Windows Installer Service

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I tried to reinstall from my Reinstallation CD today but got a message that
it could not do it as the version of Windows on the computer was newer than
the one on the CD. However , it told me how I could continue anyway. To ask a
dumb question, should I just continue with the reinstallation even though the
version on my CD is older than what is on my machine?

You get that message when you have a service pack installed that's not
on your CD.

However, more important, if you get that message, you are doing the
reinstallation incorrectly. You are trying to run it from within
Windows, and that's wrong. When you do the installation correctly (see
below) it begins by formatting the drive, so it doesn't care at all
what's on the drive, or even whether *anything* is.

To reinstall correctly, 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

 

[Bill]

I have tried to reinstall Win XP from the original CD, however I got an error
message that the XP version on my computer is newer than the one on the CD
and it won't let me reinstall it. I thought about deleting XP first and then
reinstalling but it won't let me do that either. I tried down loading the
Windows Installer Cleanup Utility per article 290301 and my computer won't
let me do that as I get an error messaage about the WIS could not be
accessed. I'm at my wits end. Do you have any other suggestions.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I have tried to reinstall Win XP from the original CD, however I got an error
message that the XP version on my computer is newer than the one on the CD
and it won't let me reinstall it.

You get that message because you have a later service pack installed
than what's on the CD.

But it doesn't matter, because if you get that message, you're doing
the installation incorrectly. When you do the installation correctly
(by *booting* from the CD, not trying to install from within Windows,
it begins by formatting the drive, so it doesn't care at all what's on
the drive, or even whether anything is.

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

 

[Bill]

I thought I'd try something. Since when trying to reinstall Win XP from the
original CD got me the error message that I could not do it as the version on
my machine was newer than the one on the CD, I decided to remove SP 2 from
the drive. I was able to do this and noted that the process was rewriting the
registry. After the removal was completed everything seemed to work OK. It
was like I had my computer back and I didn't loose any programming or files.
I could remove and install software. Since I had purchased SP3 from Microsoft
, I went ahead and installed SP 3 from the CD. This went OK, however my
computer now runs verrrrry slooow. It takes 15 minutes to boot up when I turn
it on and every command takes forever to execute. Any comments?