Re-installing Windows XP (SP2)

[Broooz]

Please can I have your advice.

1. I would like to improve the speed of my computer and get rid of niggly
errors. Is it easier to do a complete re-install or does a repair usually
work reasonably.

2. If doing a re-install, is it possible to do it with a wireless keyboard
or will I need a wired keyboard to initiate the install.

3. I have a Dell PC - is there a way of creating the windows start-up disk
using files that exist already?

4. Finally is there an easier way of installing all the windows updates - eg
can I download them onto a DVD before I start?

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Please can I have your advice.

1. I would like to improve the speed of my computer and get rid of niggly
errors. Is it easier to do a complete re-install or does a repair usually
work reasonably.

That depends entirely on what your problems are. It of course far
easier and faster to do a repair installation than a clean
installation, since the clean installation requires backing up all you
data files beforehand, then restoring them after the installation, and
also requires reinstalling all your programs.

Repair installations can fix some kinds of problems, but not all; they
are far from being a cure-all for all problems.

And regarding a clean reinstallation, my view is that it is almost
always the wrong thing to do. 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, and
Windows XP, each for the period of time before the next version came
out, and each on two 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.

Moreover, it is likely to fix your problems (unless they are hardware
problems, which are sometimes the case), but you never find out why
you had them. The result is that you are likely to repeat the same
behavior that caused them in the first place, and quickly find
yourself back where you started.

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

 

[Broooz]

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

OK thank you I will reconsider my plans - sounds easier anyway

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

OK thank you I will reconsider my plans - sounds easier anyway

You're welcome. Glad to help.

 

[burris]

You're welcome. Glad to help.

Perhaps I can impose upon you to help with this problem

XP Pro Pentium 3Ghz/3Gb Ram. 160Gb HDD..plenty of space.

Windows updates downloads everything but will only selectively install
some of the patches.
If I try to install them individually, I get the ASN1-bad tag value met.
I did a run of SFC...no help. I did a repair install of the OS..no help

My PC functions well with everything except for not being able to
install some of the patches that are downloaded from MS. I Googled for
this problem, tried all the suggested fixes that I could find...nothing..

Thanks in advance for your help..

 

[milleron]

OK thank you I will reconsider my plans - sounds easier anyway

I thought the most telltale bit of information in your original post
was that the errors are "niggly." I take it that the errors are not
showstoppers that give BSODs or shutdowns, just little things that
don't work right. In my experience, that's the kind of situation that
occurs from having a lot of programs installed, and a repair install
isn't likely to get rid of them because there's probably nothing
basically wrong with the OS.

I think that your best troubleshooting path would be to try to
identify what's causing the "niggly" errors, and get rid of the
responsible program(s). Running free or commercial Registry cleaners
might well help, too. Sometimes, running a variety of malware
scanners turns up an infestation that your current AV/antispyware
didn't find.

The clean install would work, initially, but trying to re-install all
your essential programs and utilities could take up all your free time
for weeks. Eventually, if you tried to install all the programs you
now have installed, you might end up with the problems all over again.

If you want to post descriptions of the errors you're getting, someone
here might have specific suggestions.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I thought the most telltale bit of information in your original post
was that the errors are "niggly." I take it that the errors are not
showstoppers that give BSODs or shutdowns, just little things that
don't work right. In my experience, that's the kind of situation that
occurs from having a lot of programs installed,

Having a lot of programs installed causes *no* problems at all.
Installing a program doesn't cause a problem, but *running* a
particular program might. But even there, the issue isn't with how
many you are running, but which.

and a repair install
isn't likely to get rid of them because there's probably nothing
basically wrong with the OS.

I think that your best troubleshooting path would be to try to
identify what's causing the "niggly" errors, and get rid of the
responsible program(s). Running free or commercial Registry cleaners
might well help, too.

