Reformat and install XP

[Happy]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

How do I reformat & re-install XP? I can't seem to get past the sys
configuration files at the beginning, after experiencing some problems. I
don't mind losing existing data, it's all backed up.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

In news:AfLOd.229795$Np3.9531391@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca,
Happy <happy@trial.ca> typed:

> How do I reformat & re-install XP? I can't seem to get past the
> sys
> configuration files at the beginning, after experiencing some
> problems. I don't mind losing existing data, it's all backed
> up.


You can't format the Windows drive from within Windows, since
that would leave Windows without a leg to stand on.

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://windowsxp.mvps.org/XPClean.htm

or here http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm

However why do you want to reformat and reinstall? In my view,
it's almost always a mistake. With a modicum of care, it should
never be necessary to reinstall Windows (XP or any other
version). I've run Windows 3.0, 3.1, WFWG 3.11, Windows 95,
Windows 98, Windows 2000, and Windows XP, each for the period of
time before the next version came out, and each on two machines
here. I never reinstalled any of them, and I have never had
anything more than an occasional minor problem.

It's my belief that this mistaken notion stems from the technical
support people at many of the larger OEMs. Their solution to
almost any problem they don't quickly know the answer to is
"reformat and reinstall." That's the perfect solution for them.
It gets you off the phone quickly, it almost always works, and it
doesn't require them to do any real troubleshooting (a skill that
most of them obviously don't possess in any great degree).

But it leaves you with all the work and all the problems. You
have to restore all your data backups, you have to reinstall all
your programs, you have to reinstall all the Windows and
application updates,you have to locate and install all the needed
drivers for your system, you have to recustomize Windows and all
your apps to work the way you're comfortable with.

Besides all those things being time-consuming and troublesome,
you may have trouble with some of them: can you find all your
application CDs? Can you find all the needed installation codes?
Do you have data backups to restore? Do you even remember all the
customizations and tweaks you may have installed to make
everything work the way you like?

Occasionally there are problems that are so difficult to solve
that Windows should be reinstalled cleanly. But they are few and
far between; reinstallation should not be a substitute for
troubleshooting; it should be a last resort, to be done only
after all other attempts at troubleshooting by a qualified person
have failed.

If you have problems, post them here; it's likely that someone
can help you and a reinstallation won't be required.


--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

> It's my belief that this mistaken notion stems from the technical
> support people at many of the larger OEMs. Their solution to
> almost any problem they don't quickly know the answer to is
> "reformat and reinstall." That's the perfect solution for them.
> It gets you off the phone quickly, it almost always works, and it
> doesn't require them to do any real troubleshooting (a skill that
> most of them obviously don't possess in any great degree).
>

<SNIP>

had a friend that worked at gateway tech support a couple of years ago.

he told me that at that time, there was a 10 minute rule....if you can't
get the customer back up and running in 10 minutes, tell them the only
thing to do then is a restore.

it's pretty sad, since while it might take more than 10 minutes, with 5 of
those spent re-booting multiple times, i've found it usually takes under 30
minutes to get someone back up.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

In news:Xns95F9B794947BCidispcom@216.196.97.142,
DanS <t.h.i.s.n.t.h.a.t@a.d.e.l.p.h.i.a..n.e.t> typed:

>> It's my belief that this mistaken notion stems from the
>> technical
>> support people at many of the larger OEMs. Their solution to
>> almost any problem they don't quickly know the answer to is
>> "reformat and reinstall." That's the perfect solution for
>> them.
>> It gets you off the phone quickly, it almost always works, and
>> it
>> doesn't require them to do any real troubleshooting (a skill
>> that
>> most of them obviously don't possess in any great degree).
>>
>
> <SNIP>
>
> had a friend that worked at gateway tech support a couple of
> years
> ago.
>
> he told me that at that time, there was a 10 minute rule....if
> you
> can't get the customer back up and running in 10 minutes, tell
> them
> the only thing to do then is a restore.


Thanks. I'd never heard of the "ten-minute rule" before, but it
doesn't surprise me that they have one.

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

Ken -
QUOTE from yr reply -
>It's my belief that this mistaken notion stems from the technical support
>people at many of the larger OEMs. Their solution to almost any problem
>they don't quickly know the answer to is "reformat and reinstall." That's
>the perfect solution for them. It gets you off the phone quickly, it almost
>always works...etc. UNQUOTE

Totally agree! Had XP(OEM) system 3 years now. Within a week had a prob with
CDRW, OEM helpdesk advice was "re-install XP from recovery disk". Was a real
novice then, so did that, prob solved. Since which, have lost my OEM disk,
but XP still works despite the many changes made since.
Bog-standard routines and protection (AV, Firewall, Spybot, disk hygiene,
defrag and automatic updates) has kept my system virtually trouble-free. And
I'm a Silver Surfer, no expert, but still with enough savvy to learn (you
CAN teach an old dog new tricks).
Reading these NG postings should be compulsory. Funny how most posters blame
XP when it's actually user error, often of the most basic kind!

"Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message
news:%231lsQe4DFHA.4072@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> In news:AfLOd.229795$Np3.9531391@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca,
> Happy <happy@trial.ca> typed:
>
>> How do I reformat & re-install XP? I can't seem to get past the sys
>> configuration files at the beginning, after experiencing some
>> problems. I don't mind losing existing data, it's all backed up.
>
>
> You can't format the Windows drive from within Windows, since that would
> leave Windows without a leg to stand on.
>
> 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://windowsxp.mvps.org/XPClean.htm
>
> or here http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm
>
> However why do you want to reformat and reinstall? In my view, it's almost
> always a mistake. With a modicum of care, it should never be necessary to
> reinstall Windows (XP or any other version). I've run Windows 3.0, 3.1,
> WFWG 3.11, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, and Windows XP, each for
> the period of time before the next version came out, and each on two
> machines here. I never reinstalled any of them, and I have never had
> anything more than an occasional minor problem.
>
> It's my belief that this mistaken notion stems from the technical support
> people at many of the larger OEMs. Their solution to almost any problem
> they don't quickly know the answer to is "reformat and reinstall." That's
> the perfect solution for them. It gets you off the phone quickly, it
> almost always works, and it doesn't require them to do any real
> troubleshooting (a skill that most of them obviously don't possess in any
> great degree).
>
> But it leaves you with all the work and all the problems. You have to
> restore all your data backups, you have to reinstall all your programs,
> you have to reinstall all the Windows and application updates,you have to
> locate and install all the needed drivers for your system, you have to
> recustomize Windows and all your apps to work the way you're comfortable
> with.
>
> Besides all those things being time-consuming and troublesome, you may
> have trouble with some of them: can you find all your application CDs? Can
> you find all the needed installation codes? Do you have data backups to
> restore? Do you even remember all the customizations and tweaks you may
> have installed to make everything work the way you like?
>
> Occasionally there are problems that are so difficult to solve that
> Windows should be reinstalled cleanly. But they are few and far between;
> reinstallation should not be a substitute for troubleshooting; it should
> be a last resort, to be done only after all other attempts at
> troubleshooting by a qualified person have failed.
>
> If you have problems, post them here; it's likely that someone can help
> you and a reinstallation won't be required.
>
>
> --
> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
> Please reply to the newsgroup
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

Happy wrote:

>How do I reformat & re-install XP? I can't seem to get past the sys
>configuration files at the beginning, after experiencing some problems. I
>don't mind losing existing data, it's all backed up.

You do it as part of a reinstall of the system after booting the XP CD
direct. Enter Setup, and after the license agreement take New Install.
When it asks you to confirm where, hit ESC; select and delete the
current partition and make a new RAW one to be formatted at the next
stage

The important point is the delete. Without that it will just go ahead
and make a new install over the top of the old one


--
Alex Nichol MS MVP (Windows Technologies)
Bournemouth, U.K. Alexn@mvps.D8E8L.org (remove the D8 bit)

 

[Happy]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

Won't boot from CD, and the message I get is "load needed DLLs for kernel"
"Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message
news:%231lsQe4DFHA.4072@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> In news:AfLOd.229795$Np3.9531391@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca,
> Happy <happy@trial.ca> typed:
>
>> How do I reformat & re-install XP? I can't seem to get past the sys
>> configuration files at the beginning, after experiencing some
>> problems. I don't mind losing existing data, it's all backed up.
>
>
> You can't format the Windows drive from within Windows, since that would
> leave Windows without a leg to stand on.
>
> 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://windowsxp.mvps.org/XPClean.htm
>
> or here http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm
>
> However why do you want to reformat and reinstall? In my view, it's almost
> always a mistake. With a modicum of care, it should never be necessary to
> reinstall Windows (XP or any other version). I've run Windows 3.0, 3.1,
> WFWG 3.11, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, and Windows XP, each for
> the period of time before the next version came out, and each on two
> machines here. I never reinstalled any of them, and I have never had
> anything more than an occasional minor problem.
>
> It's my belief that this mistaken notion stems from the technical support
> people at many of the larger OEMs. Their solution to almost any problem
> they don't quickly know the answer to is "reformat and reinstall." That's
> the perfect solution for them. It gets you off the phone quickly, it
> almost always works, and it doesn't require them to do any real
> troubleshooting (a skill that most of them obviously don't possess in any
> great degree).
>
> But it leaves you with all the work and all the problems. You have to
> restore all your data backups, you have to reinstall all your programs,
> you have to reinstall all the Windows and application updates,you have to
> locate and install all the needed drivers for your system, you have to
> recustomize Windows and all your apps to work the way you're comfortable
> with.
>
> Besides all those things being time-consuming and troublesome, you may
> have trouble with some of them: can you find all your application CDs? Can
> you find all the needed installation codes? Do you have data backups to
> restore? Do you even remember all the customizations and tweaks you may
> have installed to make everything work the way you like?
>
> Occasionally there are problems that are so difficult to solve that
> Windows should be reinstalled cleanly. But they are few and far between;
> reinstallation should not be a substitute for troubleshooting; it should
> be a last resort, to be done only after all other attempts at
> troubleshooting by a qualified person have failed.
>
> If you have problems, post them here; it's likely that someone can help
> you and a reinstallation won't be required.
>
>
> --
> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
> Please reply to the newsgroup
>
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

In news:%u6Pd.230495$Np3.9558093@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca,
Happy <happy@trial.ca> typed:

> Won't boot from CD,


Have you set the BIOS boot order for the CD drive to be first?

