Repair Installation

[Guest]

I have always thought it was a bad idea to do a repair installation of NT, in
this case XP. Unless it's a last resort and you have no other way of
retrieving needed data, I have always avoided it. If a machine seems fried,
I usually just reformat, reinstall, restore, etc.

Yet on the MS site it gives instructions for a repair install (KB315341),
and it seems to suggest that the only thing that needs to be done afterward
is to reinstall updates. I assume that means service packs and Windows
Updates.
It does mention data and program loss on OEM versions (KB312368 and 312369),
but I'm not concerned about that as all our OSs are installed from an image
that we create. There is also mention of obvious things such as losing
Restore Points.

I'm very skeptical that a machine will work properly after a repair
installation and then simply reinstalling updates.
Any opinions, anecdotes or suggestions regarding this?

Thanks.

 

[kurttrail]

I have always thought it was a bad idea to do a repair installation
of NT, in this case XP. Unless it's a last resort and you have no
other way of retrieving needed data, I have always avoided it. If a
machine seems fried, I usually just reformat, reinstall, restore, etc.

Yet on the MS site it gives instructions for a repair install
(KB315341), and it seems to suggest that the only thing that needs to
be done afterward is to reinstall updates. I assume that means
service packs and Windows Updates.
It does mention data and program loss on OEM versions (KB312368 and
312369), but I'm not concerned about that as all our OSs are
installed from an image that we create. There is also mention of
obvious things such as losing Restore Points.

You will lose the Restore Points, and possibly some drivers, like video
drivers. If the restore points can't help in your present situation,
then why would you want to keep them anyway.

I'm very skeptical that a machine will work properly after a repair
installation and then simply reinstalling updates.
Any opinions, anecdotes or suggestions regarding this?

I've done it plenty of times, never had a problem, but that doesn't mean
things can't go wrong. They can. Think of the repair Install as a last
resort, and prepare to do a clean install, if it doesn't work out. IOW,
BACKUP before doing the repair install.

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[Rock]

I have always thought it was a bad idea to do a repair installation of NT, in
this case XP. Unless it's a last resort and you have no other way of
retrieving needed data, I have always avoided it. If a machine seems fried,
I usually just reformat, reinstall, restore, etc.

Yet on the MS site it gives instructions for a repair install (KB315341),
and it seems to suggest that the only thing that needs to be done afterward
is to reinstall updates. I assume that means service packs and Windows
Updates.
It does mention data and program loss on OEM versions (KB312368 and 312369),
but I'm not concerned about that as all our OSs are installed from an image
that we create. There is also mention of obvious things such as losing
Restore Points.

I'm very skeptical that a machine will work properly after a repair
installation and then simply reinstalling updates.
Any opinions, anecdotes or suggestions regarding this?

Thanks.

There are some things a repair install won't fix, but in general it is a
useful option in the hierarchy of fixes just short of a clean install.
Always have a full backup in any event.

 

[Ken Blake]

In

I have always thought it was a bad idea to do a repair
installation
of NT, in this case XP. Unless it's a last resort and you have
no
other way of retrieving needed data, I have always avoided it.
If a
machine seems fried, I usually just reformat, reinstall,
restore, etc.

I couldn't disagree more. Each to his own, but I would never
choose to "just reformat, reinstall, restore, etc." If there was
any chance that it would be successful, I would at least try a
repair installation first. Worst case, you can always do a clean
reinstallation if the repair installation didn't work.

Repair installations require far less work than clean
reinstallations and, depending on what the problem is, are often
completely successful.