indexfullpage.htm

 

[Lil' Dave]

If you boot from the Win XP CD and do a normal 'Repair' of an existing
install, it appears to do the same thing as the following procedure:

Boot from XP CD, drill down & eventually press Enter to set up Windows XP
now, choose to continue installing a fresh copy of XP, press Esc, choose
to
install XP on the existing partition, choose to leave current file system
intact, choose the existing Windows folder and to delete the existing
Windows
installation in it (press L).

I am very curious as to the technical differences between the 2
approaches.
They both appear to delete the existing Windows installation and to
reinstall
Windows XP.
Thanks very much for your help!!
GaryEE

A repair installation does not do as you describe. It modifies and freshens
the current installation. It does generally remove any hardware driver
entries and makes its own effective, and, generally leaves 3rd party
application installations alone regarding the registry. That's the most
important part of repair. A repair cannot "repair" something that is
deleted.