XP Home Reinstall: Device drivers, disabling antivirus software

G

Guest

Device drivers: Have received conflicting advice about whether or not I need
to install the computer's drivers after reinstalling WinXP Home SP2. What
are your comments please? If I do need to, should I use updated drivers or
the current drivers, which are working fine?

Disable antivirus software: Somewhere in all the reading of KB articles etc
I've done in preparation for this OS reinstallation, it has been suggested to
disable any antivirus program before installing the OS. As I will be doing a
clean install, which I understand means cleaning off all software on the
computer, is this suggestion something I can really ignore?
 
D

Danny Sanders

Disable antivirus software: Somewhere in all the reading of KB articles
etc
I've done in preparation for this OS reinstallation, it has been suggested
to
disable any antivirus program before installing the OS. As I will be
doing a
clean install, which I understand means cleaning off all software on the
computer, is this suggestion something I can really ignore?


For a clean install you will be booting to the CD and deleting, recreating,
and formatting the partitions. You can ignore this because it won't be
running any way.
Device drivers: Have received conflicting advice about whether or not I
need
to install the computer's drivers after reinstalling WinXP Home SP2. What
are your comments please? If I do need to, should I use updated drivers
or
the current drivers, which are working fine?

Are you talking about the same PC? Your other question states you will be
doing a "clean install" if you are doing a clean install no drivers of files
will be left on the drive. You will have to download them to floppy/Cd
before you do the format of the hard drive. If you are "reinstalling", the
drivers are still there, you don't have to do anything except update them if
you want.

hth
DDS W 2k MVP MCSE
 
G

Guest

Dear Danny,
Thanks your quick response. I currently have XP Home SP2 installed. I am
going to be doing a 'clean install' on the same machine; as a result, can you
advise whether it would be better to use the current drivers, as they are all
working okay, or to update them before product re-activation?
 
D

Danny Sanders

Thanks your quick response. I currently have XP Home SP2 installed. I am
going to be doing a 'clean install' on the same machine; as a result, can
you
advise whether it would be better to use the current drivers, as they are
all
working okay, or to update them before product re-activation?

I would use the current drivers. You do realize that a "clean install" will
delete those drivers from your hard drive right? You will have to download
the necessary drivers (whether they are the ones you are using now or
updated) *before* you start this right?

hth
DDS W 2k MVP MCSE
 
G

Guest

Dear Danny,
Tks again. Yes, I do understand about downloading the drivers before
installing the OS. I have been given detailed instructions on what to do.
Currently, the present drivers are on the C:\ drive in their own folders in a
separate appropriately named directory . I am told that the setup.exe file
for each driver loads and installs them onto the computer. All I have to do
is double-click onto that file to launch the process.
 
D

Danny Sanders

Currently, the present drivers are on the C:\ drive in their own folders
in a
separate appropriately named directory . I am told that the setup.exe
file
for each driver loads and installs them onto the computer. All I have to
do
is double-click onto that file to launch the process.

When you format your hard drive those files and folders will be gone. I
would suggest putting them on Floppy or CD until you get the new OS
installed.


DDS
 
G

Guest

Tks. You're confirming what I've already been advised. To get back to my
original question, at which stage in the OS installation process do I load up
the drivers: eg. after it is fully completed; at some stage during the
process?

An update re the antivirus thing. I have read an answer in this newsgroup
given by Len Fluhrer that *before* installing the OS, to disable the virus
check in CMOS. Possibly that is what I had read (I've read so much in
preparation for this process...!). Is CMOS the same as the system BIOS? I'm
not an IT professional.
 
D

Danny Sanders

Tks. You're confirming what I've already been advised. To get back to my
original question, at which stage in the OS installation process do I load
up
the drivers: eg. after it is fully completed; at some stage during the
process?


More than likely you won't need the drivers until the OS is installed
completely. If they are needed before that, it will ask for them. It
probably won't require a network card driver until the OS is installed but
on the other hand if you have some sort of proprietary hard disk controller
you will need to load that during set up so it can "find" the hard drive.
An update re the antivirus thing. I have read an answer in this newsgroup
given by Len Fluhrer that *before* installing the OS, to disable the virus
check in CMOS. Possibly that is what I had read (I've read so much in
preparation for this process...!). Is CMOS the same as the system BIOS?
I'm
not an IT professional.

Yes. I've never had a problem with this though.

hth
DDS W 2k MVP MCSE
 

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