repair of windows xp

[Guest]

if i do a repair of windows xp (as advised by gateway) will i lose any info
on my hard drive?

 

[PA Bear]

Back it up anyway. Better to have it and not need it than the other way
around.

 

[Rock]

if i do a repair of windows xp (as advised by gateway) will i lose any info
on my hard drive?

Depends on how it's done. The repair install for an installation CD
(not a recovery CD) should be non destructive, however you should always
have a backup of important data. Data loss is not an issue of if but
when so be prepared.

Many OEMs, and Gateway does in some cases, come only with a recovery CD
that will restore the system to it's as shipped state - and you will
loose all installed programs and data.

Backup..always have a current backup.

 

[Guest]

you need to ask Gateway!!

 

[Michael Stevens]

In

if i do a repair of windows xp (as advised by gateway) will i lose
any info on my hard drive?

Depends on what kind of media you use to do the repair. You should backup
anyway, because any process that replaces the OS can go wrong.
Repair Install
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm
Restore XP
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/restore.htm
--
Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
(e-mail address removed)
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com
For a better newsgroup experience. Setup a newsreader.
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[Ken Blake, MVP]

if i do a repair of windows xp (as advised by gateway) will i lose
any info on my hard drive?

It depends on what you mean by a repair.

Most large OEMs (probably including Gateway, but I don't know for sure)
don't provide installation CDs, but only "Recovery" CDs (also known as
"Restore" CDs). Using one of these (which may be what Gateway has advised
you to do) will put your drive back to factory-installed condition, and yes,
that means you will lose *everything* on your hard drive.

However, if you have a real installation CD, you can do something called a
"Repair Installation." See "How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install"
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm Doing a repair
installation should keep all your data and installed programs intact. It's
important to note, however that there are no guarantees and things *can* go
wrong. For that reason it's prudent to be sure you have a backup of anything
you can't afford to lose before beginning.

Also note that companies like Gateway will often advise you to reinstall
Windows from their Recovery CDs for the slightest of problems, rather than
try to help you by doing any real troubleshooting. If that's what they
advised you, beofre taking such a drastic step, post your problems here;
it's possible that someone can help you and a reinstallation won't be
required.