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup


and the message I get is "load needed DLLs for
> kernel" "Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in
> message news:%231lsQe4DFHA.4072@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>> In news:AfLOd.229795$Np3.9531391@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca,
>> Happy <happy@trial.ca> typed:
>>
>>> How do I reformat & re-install XP? I can't seem to get past
>>> the sys
>>> configuration files at the beginning, after experiencing some
>>> problems. I don't mind losing existing data, it's all backed
>>> up.
>>
>>
>> You can't format the Windows drive from within Windows, since
>> that
>> would leave Windows without a leg to stand on.
>>
>> 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://windowsxp.mvps.org/XPClean.htm
>>
>> or here http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm
>>
>> However why do you want to reformat and reinstall? In my view,
>> it's
>> almost always a mistake. With a modicum of care, it should
>> never be
>> necessary to reinstall Windows (XP or any other version). I've
>> run
>> Windows 3.0, 3.1, WFWG 3.11, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows
>> 2000,
>> and Windows XP, each for the period of time before the next
>> version
>> came out, and each on two machines here. I never reinstalled
>> any of
>> them, and I have never had anything more than an occasional
>> minor
>> problem. It's my belief that this mistaken notion stems from
>> the technical
>> support people at many of the larger OEMs. Their solution to
>> almost
>> any problem they don't quickly know the answer to is "reformat
>> and
>> reinstall." That's the perfect solution for them. It gets you
>> off
>> the phone quickly, it almost always works, and it doesn't
>> require
>> them to do any real troubleshooting (a skill that most of them
>> obviously don't possess in any great degree).
>>
>> But it leaves you with all the work and all the problems. You
>> have to
>> restore all your data backups, you have to reinstall all your
>> programs, you have to reinstall all the Windows and
>> application
>> updates,you have to locate and install all the needed drivers
>> for
>> your system, you have to recustomize Windows and all your apps
>> to
>> work the way you're comfortable with.
>>
>> Besides all those things being time-consuming and troublesome,
>> you
>> may have trouble with some of them: can you find all your
>> application CDs? Can you find all the needed installation
>> codes? Do
>> you have data backups to restore? Do you even remember all the
>> customizations and tweaks you may have installed to make
>> everything
>> work the way you like? Occasionally there are problems that
>> are so difficult to solve that
>> Windows should be reinstalled cleanly. But they are few and
>> far
>> between; reinstallation should not be a substitute for
>> troubleshooting; it should be a last resort, to be done only
>> after
>> all other attempts at troubleshooting by a qualified person
>> have
>> failed. If you have problems, post them here; it's likely that
>> someone can
>> help you and a reinstallation won't be required.
>>
>>
>> --
>> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
>> Please reply to the newsgroup

 

[Happy]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

Yes, I did. It says "cannot boot from Cd, error 5,' or something to that
effect.
"Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message
news:eIdrYYHEFHA.3536@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
> In news:%u6Pd.230495$Np3.9558093@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca,
> Happy <happy@trial.ca> typed:
>
>> Won't boot from CD,
>
>
> Have you set the BIOS boot order for the CD drive to be first?
>
> --
> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
> Please reply to the newsgroup
>
>
> and the message I get is "load needed DLLs for
>> kernel" "Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in
>> message news:%231lsQe4DFHA.4072@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>>> In news:AfLOd.229795$Np3.9531391@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca,
>>> Happy <happy@trial.ca> typed:
>>>
>>>> How do I reformat & re-install XP? I can't seem to get past the sys
>>>> configuration files at the beginning, after experiencing some
>>>> problems. I don't mind losing existing data, it's all backed up.
>>>
>>>
>>> You can't format the Windows drive from within Windows, since that
>>> would leave Windows without a leg to stand on.
>>>
>>> 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://windowsxp.mvps.org/XPClean.htm
>>>
>>> or here http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm
>>>
>>> However why do you want to reformat and reinstall? In my view, it's
>>> almost always a mistake. With a modicum of care, it should never be
>>> necessary to reinstall Windows (XP or any other version). I've run
>>> Windows 3.0, 3.1, WFWG 3.11, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000,
>>> and Windows XP, each for the period of time before the next version
>>> came out, and each on two machines here. I never reinstalled any of
>>> them, and I have never had anything more than an occasional minor
>>> problem. It's my belief that this mistaken notion stems from the
>>> technical
>>> support people at many of the larger OEMs. Their solution to almost
>>> any problem they don't quickly know the answer to is "reformat and
>>> reinstall." That's the perfect solution for them. It gets you off
>>> the phone quickly, it almost always works, and it doesn't require
>>> them to do any real troubleshooting (a skill that most of them
>>> obviously don't possess in any great degree).
>>>
>>> But it leaves you with all the work and all the problems. You have to
>>> restore all your data backups, you have to reinstall all your
>>> programs, you have to reinstall all the Windows and application
>>> updates,you have to locate and install all the needed drivers for
>>> your system, you have to recustomize Windows and all your apps to
>>> work the way you're comfortable with.
>>>
>>> Besides all those things being time-consuming and troublesome, you
>>> may have trouble with some of them: can you find all your
>>> application CDs? Can you find all the needed installation codes? Do
>>> you have data backups to restore? Do you even remember all the
>>> customizations and tweaks you may have installed to make everything
>>> work the way you like? Occasionally there are problems that are so
>>> difficult to solve that
>>> Windows should be reinstalled cleanly. But they are few and far
>>> between; reinstallation should not be a substitute for
>>> troubleshooting; it should be a last resort, to be done only after
>>> all other attempts at troubleshooting by a qualified person have
>>> failed. If you have problems, post them here; it's likely that someone
>>> can
>>> help you and a reinstallation won't be required.
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
>>> Please reply to the newsgroup
>
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

Are you using a Microsoft Cd or a copy?

