Question concerning repair installation

  • Thread starter Thread starter JK
  • Start date Start date
J

JK

I'm having some problems with my current installation on Win XP.

Unfortunately, all I have is an upgrade CD.

I know I can do a repair install by just installing normally and it
will recognize the current installation and install over it, but my
question is this:

What files from the c:/windows directory are necessary for it to
recognize the old installation? I want to nuke the old installation
as much as possible before installing. Thanks!
 
x-no-archive: yes

JK said:
I'm having some problems with my current installation on Win XP.

Unfortunately, all I have is an upgrade CD.

I know I can do a repair install by just installing normally and it
will recognize the current installation and install over it, but my
question is this:

What files from the c:/windows directory are necessary for it to
recognize the old installation? I want to nuke the old installation
as much as possible before installing. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Why do you say "all I have is an upgrade CD"? The upgrade CD is just
"as good" as the full retail CD; the only difference is that it requires
proof (such as it is) of presence of a qualifying product.

Just do the repair install. Everything relevant will get overwritten
anyway. If you need something more thorough than that, you want a fresh
install, not a repair install.
 
Assuming you have the 98 or ME CD, run the Setup program
after formatting your hard drive, and when asked for the
old CD's, insert the 98 or ME CD, and it will install
completely.
 
Assuming you have the 98 or ME CD, run the Setup program
after formatting your hard drive, and when asked for the
old CD's, insert the 98 or ME CD, and it will install
completely.
Click to expand...

Therein lies the problem. My W98 CD had an unfortunate incident with
the wheel of my chair some time ago.

I'd like to do a complete install but I can't unless I keep enough of
the current installation so that the new one can see that I qualify.
But I want it as close to a clean install as possible, with all traces
of programs/drivers I've since installed gone.

That's why I need to know what the minimum is I can leave on the hard
drive so that it will recognize the previous installation to qualify
me. For instance... can I delete the all the sub-folders and just
leave the old registration files? Etc...

In other words, what files does it look for to verify that a previous
installation exists?
 
from the said:
Therein lies the problem. My W98 CD had an unfortunate incident with
the wheel of my chair some time ago.

I'd like to do a complete install but I can't unless I keep enough of
the current installation so that the new one can see that I qualify.
But I want it as close to a clean install as possible, with all traces
of programs/drivers I've since installed gone.

That's why I need to know what the minimum is I can leave on the hard
drive so that it will recognize the previous installation to qualify
me. For instance... can I delete the all the sub-folders and just
leave the old registration files? Etc...

In other words, what files does it look for to verify that a previous
installation exists?
Click to expand...

A repair install is much the best bet, however if you really want a
clean install (think of all those patches you'll have to apply again,
all the programs that'll need installing ..)

... just do a clean install to a different directory on the same
partition .. this is generally not recommended, since the new/old
versions will get in a knot about who owns c:\pagefile.sys, c:\documents
and settings etc. .. however it can be done (many people seem to achieve
it by accident, while trying to do a repair). The 'old' one then serves
as 'qualifying product' for the new one, iirc. Once the new one is
there, nuke the old one (the whole windows directory).

It's better if you happen to have a spare disk or a separate partition,
but it ought work anyway. Be aware though that any installed programs
will still be in the C:\programs folder, but won't work right - their
..dlls (if any) and registry entries, will not be in the new version of
WinXP. Now will you be able to remove them with add/remove programs,
since the record of their installation won't be in the new system
either.

You will also get new user profile (if you were c:\documents &
settings\fred, you'll now get a fred.000 or similar) and may have to
'take ownership' of your old files - a new user called 'fred' isn't the
same person as the old one.
 
JK said:
I'm having some problems with my current installation on Win XP.

Unfortunately, all I have is an upgrade CD.

I know I can do a repair install by just installing normally and it
will recognize the current installation and install over it, but my
question is this:

What files from the c:/windows directory are necessary for it to
recognize the old installation?
Click to expand...

First do a repair reinstall - Set the BIOS to boot CD before Hard disk,
then boot the XP CD, start Setup (do not take 'Repair' at this stage),
then after the license agreement take 'Repair Installation'. This will
retain your existing software installations and most settings. But
Updates will have to be run again, especially SP1; and if you have
drivers that only arrived with that, like USB 2 ones, you will need to
update drivers for the devices concerned. You may find that things like
virtual memory settings and some aspects of appearance have reverted to
defaults

If you then do want to do a clean install, run the CD *from the existing
system*. Change the Upgrade to New Install, and when it s=asks where,
hit ESC and then delete the current partition and make a new RAW one to
format at the next stage. I think this will recognise that the system
it is replacing was a legitimate upgrade. If not, it will ask for where
Windows is. You can show that a 'proper' (not 'restore' CD from the old
system. If you do have only a restore one you will have to restore with
it, then run the XP CD from that using the same method
 
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