Before you begin, understand that reinstalling Windows isn’t necessarily a cure-all for problems caused by flaky software, malfunctioning hardware, or malware infections. In fact, the repair method could even introduce more problems, and the clean method won’t fix problems specific to a particular application or hardware device. However, if thorough troubleshooting reveals that problems cannot be fixed without reinstalling Windows, it’s usually worth the time, effort, and risk to repair or reinstall Windows.

Whether you’re performing a repair installation or a clean reinstallation, it’s imperative that you back up all of your important data on a recordable CD or DVD, a second hard drive, or a removable USB drive or other flash media. If you have a Web-based email account that includes plenty of storage (Yahoo! Mail and Google’s Gmail each provide at least 1GB of storage per account), consider sending your important files there as a backup to your backup in case you have trouble with the backup media later. Back up all of your banking and financial records, work and personal documents and projects, digital photos, music files, browser bookmarks, email (including addresses and other contact information), calendar data, and other important files.

In addition, write down any settings you'll need to reconfigure later, including network settings and Internet login information. Check to make sure you have all of your software discs because you might need to reinstall programs later (this step is required if you’re performing a clean installation), plus it’s a good idea to write down all of your currently installed programs, so you remember what to install later. You also should have installation discs for all of your hardware devices, but if you don’t, check the manufacturers’ Web sites for installation and driver utilities that you can download and burn to a disc. Although WinXP can recognize and install most devices, it will hit an occasional snag that you can remedy by supplying drivers yourself.

The following instructions are intended for owners of the full version of WinXP Professional or Home Edition. If you have only restoration discs that were included with your computer, you'll need to follow the instructions included with those discs because the process varies from the standard Windows repair or reinstallation procedure. Depending on your restoration discs and software, you might have options to cleanly reinstall Windows or simply to restore only important Windows files. These options can be similar to the following procedures, but the restoration software will walk you completely through the process.

Perform A Repair Installation

Windows versions prior to WinXP let you reinstall the OS over a previous installation, but WinXP takes a different route, letting you repair your existing installation. This method is intended to preserve your existing software and settings, and for many users, it effectively fixes problems that can plague WinXP installations. But for others the repair method doesn't fix problems and often causes more trouble because the files that the method uses as replacements are older than the files on the hard drive (assuming that the existing installation was regularly patched with updates from Microsoft).

You can roll the dice and hope that the repair method works as advertised, but be prepared to use the clean reinstallation process we discuss later in this article if major problems occur. Another option you can use to avoid reinstallation problems is slipstreaming; see our “Create A Slipstream Disc” sidebar for more details.

Repairing an existing WinXP installation is as easy as reading directions and clicking buttons because the OS will walk you through the entire process. To get started, insert your WinXP Pro or Home Edition CD-ROM into your optical drive and restart your computer. If you see the Press Any Key To Boot From CD message, press the Spacebar to start the installation. If your computer skips this message and boots directly into Windows, restart your computer, enter your BIOS (Basic Input/Output System), and change the first boot device to your optical drive. If you’re not sure how to do this, check your PC’s users manual or the motherboard manual for instructions about entering the BIOS and making this change.

After booting from the WinXP CD-ROM, Windows Setup will inspect your computer’s hardware configuration and eventually display the blue Windows XP Professional Setup (or Windows XP Home Edition Setup) screen. Press ENTER to set up WinXP now (don’t choose the To Repair A Windows XP Installation Using Recovery Console, Press R option), press F8 to agree to the license agreement, and when the next screen appears and asks if you want to repair the selected WinXP installation, press R. (If the repair option doesn't appear on this screen, Windows probably can't be repaired and will require a clean installation; see the next section in this article to perform a clean installation.

On the next screen, Windows will examine your hard drive and then follow with screens indicating that it is preparing files, copying files, and initializing the new WinXP configuration. Finally, the Setup program will reboot your computer. When your computer restarts, don’t press any keys if you see the message which states, Press Any Key To Boot From CD.

If the program is able to immediately repair your existing Windows installation, it will display the Windows Desktop. If not, you’ll see windows that appear similar to those that display during the standard installation process, but none that require input on your part, and the Setup program will continue the repair process on its own until it finalizes and reboots your computer. Again, don’t press any keys if you see the Press Any Key To Boot From CD message.

As WinXP restarts, a Display Settings dialog box will appear, informing you that Windows will automatically adjust your screen resolution. Click OK, and if you can read the following dialog box, click OK to continue. Finally, WinXP will display a Welcome Wizard that prompts you to specify user information, followed by the standard Welcome screen and then the Windows Desktop.