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)
"Happy" <happy@trial.ca> wrote in message
news:RnePd.333$oh4.8690@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca...
> Yes, I did. It says "cannot boot from Cd, error 5,' or something to that
> effect.
> "Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message
> news:eIdrYYHEFHA.3536@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
>> In news:%u6Pd.230495$Np3.9558093@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca,
>> Happy <happy@trial.ca> typed:
>>
>>> Won't boot from CD,
>>
>>
>> Have you set the BIOS boot order for the CD drive to be first?
>>
>> --
>> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
>> Please reply to the newsgroup
>>
>>
>> and the message I get is "load needed DLLs for
>>> kernel" "Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in
>>> message news:%231lsQe4DFHA.4072@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>>>> In news:AfLOd.229795$Np3.9531391@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca,
>>>> Happy <happy@trial.ca> typed:
>>>>
>>>>> How do I reformat & re-install XP? I can't seem to get past the sys
>>>>> configuration files at the beginning, after experiencing some
>>>>> problems. I don't mind losing existing data, it's all backed up.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> You can't format the Windows drive from within Windows, since that
>>>> would leave Windows without a leg to stand on.
>>>>
>>>> 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://windowsxp.mvps.org/XPClean.htm
>>>>
>>>> or here http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm
>>>>
>>>> However why do you want to reformat and reinstall? In my view, it's
>>>> almost always a mistake. With a modicum of care, it should never be
>>>> necessary to reinstall Windows (XP or any other version). I've run
>>>> Windows 3.0, 3.1, WFWG 3.11, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000,
>>>> and Windows XP, each for the period of time before the next version
>>>> came out, and each on two machines here. I never reinstalled any of
>>>> them, and I have never had anything more than an occasional minor
>>>> problem. It's my belief that this mistaken notion stems from the
>>>> technical
>>>> support people at many of the larger OEMs. Their solution to almost
>>>> any problem they don't quickly know the answer to is "reformat and
>>>> reinstall." That's the perfect solution for them. It gets you off
>>>> the phone quickly, it almost always works, and it doesn't require
>>>> them to do any real troubleshooting (a skill that most of them
>>>> obviously don't possess in any great degree).
>>>>
>>>> But it leaves you with all the work and all the problems. You have to
>>>> restore all your data backups, you have to reinstall all your
>>>> programs, you have to reinstall all the Windows and application
>>>> updates,you have to locate and install all the needed drivers for
>>>> your system, you have to recustomize Windows and all your apps to
>>>> work the way you're comfortable with.
>>>>
>>>> Besides all those things being time-consuming and troublesome, you
>>>> may have trouble with some of them: can you find all your
>>>> application CDs? Can you find all the needed installation codes? Do
>>>> you have data backups to restore? Do you even remember all the
>>>> customizations and tweaks you may have installed to make everything
>>>> work the way you like? Occasionally there are problems that are so
>>>> difficult to solve that
>>>> Windows should be reinstalled cleanly. But they are few and far
>>>> between; reinstallation should not be a substitute for
>>>> troubleshooting; it should be a last resort, to be done only after
>>>> all other attempts at troubleshooting by a qualified person have
>>>> failed. If you have problems, post them here; it's likely that someone
>>>> can
>>>> help you and a reinstallation won't be required.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
>>>> Please reply to the newsgroup
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

In news:RnePd.333$oh4.8690@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca,
Happy <happy@trial.ca> typed:

> Yes, I did. It says "cannot boot from Cd, error 5,' or
> something to
> that effect.

That sounds like there's something wrong with the CD you're
trying to boot from. Have you tried other bootable CDs?


--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup



> "Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message
> news:eIdrYYHEFHA.3536@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
>> In news:%u6Pd.230495$Np3.9558093@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca,
>> Happy <happy@trial.ca> typed:
>>
>>> Won't boot from CD,
>>
>>
>> Have you set the BIOS boot order for the CD drive to be first?
>>
>> --
>> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
>> Please reply to the newsgroup
>>
>>
>> and the message I get is "load needed DLLs for
>>> kernel" "Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote
>>> in
>>> message news:%231lsQe4DFHA.4072@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>>>> In news:AfLOd.229795$Np3.9531391@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca,
>>>> Happy <happy@trial.ca> typed:
>>>>
>>>>> How do I reformat & re-install XP? I can't seem to get past
>>>>> the
>>>>> sys configuration files at the beginning, after
>>>>> experiencing some
>>>>> problems. I don't mind losing existing data, it's all
>>>>> backed up.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> You can't format the Windows drive from within Windows,
>>>> since that
>>>> would leave Windows without a leg to stand on.
>>>>
>>>> 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://windowsxp.mvps.org/XPClean.htm
>>>>
>>>> or here http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm
>>>>
>>>> However why do you want to reformat and reinstall? In my
>>>> view, it's
>>>> almost always a mistake. With a modicum of care, it should
>>>> never be
>>>> necessary to reinstall Windows (XP or any other version).
>>>> I've run
>>>> Windows 3.0, 3.1, WFWG 3.11, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows
>>>> 2000,
>>>> and Windows XP, each for the period of time before the next
>>>> version
>>>> came out, and each on two machines here. I never reinstalled
>>>> any of
>>>> them, and I have never had anything more than an occasional
>>>> minor
>>>> problem. It's my belief that this mistaken notion stems from
>>>> the
>>>> technical
>>>> support people at many of the larger OEMs. Their solution to
>>>> almost
>>>> any problem they don't quickly know the answer to is
>>>> "reformat and
>>>> reinstall." That's the perfect solution for them. It gets
>>>> you off
>>>> the phone quickly, it almost always works, and it doesn't
>>>> require
>>>> them to do any real troubleshooting (a skill that most of
>>>> them
>>>> obviously don't possess in any great degree).
>>>>
>>>> But it leaves you with all the work and all the problems.
>>>> You have
>>>> to restore all your data backups, you have to reinstall all
>>>> your
>>>> programs, you have to reinstall all the Windows and
>>>> application
>>>> updates,you have to locate and install all the needed
>>>> drivers for
>>>> your system, you have to recustomize Windows and all your
>>>> apps to
>>>> work the way you're comfortable with.
>>>>
>>>> Besides all those things being time-consuming and
>>>> troublesome, you
>>>> may have trouble with some of them: can you find all your
>>>> application CDs? Can you find all the needed installation
>>>> codes? Do
>>>> you have data backups to restore? Do you even remember all
>>>> the
>>>> customizations and tweaks you may have installed to make
>>>> everything
>>>> work the way you like? Occasionally there are problems that
>>>> are so
>>>> difficult to solve that
>>>> Windows should be reinstalled cleanly. But they are few and
>>>> far
>>>> between; reinstallation should not be a substitute for
>>>> troubleshooting; it should be a last resort, to be done only
>>>> after
>>>> all other attempts at troubleshooting by a qualified person
>>>> have
>>>> failed. If you have problems, post them here; it's likely
>>>> that
>>>> someone can
>>>> help you and a reinstallation won't be required.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
>>>> Please reply to the newsgroup

