Reloading WindowsXP.

[Frank Martin]

I have WindowsXP pro with the SP3 loaded.

I want to reload the original WindowsXP software to try and
fix Windows Explorer which crashes frequently.

How can I do this, because when I try the system asks me for
a "password" I do not have.

Please help, Frank

 

[philo]

I have WindowsXP pro with the SP3 loaded.

I want to reload the original WindowsXP software to try and
fix Windows Explorer which crashes frequently.

How can I do this, because when I try the system asks me for
a "password" I do not have.

Please help, Frank

You do not need a password to format your drive and perform a fresh install

however you DO need to backup all your data first!

 

[Andrew E.]

You need to install the xp cd,boot to xp cd (set for this in the BIOS if
needed,
1st boot device),select "install xp",new copy,delete the partition(xp),create
one,then let xp format & install auto.

 

[Guest]

I have WindowsXP pro with the SP3 loaded.

I want to reload the original WindowsXP software to try and
fix Windows Explorer which crashes frequently.

How can I do this, because when I try the system asks me for
a "password" I do not have.

Please help, Frank

Download a password reset disk image and reset the administrator password.
Unless you know the history and licensing status of the reload disk,
(you'd know the password if you did)
license key, activation, try to clean up the system before resorting to
a reload that may not work. I've had considerable grief with
used computers of unknown history. M$ puts CONSIDERABLE roadblocks
in your way.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I have WindowsXP pro with the SP3 loaded.

I want to reload the original WindowsXP software to try and
fix Windows Explorer which crashes frequently.

How can I do this, because when I try the system asks me for
a "password" I do not have.

If that's what's happening, you are trying to uninstall it
incorrectly. You can't format the Windows drive from within Windows,
since that would leave Windows without a leg to stand on.

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

By the way, in my view, reinstalling Windows to fix such a problem is
hardly ever necessary, and is a bad thing to do. I would suggest that
you post the details of your problem here, rather than reinstall
Windows. No guarantees, but it's likely that one of us can help you
and no reinstallation will be necessary.

 

[Frank Martin]

Download a password reset disk image and reset the
administrator password.
Unless you know the history and licensing status of the
reload disk,
(you'd know the password if you did)
license key, activation, try to clean up the system before
resorting to
a reload that may not work. I've had considerable grief
with
used computers of unknown history. M$ puts CONSIDERABLE
roadblocks
in your way.

Thank you. If I do a format/reload of Windows, what happens
to all the automatic downloads on the disk from Microsoft
including SP2 & SP3?

My Windows version is from January 2006.

 

[Guest]

Thank you. If I do a format/reload of Windows, what happens
to all the automatic downloads on the disk from Microsoft
including SP2 & SP3?

My Windows version is from January 2006.

I can't tell you. All my XP disks are from 2002.

Obviously, you're gonna lose everything that's not on your cd.
For sure sp3, cause it wasn't around in 2006. I run SP2 and turn
off updates to keep M$ from mucking with my system.

It would be easier to get help if you were more precise in the
description of what you're trying to do.

Based on your statements and a generous helping of extrapolation
and factoring in typical questions of this type, one might GUESS
that you're not the first owner of the system.

There are two basic types of "reload".
One is a disk image that an OEM builds that puts your system
back into the state it was when it left the factory.
This can also be a separate hard drive partition or in a directory
on the main partition.

The other is a REAL M$ install CD/DVD that lets you reinstall
the operating system from scratch.
There are several variations on each theme.
There may be drivers already installed or on a separate disk
or just plain missing.

I had one Compaq laptop that had everything you needed to build a
reinstall CD from the HD contents EXCEPT the command to create
the disk. Turns out the command works once and deletes itself.
How do you get the command replaced? YOU DON'T!!! Sorry for
any inconvenience...click here to pay the full cost of the operating
system AGAIN!!! Second owner = screwed. First owner with faulty
CD = screwed. But at least, they're sorry. Makes me feel all better.

Bottom line is that if your hardware, software and license
keys came from different places, there's a very real possibility
that either the install won't accept your key, or it will accept
the key, but won't activate. Phone activation only works if the
key is not blacklisted...so I'm told.

You find this out AFTER you've blown away your current install
and can't get it back.

I buy all my computers used. I've been so frustrated by this
that the first thing I do is replace the hard drive and reinstall
the operating system to make sure everything is Kosher. After I
get it like I want, I image the drive and put the contents back
to the stock drive.
If it doesn't work, I put back the stock drive and spend a week
scanning for malware and fixing stuff that's broke. Thank you
M$ for wasting yet another week of my life.

An OEM license is tied forever to the original hardware.
No problem, where do I get the ones and zero's necessary to
implement my license? You don't!!! This is turning into a rant.
I'll stop now.

Are we having fun yet?

 

[Frank Martin]

Obviously, you're gonna lose everything that's not on your
cd.
For sure sp3, cause it wasn't around in 2006. I run SP2
and turn
off updates to keep M$ from mucking with my system.

It would be easier to get help if you were more precise in
the
description of what you're trying to do.

Based on your statements and a generous helping of
extrapolation
and factoring in typical questions of this type, one might
GUESS
that you're not the first owner of the system.

There are two basic types of "reload".
One is a disk image that an OEM builds that puts your
system
back into the state it was when it left the factory.
This can also be a separate hard drive partition or in a
directory
on the main partition.

The other is a REAL M$ install CD/DVD that lets you
reinstall
the operating system from scratch.
There are several variations on each theme.
There may be drivers already installed or on a separate
disk
or just plain missing.

I had one Compaq laptop that had everything you needed to
build a
reinstall CD from the HD contents EXCEPT the command to
create
the disk. Turns out the command works once and deletes
itself.
How do you get the command replaced? YOU DON'T!!! Sorry
for
any inconvenience...click here to pay the full cost of the
operating
system AGAIN!!! Second owner = screwed. First owner with
faulty
CD = screwed. But at least, they're sorry. Makes me feel
all better.

Bottom line is that if your hardware, software and license
keys came from different places, there's a very real
possibility
that either the install won't accept your key, or it will
accept
the key, but won't activate. Phone activation only works
if the
key is not blacklisted...so I'm told.

You find this out AFTER you've blown away your current
install
and can't get it back.

I buy all my computers used. I've been so frustrated by
this
that the first thing I do is replace the hard drive and
reinstall
the operating system to make sure everything is Kosher.
After I
get it like I want, I image the drive and put the contents
back
to the stock drive.
If it doesn't work, I put back the stock drive and spend a
week
scanning for malware and fixing stuff that's broke. Thank
you
M$ for wasting yet another week of my life.

An OEM license is tied forever to the original hardware.
No problem, where do I get the ones and zero's necessary
to
implement my license? You don't!!! This is turning into
a rant.
I'll stop now.

Are we having fun yet?

Yes I am the first & only owner of this stand-alone system,
since Jan2006, which was built by a consultant, and which
has a MSI945PNeo motherboard, a IntelDuo chip, 3Gb RAM, 4PCI
slots all filled with TV card, videocard, printercard,
usbcard. Also 2 x 500GbSataHDD One for Ghost12 backups, , 2
x optical drivesR/W, and 750W powersupply. I survived two
burned-out powersupplies, the first a 300W, the second a
450W the former taking the HDD control card with it.

The reason for the prospective reload is to do a virus
sweep.

But also for the near future when I want to become a *real
boy* and build my own computer, because these things are now
too important to leave to a consultant who doesn't work
weekends and holidays.

 

[Anna]

I have WindowsXP pro with the SP3 loaded.

I want to reload the original WindowsXP software to try and fix Windows
Explorer which crashes frequently.

How can I do this, because when I try the system asks me for a "password"
I do not have.

Please help, Frank

Frank later adds...

Thank you. If I do a format/reload of Windows, what happens to all the
automatic downloads on the disk from Microsoft including SP2 & SP3?

My Windows version is from January 2006.

And Frank later adds...

Yes I am the first & only owner of this stand-alone system, since Jan2006,
which was built by a consultant, and which has a MSI945PNeo motherboard, a
IntelDuo chip, 3Gb RAM, 4PCI slots all filled with TV card, videocard,
printercard, usbcard. Also 2 x 500GbSataHDD One for Ghost12 backups, , 2 x
optical drivesR/W, and 750W powersupply. I survived two burned-out
powersupplies, the first a 300W, the second a 450W the former taking the
HDD control card with it.

The reason for the prospective reload is to do a virus sweep.

But also for the near future when I want to become a *real boy* and build
my own computer, because these things are now too important to leave to a
consultant who doesn't work weekends and holidays.

Frank:
Just in case the responses to date haven't helped you resolve your
problem...

We'll assume that when you refer to a "reload" of the XP OS, you're
referring to a reinstallation of the OS in the sense that you would want all
data on the HDD to be retained, including your programs, applications,
personal data, etc. In short what you want to accomplish is a *Repair* of
your system, so that the system will boot without incident and properly
function. Do I have this right?

During the time the system was bootable & functional, had you undertaken
other possible remedies to whatever problems you were experiencing at the
time? Had you, for example, previously run the chkdsk /r command or the sfc
/scannow command when the system was operational? If so, any results to talk
about?

You've indicated (another?) reason for the "reload" "is to do a virus
sweep." Do you have any reason to believe that the system is virus-infected?
Or is this merely a precautionary move on your part to determine whether
some malware has been causing your problem(s)? Had you been regularly using
some A-V program? Any indication of malware present in the system?

Now I realize there's a password problem here as you've described. What I'm
not clear about is whether this password problem just arose
"out-of-the-blue"? You've worked with the system for three years and
apparently never encountered this password problem. Is that correct? Does it
apparently have some connection with whatever other problems you've been
experiencing, e.g., the
"crashing" of Windows Explorer that you had mentioned?

Speaking of which, were there other problems you were experiencing with the
system besides the Explorer problem? And when you speak of Explorer
"crashing", what exactly happened? You would open Explorer and then for
apparently no reason it disappeared? Any error messages of some kind?

Anyway, if you want to pursue this line of inquiry further, please respond
to the above and we can go on from there.
Anna

 

[Frank Martin]

If that's what's happening, you are trying to uninstall it
incorrectly. You can't format the Windows drive from
within Windows,
since that would leave Windows without a leg to stand on.

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

By the way, in my view, reinstalling Windows to fix such a
problem is
hardly ever necessary, and is a bad thing to do. I would
suggest that
you post the details of your problem here, rather than
reinstall
Windows. No guarantees, but it's likely that one of us can
help you
and no reinstallation will be necessary.

Thanks. The Windows Explorer keeps crashing, and here is
the text that the report gives to send to Microsoft:


*****
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-16"?>

<DATABASE>

<EXE NAME="SYSTEM INFO" FILTER="GRABMI_FILTER_SYSTEM">

<MATCHING_FILE NAME="advapi32.dll" SIZE="617472"
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FILE_VERSION="5.1.2600.5512 (xpsp.080413-2113)"
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<MATCHING_FILE NAME="kernel32.dll" SIZE="989696"
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BIN_PRODUCT_VERSION="5.1.2600.5512"
PRODUCT_VERSION="5.1.2600.5512" FILE_DESCRIPTION="Windows NT
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PRODUCT_NAME="Microsoft® Windows® Operating System"
FILE_VERSION="5.1.2600.5512 (xpsp.080413-2111)"
ORIGINAL_FILENAME="kernel32" INTERNAL_NAME="kernel32"
LEGAL_COPYRIGHT="© Microsoft Corporation. All rights
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PE_CHECKSUM="0xF44A2" LINKER_VERSION="0x50001"
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00:11:24" VER_LANGUAGE="English (United States) [0x409]" />

<MATCHING_FILE NAME="ntdll.dll" SIZE="706048"
CHECKSUM="0x864EA42F" BIN_FILE_VERSION="5.1.2600.5512"
BIN_PRODUCT_VERSION="5.1.2600.5512"
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PRODUCT_NAME="Microsoft® Windows® Operating System"
FILE_VERSION="5.1.2600.5512 (xpsp.080413-2111)"
ORIGINAL_FILENAME="ntdll.dll" INTERNAL_NAME="ntdll.dll"
LEGAL_COPYRIGHT="© Microsoft Corporation. All rights
reserved." VERFILEDATEHI="0x0" VERFILEDATELO="0x0"
VERFILEOS="0x40004" VERFILETYPE="0x2" MODULE_TYPE="WIN32"
PE_CHECKSUM="0xB62BC" LINKER_VERSION="0x50001"
UPTO_BIN_FILE_VERSION="5.1.2600.5512"
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LINK_DATE="04/14/2008 00:11:24" UPTO_LINK_DATE="04/14/2008
00:11:24" VER_LANGUAGE="English (United States) [0x409]" />

<MATCHING_FILE NAME="ole32.dll" SIZE="1287168"
CHECKSUM="0xB764FEEA" BIN_FILE_VERSION="5.1.2600.5512"
BIN_PRODUCT_VERSION="5.1.2600.5512"
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PRODUCT_NAME="Microsoft® Windows® Operating System"
FILE_VERSION="5.1.2600.5512 (xpsp.080413-2108)"
ORIGINAL_FILENAME="OLE32.DLL" INTERNAL_NAME="OLE32.DLL"
LEGAL_COPYRIGHT="© Microsoft Corporation. All rights
reserved." VERFILEDATEHI="0x0" VERFILEDATELO="0x0"
VERFILEOS="0x40004" VERFILETYPE="0x2" MODULE_TYPE="WIN32"
PE_CHECKSUM="0x14744B" LINKER_VERSION="0x50001"
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</EXE>

</DATABASE>



*****



Is it possible to install an update?



Regards, Frank