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Installing Memory modules

Installing Windows XP On A New PC Or A New Hard Drive

Repair In-Place Reinstallation Of Windows XP

Clean Reinstallation Of Windows XP

Type 2: Installing Windows XP on a multiple drive PC with a new primary drive.

This type of installation is common these days as people buy new hard drives and fix them to their computers, installing Windows XP on the new drive after it is in place. Here we assume the new drive contains neither data nor partitions, as in most cases, your data remains on the original drive.

If one or more of your hard drives contain data that you want to keep, you should either back up your data before installing Windows or avoid installing Windows on the very partition where the data resides. So, be sure you know exactly the very drive and the partition that houses the data, and configure Setup to install Windows on a different hard drive or partition. After choosing the drive to use for the installation, follow steps 3 through 10 in Type 1’s numbered list to partition and format the drive and install the operating system. When installation completes, load My Computer or Windows Explorer and navigate to the other hard drives and partitions.

Reinstalling Windows XP

Sometimes, the most effective way to deal with Windows XP problems is to reinstall the operating system. Depending on your needs, you may want to reinstall Windows XP and preserve your existing data, or you may want to start over with a totally clean slate ( in which case, you have no need to save your existing data) Reinstallation comes in the following two ways, depending on your needs and intended result:

Type 1: In-Place Reinstallation: This method is used to update or repair your existing operating system. In-place reinstallation installs Windows XP on the same partition and in the same folder as the original, thus, functioning as an upgrade. This process overwrites the original installation and numerous files and folders. Though, it does not overwrite Documents and Settings folder, it creates a new one and can make the old folder inaccessible. So, at least, backup your data, if not your entire system.

Note: You cannot reinstall Windows from Safe Mode. And do not reinstall Windows to correct problems caused by a third-party program, Documents and Settings folders or other data locations. If it is a programs issue, uninstall them and reinstall them, using the Add and Remove Programs utility in the Control Panel. For a problem with a user’s folders in the Documents and Settings, create a new account with a similar name (accessible to the user) copy the old files and folders to the new account’s folders, and see what happens. If all goes well, delete the original account, reboot your PC, create a new account with the original name, and the copy the files and folders into that account.

In-place reinstallation comes in two forms: Update and Repair. Update reinstallation installs from inside Windows (in which case, Windows must be working well enough to allow you to do tasks in it)

Follow these steps to perform an Update in-place reinstallation:

1. If you have access to your folders, back up all important files and folders to another partition of your main Windows hard drive, another hard drive, a network drive or removable device, such as CD,DVD or hard disk.

2. If you can access Add and Remove Programs, consider removing any service packs that might have been installed on your computer, in order to achieve maximum result. Service packs can be located in the Add and Remove Programs utility in the Control Panel. Scroll down the bottom of the list until you see Windows XP Hot-fixes with an SP1 or SP3 in parenthesis. Uninstall the service pack elements.

3. Place your Windows XP installation CD in the CD or DVD drive and wait for the opening screen to appear. Choose the Install Windows XP option.

4. Hold on for the second screen to appear and choose the Upgrade option in the Installation Type dropdown menu. Click Next to continue. And from here follow the Setup Wizard to replace Windows XP.

5. When installation completes, check very well to see that every file and folder works well: Documents and Settings files and programs, etc..

6. Before performing any other task, install an antivirus software and Service Pack2 from the CD. After installing SP2, launch Windows Update to install other critical and optional updates.

Also read: Repair Reinstallation