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

Happy wrote:
> How do I reformat & re-install XP? I can't seem to get past the sys
> configuration files at the beginning, after experiencing some problems. I
> don't mind losing existing data, it's all backed up.
>
>
>



Simply boot from the WinXP installation CD. You'll be offered the
opportunity to delete, create, and format partitions as part of the
installation process. (You may need to re-arrange the order of boot
devices in the PC's BIOS to boot from the CD.)

HOW TO Install Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;316941

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[Happy]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

It would appear to be a copy, but the person I got it from (the computer)
said it was his back up copy of XP.
"Colin Barnhorst" <colinbarharst(nojunk)@msn.com> wrote in message
news:u9jApgLEFHA.3596@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> Are you using a Microsoft Cd or a copy?
>
> --
> Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
> (Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)
> "Happy" <happy@trial.ca> wrote in message
> news:RnePd.333$oh4.8690@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca...
>> Yes, I did. It says "cannot boot from Cd, error 5,' or something to that
>> effect.
>> "Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message
>> news:eIdrYYHEFHA.3536@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
>>> In news:%u6Pd.230495$Np3.9558093@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca,
>>> Happy <happy@trial.ca> typed:
>>>
>>>> Won't boot from CD,
>>>
>>>
>>> Have you set the BIOS boot order for the CD drive to be first?
>>>
>>> --
>>> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
>>> Please reply to the newsgroup
>>>
>>>
>>> and the message I get is "load needed DLLs for
>>>> kernel" "Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in
>>>> message news:%231lsQe4DFHA.4072@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>>>>> In news:AfLOd.229795$Np3.9531391@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca,
>>>>> Happy <happy@trial.ca> typed:
>>>>>
>>>>>> How do I reformat & re-install XP? I can't seem to get past the sys
>>>>>> configuration files at the beginning, after experiencing some
>>>>>> problems. I don't mind losing existing data, it's all backed up.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> You can't format the Windows drive from within Windows, since that
>>>>> would leave Windows without a leg to stand on.
>>>>>
>>>>> 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://windowsxp.mvps.org/XPClean.htm
>>>>>
>>>>> or here http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm
>>>>>
>>>>> However why do you want to reformat and reinstall? In my view, it's
>>>>> almost always a mistake. With a modicum of care, it should never be
>>>>> necessary to reinstall Windows (XP or any other version). I've run
>>>>> Windows 3.0, 3.1, WFWG 3.11, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000,
>>>>> and Windows XP, each for the period of time before the next version
>>>>> came out, and each on two machines here. I never reinstalled any of
>>>>> them, and I have never had anything more than an occasional minor
>>>>> problem. It's my belief that this mistaken notion stems from the
>>>>> technical
>>>>> support people at many of the larger OEMs. Their solution to almost
>>>>> any problem they don't quickly know the answer to is "reformat and
>>>>> reinstall." That's the perfect solution for them. It gets you off
>>>>> the phone quickly, it almost always works, and it doesn't require
>>>>> them to do any real troubleshooting (a skill that most of them
>>>>> obviously don't possess in any great degree).
>>>>>
>>>>> But it leaves you with all the work and all the problems. You have to
>>>>> restore all your data backups, you have to reinstall all your
>>>>> programs, you have to reinstall all the Windows and application
>>>>> updates,you have to locate and install all the needed drivers for
>>>>> your system, you have to recustomize Windows and all your apps to
>>>>> work the way you're comfortable with.
>>>>>
>>>>> Besides all those things being time-consuming and troublesome, you
>>>>> may have trouble with some of them: can you find all your
>>>>> application CDs? Can you find all the needed installation codes? Do
>>>>> you have data backups to restore? Do you even remember all the
>>>>> customizations and tweaks you may have installed to make everything
>>>>> work the way you like? Occasionally there are problems that are so
>>>>> difficult to solve that
>>>>> Windows should be reinstalled cleanly. But they are few and far
>>>>> between; reinstallation should not be a substitute for
>>>>> troubleshooting; it should be a last resort, to be done only after
>>>>> all other attempts at troubleshooting by a qualified person have
>>>>> failed. If you have problems, post them here; it's likely that someone
>>>>> can
>>>>> help you and a reinstallation won't be required.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
>>>>> Please reply to the newsgroup
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>

 

[Happy]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

I don't think I have other boot Cd's
"Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message
news:uFWJqXMEFHA.3120@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> In news:RnePd.333$oh4.8690@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca,
> Happy <happy@trial.ca> typed:
>
>> Yes, I did. It says "cannot boot from Cd, error 5,' or something to
>> that effect.
>
> That sounds like there's something wrong with the CD you're trying to boot
> from. Have you tried other bootable CDs?
>
>
> --
> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
> Please reply to the newsgroup
>
>
>
>> "Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message
>> news:eIdrYYHEFHA.3536@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
>>> In news:%u6Pd.230495$Np3.9558093@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca,
>>> Happy <happy@trial.ca> typed:
>>>
>>>> Won't boot from CD,
>>>
>>>
>>> Have you set the BIOS boot order for the CD drive to be first?
>>>
>>> --
>>> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
>>> Please reply to the newsgroup
>>>
>>>
>>> and the message I get is "load needed DLLs for
>>>> kernel" "Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in
>>>> message news:%231lsQe4DFHA.4072@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>>>>> In news:AfLOd.229795$Np3.9531391@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca,
>>>>> Happy <happy@trial.ca> typed:
>>>>>
>>>>>> How do I reformat & re-install XP? I can't seem to get past the
>>>>>> sys configuration files at the beginning, after experiencing some
>>>>>> problems. I don't mind losing existing data, it's all backed up.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> You can't format the Windows drive from within Windows, since that
>>>>> would leave Windows without a leg to stand on.
>>>>>
>>>>> 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://windowsxp.mvps.org/XPClean.htm
>>>>>
>>>>> or here http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm
>>>>>
>>>>> However why do you want to reformat and reinstall? In my view, it's
>>>>> almost always a mistake. With a modicum of care, it should never be
>>>>> necessary to reinstall Windows (XP or any other version). I've run
>>>>> Windows 3.0, 3.1, WFWG 3.11, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000,
>>>>> and Windows XP, each for the period of time before the next version
>>>>> came out, and each on two machines here. I never reinstalled any of
>>>>> them, and I have never had anything more than an occasional minor
>>>>> problem. It's my belief that this mistaken notion stems from the
>>>>> technical
>>>>> support people at many of the larger OEMs. Their solution to almost
>>>>> any problem they don't quickly know the answer to is "reformat and
>>>>> reinstall." That's the perfect solution for them. It gets you off
>>>>> the phone quickly, it almost always works, and it doesn't require
>>>>> them to do any real troubleshooting (a skill that most of them
>>>>> obviously don't possess in any great degree).
>>>>>
>>>>> But it leaves you with all the work and all the problems. You have
>>>>> to restore all your data backups, you have to reinstall all your
>>>>> programs, you have to reinstall all the Windows and application
>>>>> updates,you have to locate and install all the needed drivers for
>>>>> your system, you have to recustomize Windows and all your apps to
>>>>> work the way you're comfortable with.
>>>>>
>>>>> Besides all those things being time-consuming and troublesome, you
>>>>> may have trouble with some of them: can you find all your
>>>>> application CDs? Can you find all the needed installation codes? Do
>>>>> you have data backups to restore? Do you even remember all the
>>>>> customizations and tweaks you may have installed to make everything
>>>>> work the way you like? Occasionally there are problems that are so
>>>>> difficult to solve that
>>>>> Windows should be reinstalled cleanly. But they are few and far
>>>>> between; reinstallation should not be a substitute for
>>>>> troubleshooting; it should be a last resort, to be done only after
>>>>> all other attempts at troubleshooting by a qualified person have
>>>>> failed. If you have problems, post them here; it's likely that
>>>>> someone can
>>>>> help you and a reinstallation won't be required.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
>>>>> Please reply to the newsgroup
>
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

In newsANPd.1345$oh4.51262@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca,
Happy <happy@trial.ca> typed:

> I don't think I have other boot Cd's


If I were you, I'd try to borrow one from a friend. That will let
you find out if the problem is with the CD or the drive.

