Reinstalling

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

The greatest blessing of children is the lessons in patience they teach you!!

As a part of her Christmas gift I upgraded my daughter's PC (Dell Dimension
4300) from ME (preinstalled) to XP Home.

And now she has forgotten her password - she is the sole user/administrator!!

From Microsoft Article ID 321305 "How to log on to Windows XP if you forget
your password or your password expires" I understand that a "clean"
installation of Windows is required (there is no password reset disk).

Now here are my questions:
Do I need to format the HD?
Do I need to reinstall ME first before using the XP Home Upgrade CD?

I would be most grateful for step by step advice. And you would bless me
with moments of peace from traumatic teenage tantrums!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you,

Douglas
 
A 'clean install' means that the hard disk is completely and permanently
erased. She'll have to re-install, setup and update all her software all
over again. Any personal files, email, favorites, etc. that were not
previously backed up are permanently lost.

You don't need to install ME first, but you do need to have the CD handy,
because Windows XP will ask you to insert the ME CD to prove that she
qualifies for the 'upgrade' version of Windows XP.

There are several very good web sites that take you step by step through a
clean install, but let's backup for a minute.

In the first place, a clean install is a major commitment of time and
effort, and it comes with plenty of 'gotchas' that no one can predict in
advance. It's not something you enter into casually. And there are several
ways to go about it. Are you sure this is something you want to do? If you
feel confident (or lucky - like Dirty Harry) you should ask the computer
manufacturer how to best go about performing a clean install. But let's
backup even further.

There are ways to re-set your daughter's password to a blank - i.e., no
password. She can then logon without a password, and set a new one. (Never
ever have an administrator account without a password.) There are several
ways to do this, but they're risky because they all use Windows' hidden
plumbing. Unless you consider yourself proficient with technicalities, you
should avoid these manouvers because a mistake can make things worse. There
is also password re-set software on the Internet, which I mention with the
same warning.

IMHO, your first step should be to contact the computer manufacturer's
technical support and ask for their advice. They are in the best position to
help you.

Once you are back up and running again, make a password reset diskette.
 
There is a section in user accounts titled prevent a forgotten password. I
guess it
is placed there for a reason.
 
Back
Top