System restore

[Guest]

Hi, I am wanting to do a wipe of all files on my pc aside from factory
installed defaults then i would like to upgrade to vista. I have an upgrade
disc not a clean install because i get a huge discount through my school.
essentially my pc is just bogged down with tons of junk and i want to restore
it. I figured id upgrade to vista whilst doing it. So i want to wipe without
wiping xp so i can just upgrade. Any suggestions? I am completely new to this
so details would be wonderful thx.

 

[Chad Harris]

Hi BB--

If I were you, I'd get rid of the "junk" by uninstalling programs you don't
want or need, and running regular spy scans.

I assume you don't have an XP CD--from which you could do a repair install
this way and insure you replaced any damaged files.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tips/doug92.mspx

But you can insure most of your files are intact before doing the Vista
upgrade by running SFC. Type in your run box (windows key +R at the same
time brings it up) "sfc /scannow" space after sfc and don't use quotes).

Good luck,

CH

 

[dennis@home]

Hi, I am wanting to do a wipe of all files on my pc aside from factory
installed defaults then i would like to upgrade to vista. I have an
upgrade
disc not a clean install because i get a huge discount through my school.
essentially my pc is just bogged down with tons of junk and i want to
restore
it. I figured id upgrade to vista whilst doing it. So i want to wipe
without
wiping xp so i can just upgrade. Any suggestions? I am completely new to
this
so details would be wonderful thx.

According to other posts in this group you can do a clean upgrade install of
vista by clean installing it once and not putting the key in to activate it
and then do an upgrade install with the key provided. If you do this all of
the stuff will be gone including any files left by XP or utilities provided
by the manufacturer that may or may not be Vista compatible. There is a
tutorial on the web if you Google for it but I don't recall the url.

If you do decide to upgrade make sure you have the recovery disks for your
machine just in case you don't like Vista and decide to go back.
In the UK a lot of machines don't come with the disks but have a utility to
make a disk so you lose them if you don't make them before the upgrade.

 

[peter]

Sounds like your system came pre installed..........why not just run the
restore/recovery option for your system which is either on a CD or on a
seperate partition on the HD...your manual will tell you how since you did
not give us the name of your Computer.This will normally set it back to when
1st purchased ...everything will be gone except what came with the machine
originally.Then do the upgrade to Vista....dont forget to go to the
manufacturers website and download Vista drivers.
peter