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup


> "Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message
> news:uFWJqXMEFHA.3120@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
>> In news:RnePd.333$oh4.8690@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca,
>> Happy <happy@trial.ca> typed:
>>
>>> Yes, I did. It says "cannot boot from Cd, error 5,' or
>>> something to
>>> that effect.
>>
>> That sounds like there's something wrong with the CD you're
>> trying
>> to boot from. Have you tried other bootable CDs?
>>
>>
>> --
>> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
>> Please reply to the newsgroup
>>
>>
>>
>>> "Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in
>>> message
>>> news:eIdrYYHEFHA.3536@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
>>>> In news:%u6Pd.230495$Np3.9558093@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca,
>>>> Happy <happy@trial.ca> typed:
>>>>
>>>>> Won't boot from CD,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Have you set the BIOS boot order for the CD drive to be
>>>> first?
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
>>>> Please reply to the newsgroup
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> and the message I get is "load needed DLLs for
>>>>> kernel" "Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain>
>>>>> wrote in
>>>>> message news:%231lsQe4DFHA.4072@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>>>>>> In news:AfLOd.229795$Np3.9531391@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca,
>>>>>> Happy <happy@trial.ca> typed:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> How do I reformat & re-install XP? I can't seem to get
>>>>>>> past the
>>>>>>> sys configuration files at the beginning, after
>>>>>>> experiencing
>>>>>>> some problems. I don't mind losing existing data, it's
>>>>>>> all
>>>>>>> backed up.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> You can't format the Windows drive from within Windows,
>>>>>> since
>>>>>> that would leave Windows without a leg to stand on.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 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://windowsxp.mvps.org/XPClean.htm
>>>>>>
>>>>>> or here http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm
>>>>>>
>>>>>> However why do you want to reformat and reinstall? In my
>>>>>> view,
>>>>>> it's almost always a mistake. With a modicum of care, it
>>>>>> should
>>>>>> never be necessary to reinstall Windows (XP or any other
>>>>>> version). I've run Windows 3.0, 3.1, WFWG 3.11, Windows
>>>>>> 95,
>>>>>> Windows 98, Windows 2000, and Windows XP, each for the
>>>>>> period of
>>>>>> time before the next version came out, and each on two
>>>>>> machines
>>>>>> here. I never reinstalled any of them, and I have never
>>>>>> had
>>>>>> anything more than an occasional minor problem. It's my
>>>>>> belief
>>>>>> that this mistaken notion stems from the technical
>>>>>> support people at many of the larger OEMs. Their solution
>>>>>> to
>>>>>> almost any problem they don't quickly know the answer to
>>>>>> is
>>>>>> "reformat and reinstall." That's the perfect solution for
>>>>>> them.
>>>>>> It gets you off the phone quickly, it almost always works,
>>>>>> and
>>>>>> it doesn't require them to do any real troubleshooting (a
>>>>>> skill
>>>>>> that most of them obviously don't possess in any great
>>>>>> degree).
>>>>>>
>>>>>> But it leaves you with all the work and all the problems.
>>>>>> You
>>>>>> have to restore all your data backups, you have to
>>>>>> reinstall all
>>>>>> your programs, you have to reinstall all the Windows and
>>>>>> application updates,you have to locate and install all the
>>>>>> needed drivers for your system, you have to recustomize
>>>>>> Windows
>>>>>> and all your apps to work the way you're comfortable with.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Besides all those things being time-consuming and
>>>>>> troublesome,
>>>>>> you may have trouble with some of them: can you find all
>>>>>> your
>>>>>> application CDs? Can you find all the needed installation
>>>>>> codes?
>>>>>> Do you have data backups to restore? Do you even remember
>>>>>> all the
>>>>>> customizations and tweaks you may have installed to make
>>>>>> everything work the way you like? Occasionally there are
>>>>>> problems that are so difficult to solve that
>>>>>> Windows should be reinstalled cleanly. But they are few
>>>>>> and far
>>>>>> between; reinstallation should not be a substitute for
>>>>>> troubleshooting; it should be a last resort, to be done
>>>>>> only
>>>>>> after all other attempts at troubleshooting by a qualified
>>>>>> person have failed. If you have problems, post them here;
>>>>>> it's
>>>>>> likely that someone can
>>>>>> help you and a reinstallation won't be required.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
>>>>>> Please reply to the newsgroup

 

[Happy]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

ok, i'll give it a try. --thanks
"Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message
news:e13ShTgEFHA.1264@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> In newsANPd.1345$oh4.51262@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca,
> Happy <happy@trial.ca> typed:
>
>> I don't think I have other boot Cd's
>
>
> If I were you, I'd try to borrow one from a friend. That will let you find
> out if the problem is with the CD or the drive.
>
> --
> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
> Please reply to the newsgroup
>
>
>> "Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message
>> news:uFWJqXMEFHA.3120@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
>>> In news:RnePd.333$oh4.8690@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca,
>>> Happy <happy@trial.ca> typed:
>>>
>>>> Yes, I did. It says "cannot boot from Cd, error 5,' or something to
>>>> that effect.
>>>
>>> That sounds like there's something wrong with the CD you're trying
>>> to boot from. Have you tried other bootable CDs?
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
>>> Please reply to the newsgroup
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> "Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message
>>>> news:eIdrYYHEFHA.3536@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
>>>>> In news:%u6Pd.230495$Np3.9558093@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca,
>>>>> Happy <happy@trial.ca> typed:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Won't boot from CD,
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Have you set the BIOS boot order for the CD drive to be first?
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
>>>>> Please reply to the newsgroup
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> and the message I get is "load needed DLLs for
>>>>>> kernel" "Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in
>>>>>> message news:%231lsQe4DFHA.4072@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>>>>>>> In news:AfLOd.229795$Np3.9531391@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca,
>>>>>>> Happy <happy@trial.ca> typed:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> How do I reformat & re-install XP? I can't seem to get past the
>>>>>>>> sys configuration files at the beginning, after experiencing
>>>>>>>> some problems. I don't mind losing existing data, it's all
>>>>>>>> backed up.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> You can't format the Windows drive from within Windows, since
>>>>>>> that would leave Windows without a leg to stand on.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> 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://windowsxp.mvps.org/XPClean.htm
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> or here http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> However why do you want to reformat and reinstall? In my view,
>>>>>>> it's almost always a mistake. With a modicum of care, it should
>>>>>>> never be necessary to reinstall Windows (XP or any other
>>>>>>> version). I've run Windows 3.0, 3.1, WFWG 3.11, Windows 95,
>>>>>>> Windows 98, Windows 2000, and Windows XP, each for the period of
>>>>>>> time before the next version came out, and each on two machines
>>>>>>> here. I never reinstalled any of them, and I have never had
>>>>>>> anything more than an occasional minor problem. It's my belief
>>>>>>> that this mistaken notion stems from the technical
>>>>>>> support people at many of the larger OEMs. Their solution to
>>>>>>> almost any problem they don't quickly know the answer to is
>>>>>>> "reformat and reinstall." That's the perfect solution for them.
>>>>>>> It gets you off the phone quickly, it almost always works, and
>>>>>>> it doesn't require them to do any real troubleshooting (a skill
>>>>>>> that most of them obviously don't possess in any great degree).
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> But it leaves you with all the work and all the problems. You
>>>>>>> have to restore all your data backups, you have to reinstall all
>>>>>>> your programs, you have to reinstall all the Windows and
>>>>>>> application updates,you have to locate and install all the
>>>>>>> needed drivers for your system, you have to recustomize Windows
>>>>>>> and all your apps to work the way you're comfortable with.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Besides all those things being time-consuming and troublesome,
>>>>>>> you may have trouble with some of them: can you find all your
>>>>>>> application CDs? Can you find all the needed installation codes?
>>>>>>> Do you have data backups to restore? Do you even remember all the
>>>>>>> customizations and tweaks you may have installed to make
>>>>>>> everything work the way you like? Occasionally there are
>>>>>>> problems that are so difficult to solve that
>>>>>>> Windows should be reinstalled cleanly. But they are few and far
>>>>>>> between; reinstallation should not be a substitute for
>>>>>>> troubleshooting; it should be a last resort, to be done only
>>>>>>> after all other attempts at troubleshooting by a qualified
>>>>>>> person have failed. If you have problems, post them here; it's
>>>>>>> likely that someone can
>>>>>>> help you and a reinstallation won't be required.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
>>>>>>> Please reply to the newsgroup
>
>
>

