Reinstallation

[angie]

If i just do a reinstall of XP will I lose everything on
my computer...meaning files and certain programs. A
friend told me if I just do a reinstall instead of
reformatting that I would not lose anything..a bit
dubious about this so any help would be appreciated.
Also will this help with the defrag issue I am having.
Just will not defrag at all.
Thanks in advance,
Angie

 

[RJK]

Preferably, get someone who knows what they're doing, (NOT someone who just
thinks and says they know what they're doing), to sort your machine out for
you.
If your computer is up and running, backup everything you don't want to
lose, and confirm that what you've backed up can be restored, before
attempting to "fix" it yourself.
And stop trying to defrag etc. before you've done your backup.

regards, Richard

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi Angie,

Not a reinstall but a repair install. Follow these steps to do a repair
install which should preserve your data, settings, and programs:

1. Insert the Windows XP CD into your computer's CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM
drive.
2. Restart your computer. If you have to, change the BIOS settings to start
from
the CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive, and then restart your computer again.
3. At the "Welcome to Setup" page, press ENTER.
4. Press F8 to accept the Licensing Agreement.
5. Use the arrow keys to select the installation of Windows XP that you want
to
repair, and then press R to start the automatic repair process.
6. When Setup is completed, activate Windows XP.

Note that you will need your Product Key for this procedure, so have it
handy before you begin.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Win9x
Windows isn't rocket science! That's my other hobby!

Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone