Repair Install XP

[mike]

can no longer boot XP due to "stop c00000218" error. All
the options available using F8 (last known good, etc.)
don't work and I have a restoration disk but don't want
to loose all my files and settings (its factory reset
disk).
I tried to use the recory disk, chose "recovery console"
but I can't get past admin because I never wrote down my
password and have since forgot it.
So here's (finally) my question, I can do a re-install of
XP, would of liked to use the repair install option but
my recovery disk didn't come with that option. If I do a
re-install of XP will I loose all my data, personal info,
files etc.??? Thanks in Advance!

 

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP Windows Shell/User\)]

Probably you will, recovery CDs usually wipe the drive. I can only suggest
acquiring a retail version of XP as it has all the necessary tools and you
most assuredly are going to run into this situation again. You should also
start backing up your data as that is the only insurance against situations
such as this that can cost you all your data.

If you had a retail version, even if the repair install failed, you would at
least have the option of installing to a separate partition and then copying
your data from the old setup to the new one. Recovery CDs have a set
routine, part of which is to start by formatting and then install to the
partition as set in the routine, hence, you can't install to any other
partition for purposes as listed above.