I strongly disagree. Registry cleaning programs are *all* snake oil.
Cleaning of the registry isn't needed and is dangerous. Leave the
registry alone and don't use any registry cleaner. Despite what many
people think, and what vendors of registry cleaning software try to
convince you of, having unused registry entries doesn't really hurt
you.

The risk of a serious problem caused by a registry cleaner erroneously
removing an entry you need is far greater than any potential benefit
it may have.

Sometimes, running a variety of malware
scanners turns up an infestation that your current AV/antispyware
didn't find.

Good advice. I agree that that could be useful, depending on what
prblems he's experiencing.

The clean install would work, initially, but trying to re-install all
your essential programs and utilities could take up all your free time
for weeks. Eventually, if you tried to install all the programs you
now have installed, you might end up with the problems all over again.

If you want to post descriptions of the errors you're getting, someone
here might have specific suggestions.

Yes, as I said in the first line quoted above.

 

[Broooz]

If you want to post descriptions of the errors you're getting, someone
here might have specific suggestions.

Thanks - I am sold on the idea - having previously thought it would be
easier to start again. I will indeed post the errors - as you are right
they are only niggly, or I have found a way round them.

 

[milleron]

Having a lot of programs installed causes *no* problems at all.
Installing a program doesn't cause a problem, but *running* a
particular program might. But even there, the issue isn't with how
many you are running, but which.

You're absolutely right. I just meant that OS "decay," as it's
sometimes been called, is usually seen only on computers having a lot
of programs installed, simply because the greater the number, the
greater the chance of introducing one that causes a problem. The
"which" is the crux of the problem, as you say, and the greater the
"number," the greater the chance of getting the "which," if you will.
Semantics.

 

[Broooz]

I strongly disagree. Registry cleaning programs are *all* snake oil.
Cleaning of the registry isn't needed and is dangerous. Leave the
registry alone and don't use any registry cleaner. Despite what many
people think, and what vendors of registry cleaning software try to
convince you of, having unused registry entries doesn't really hurt
you.

I kind of assumed that perhaps the registry got so large which is why the
computer is slow to start up. Is that not right?

My PC seems slower than it used to be but I don't have any stats to go on.
I have used spybot to stop several odd things loading that I couldn't figure
out what they did. But even with minimal programmes loading the PC takes
about 2.5 minutes to start up. I tried more memory but no difference.
Perhaps Norton AV is the culprit but I wondered if it could be the size of
the registry or perhaps some processes or services that I haven't been able
to figure out

PS I have scanned for virus and spyware so I am assuming this is unlikely.

Thanks

 

[Bill in Co.]

I kind of assumed that perhaps the registry got so large which is why the
computer is slow to start up. Is that not right?

No, it is not right.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I kind of assumed that perhaps the registry got so large which is why the
computer is slow to start up. Is that not right?

No, it's not right.

My PC seems slower than it used to be but I don't have any stats to go on.
I have used spybot to stop several odd things loading that I couldn't figure
out what they did. But even with minimal programmes loading the PC takes
about 2.5 minutes to start up.

2.5 minutes doesn't sound at all bad to me. My personal view is that
the attention many people pay to how long it takes to boot is
unwarranted. Assuming that the computer's speed is otherwise
satisfactory, it may not be worth worrying about. Most people start
their computers once a day or even less frequently. In the overall
scheme of things, even a few minutes to start up isn't very important.
Personally I power on my computer when I get up in the morning, then
go get my coffee. When I come back, it's done booting. I don't know
how long it took to boot and I don't care.

I tried more memory but no difference.

More memory is by no means the answer to all performance problems.

Is it only slow at startup or is it slow at all times?

Perhaps Norton AV is the culprit

Possibly. It's a terrible program, and it often causes performance
problems.

but I wondered if it could be the size of
the registry

As I said, no it's not.

or perhaps some processes or services that I haven't been able
to figure out

Unlikely.


PS I have scanned for virus and spyware so I am assuming this is unlikely.

That depends on what you've scanned with. What programs have you
scanned with? Are they kept up to date?