 

[Happy]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

I borrowed a couple of boot cd's, tried them, same problem
"Happy" <happy@trial.ca> wrote in message
news:iJPPd.1423$oh4.53461@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca...
> ok, i'll give it a try. --thanks
> "Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message
> news:e13ShTgEFHA.1264@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
>> In newsANPd.1345$oh4.51262@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca,
>> Happy <happy@trial.ca> typed:
>>
>>> I don't think I have other boot Cd's
>>
>>
>> If I were you, I'd try to borrow one from a friend. That will let you
>> find out if the problem is with the CD or the drive.
>>
>> --
>> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
>> Please reply to the newsgroup
>>
>>
>>> "Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message
>>> news:uFWJqXMEFHA.3120@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
>>>> In news:RnePd.333$oh4.8690@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca,
>>>> Happy <happy@trial.ca> typed:
>>>>
>>>>> Yes, I did. It says "cannot boot from Cd, error 5,' or something to
>>>>> that effect.
>>>>
>>>> That sounds like there's something wrong with the CD you're trying
>>>> to boot from. Have you tried other bootable CDs?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
>>>> Please reply to the newsgroup
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> "Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message
>>>>> news:eIdrYYHEFHA.3536@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
>>>>>> In news:%u6Pd.230495$Np3.9558093@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca,
>>>>>> Happy <happy@trial.ca> typed:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Won't boot from CD,
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Have you set the BIOS boot order for the CD drive to be first?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
>>>>>> Please reply to the newsgroup
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> and the message I get is "load needed DLLs for
>>>>>>> kernel" "Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in
>>>>>>> message news:%231lsQe4DFHA.4072@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>>>>>>>> In news:AfLOd.229795$Np3.9531391@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca,
>>>>>>>> Happy <happy@trial.ca> typed:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> How do I reformat & re-install XP? I can't seem to get past the
>>>>>>>>> sys configuration files at the beginning, after experiencing
>>>>>>>>> some problems. I don't mind losing existing data, it's all
>>>>>>>>> backed up.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> You can't format the Windows drive from within Windows, since
>>>>>>>> that would leave Windows without a leg to stand on.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> 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://windowsxp.mvps.org/XPClean.htm
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> or here http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> However why do you want to reformat and reinstall? In my view,
>>>>>>>> it's almost always a mistake. With a modicum of care, it should
>>>>>>>> never be necessary to reinstall Windows (XP or any other
>>>>>>>> version). I've run Windows 3.0, 3.1, WFWG 3.11, Windows 95,
>>>>>>>> Windows 98, Windows 2000, and Windows XP, each for the period of
>>>>>>>> time before the next version came out, and each on two machines
>>>>>>>> here. I never reinstalled any of them, and I have never had
>>>>>>>> anything more than an occasional minor problem. It's my belief
>>>>>>>> that this mistaken notion stems from the technical
>>>>>>>> support people at many of the larger OEMs. Their solution to
>>>>>>>> almost any problem they don't quickly know the answer to is
>>>>>>>> "reformat and reinstall." That's the perfect solution for them.
>>>>>>>> It gets you off the phone quickly, it almost always works, and
>>>>>>>> it doesn't require them to do any real troubleshooting (a skill
>>>>>>>> that most of them obviously don't possess in any great degree).
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> But it leaves you with all the work and all the problems. You
>>>>>>>> have to restore all your data backups, you have to reinstall all
>>>>>>>> your programs, you have to reinstall all the Windows and
>>>>>>>> application updates,you have to locate and install all the
>>>>>>>> needed drivers for your system, you have to recustomize Windows
>>>>>>>> and all your apps to work the way you're comfortable with.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Besides all those things being time-consuming and troublesome,
>>>>>>>> you may have trouble with some of them: can you find all your
>>>>>>>> application CDs? Can you find all the needed installation codes?
>>>>>>>> Do you have data backups to restore? Do you even remember all the
>>>>>>>> customizations and tweaks you may have installed to make
>>>>>>>> everything work the way you like? Occasionally there are
>>>>>>>> problems that are so difficult to solve that
>>>>>>>> Windows should be reinstalled cleanly. But they are few and far
>>>>>>>> between; reinstallation should not be a substitute for
>>>>>>>> troubleshooting; it should be a last resort, to be done only
>>>>>>>> after all other attempts at troubleshooting by a qualified
>>>>>>>> person have failed. If you have problems, post them here; it's
>>>>>>>> likely that someone can
>>>>>>>> help you and a reinstallation won't be required.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
>>>>>>>> Please reply to the newsgroup
>>
>>
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