Reloading Windows

[Guest]

I want to re-load Windows XP Pro on my current machine and when I put in the
XP CD it notes that the machine already has a newer version of the XP OS. How
should I proceed - download from MS site or get around the splash screen? I
guess it is referring to the fact that I added SP1 and the old CD doesn't
reflect that. Suggestions?
James

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I want to re-load Windows XP Pro on my current machine and when I put in
the
XP CD it notes that the machine already has a newer version of the XP OS.
How
should I proceed - download from MS site or get around the splash screen?
I
guess it is referring to the fact that I added SP1 and the old CD doesn't
reflect that. Suggestions?
James

Instead of inserting your CD when Windows is up and
running, turn off the machine, then boot it off your WinXP
CD. To make the machine boot off the CD you have to
instruct it to use the CD drive as its primary boot device.
Different machines use different methods for this - read
the manual that came with it.

Make sure to save your important files before reloading
Windows, including your EMail files.

 

[Curt Christianson]

Hi James,

You're right, the reason you get that message is because SP1 makes your
installation newer that the CD. You realize of course you *should* be up to
SP2 for security reasons?

The only way you can re-install XP at this point is to format the drive and
start from scratch. That includes going back to Windows Update, etc.

A total re-installation is usually not necessary. Can you describe in
detail exactly what problems you are having. There are a lot of sharp
people here who may be able to solve your problem without the need of
re-installing.

--
HTH,
Curt

Windows Support Center
www.aumha.org
Practically Nerded,...
http://dundats.mvps.org/Index.htm

|I want to re-load Windows XP Pro on my current machine and when I put in
the
| XP CD it notes that the machine already has a newer version of the XP OS.
How
| should I proceed - download from MS site or get around the splash screen?
I
| guess it is referring to the fact that I added SP1 and the old CD doesn't
| reflect that. Suggestions?
| James

 

[Harry Ohrn]

You can slipstream Service Pack 2 (SP2) into your current version of Windows
XP. See here http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/slipstream.htm

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I want to re-load Windows XP Pro on my current machine and when I put in the
XP CD it notes that the machine already has a newer version of the XP OS. How
should I proceed - download from MS site or get around the splash screen? I
guess it is referring to the fact that I added SP1 and the old CD doesn't
reflect that. Suggestions?

The reason you are getting the message is that you are trying to do an
installation with a CD that's an older service pack level than what is
already installed.

However, it doesn't matter. If you get such a message when trying to
do a clean installation, it's because you are doing the installation
incorrectly. When done correctly, the installation formats the drive,
so what starts out on it doesn't matter at all.

Just boot from the Windows XP CD (change the BIOS boot order if
necessary to accomplish this) and follow the prompts for a clean
installation (delete the existing partition by pressing "D" when
prompted, then create a new one).

You can find detailed instructions here:
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

or here
http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org/how_do_i_install_windows_xp.htm

or here http://windowsxp.mvps.org/XPClean.htm

or here http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm

 

[Plato]

I want to re-load Windows XP Pro on my current machine and when I put in the

http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_sg_clean.asp
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=316941

 

[Guest]

I attemped to boot from my install CD using f8 prompt and when Windows
assessed my machine I got an error code:

file\i386\vgaoem.fon did not load - error code 32768

Is there a way around this? I would also be happy to reformat my C drive and
do a clean install. How should I proceed?

TX JDF

 

[Guest]

Curt, Thanks for the reply and I am not after a specific glitch. The machine
is gummed up with 3 years of software and needs to be refreshed. It doesn't
have a lot of reconfiguring that will need to be done so I thought I would
learn the best way to refresh it. I agree that you can usually help me fix
specific glitches without resorting to such means but this may be the best
for a gummed up machine. Using F8 to boot from the CD I got the "can't find
file\i386\vgaoem.fon with an error code of 32768". Are you suggesting that
one way to avoid all of this is to reformat my C drive from Windows Explorer
and then insert the XP CD to install and then get XP updates from the MS
site? TX - Jim.

 

[Bill Sharpe]

I attemped to boot from my install CD using f8 prompt and when Windows
assessed my machine I got an error code:

file\i386\vgaoem.fon did not load - error code 32768

Is there a way around this? I would also be happy to reformat my C drive and
do a clean install. How should I proceed?

TX JDF

F8 starts the computer in safe mode. As pointed out by others you need
to change the BIOS to boot from CD first rather than the hard drive. The
key to hit as you start varies depending on your computer manufacturer,
F2, or Delete work for my two computers, respectively.

Bill