Because the repair installation preserves your files and settings, you shouldn’t need to perform much follow-up work after the installation, but it’s still a good idea to visit Microsoft’s Windows Update site (windowsupdate.microsoft.com) to check for any high-priority updates. Also, you should install the most current manufacturer-supplied drivers for your hardware devices.

Carry Out A Clean Installation

To many users, reformatting a hard drive and reinstalling Windows sounds about as feasible as removing an engine from a car and rebuilding it. But believe it or not, the procedure is actually quite simple with WinXP because it’ll walk you through each and every step and describe what it’s doing along the way. Known as a clean installation, this procedure is by far the most effective way to return your computer to the performance levels you enjoyed when it was brand new.

Before you begin a clean installation, be aware that this method wipes out all of your data, including both your existing Windows installation and every file in all non-Windows folders on your hard drive. Although we recommend backing up your data before the repair installation method in case something goes wrong, a clean installation absolutely requires a backup because all of your data will be lost during the process. This fact is tied to the effectiveness of the method, because along with all of your important data, all extraneous data that’s clogging up your hard drive and slowing down Windows will also be wiped away.

After thoroughly backing up your data, place your WinXP CD-ROM in your optical drive and restart your computer to boot directly from the installation disc. (See our directions in the Perform A Repair Installation section for details about booting from the CD-ROM.) Next, wait for the Welcome To Setup screen to appear and then press ENTER to set up WinXP.

On the next screen, press F8 after reading the license agreement, and then on the following screen, select the C: partition (or the partition or drive where WinXP is currently installed) and press D to delete the partition. Press ENTER to confirm the partition deletion and confirm it again on the next screen by pressing L. Select the newly unpartitioned space and press ENTER.

Now you’ll need to choose a file system for formatting the drive on the following screen; we recommend using NTFS (NT File System), as it offers more advanced security and compression features. Select a full formatting option (not Quick), such as Format The Partition Using The NTFS File System, and press ENTER.

WinXP will then format your hard drive, copy files to the drive for installation, and begin the installation process. Once again, when your computer restarts, don’t press any keys if you see the Press Any Key To Boot From CD message. Windows will officially begin the installation process at this point, prompting you for specific information. The first window that requires your input is Personalize Your Software, where you must enter your name and (if you choose) your organization. Click Next and then type your computer name, type your administrator password, type the password to confirm it, and click Next.

In the Date And Time Settings window, select the correct date, time, and time zone and then click Next. The installation process will continue until the Networking Settings window appears. Click Typical Settings, click Next, and then follow the on-screen instructions for the workgroup and domain configuration. Click Next.

Now you can sit back and relax because Windows will continue the installation process on its own until it finalizes the process and reboots your computer. And one last time, we must tell you: Don’t press any keys if you see the Press Any Key To Boot From CD message.

As WinXP restarts, a Display Settings dialog box will appear, informing you that Windows will automatically adjust your screen resolution. Click OK, and if you can read the following dialog box, click OK to continue. Finally, WinXP will display a Welcome Wizard that prompts you to specify user information, followed by the standard Welcome screen and the Windows Desktop.

After the Setup program finishes its end of the installation, you’ll still need to follow through in a few areas to make sure everything is installed and working correctly. WinXP can recognize and automatically install the drivers for most hardware devices, but it won't always announce that problems are present. Open the System dialog box from the Control Panel, choose the Hardware tab, and click Device Manager. Scroll down the list of devices and look for any question mark or exclamation point icons. These indicate problems with devices, and you can usually remedy the problems by manually installing drivers for them.

For components such as video cards and sound cards, it’s a good idea to update these devices with the latest drivers from the manufacturers’ Web sites, even if WinXP installs its own drivers. The manufacturers generally supply newer drivers than those Microsoft provides, and using manufacturers’ recent drivers can help you avoid problems with the latest software.

You’ll also need to configure your network and/or Internet connection using the settings you previously wrote down. As soon as you’re online, go immediately to the Windows Update site to download and install all high-priority updates.

Finally, install all of your software using the list you created before you started the clean installation process, making sure to install security software (such as antivirus and firewall applications) first.

Save Your Tips

Whether you perform a repair reinstallation or a clean installation, it’s a good idea to write down any tips you discover along the way. Because almost every computer contains different hardware and software, no two installations are ever the same, which means that you’re likely to encounter steps or potential snags that are specific to your computer and its configuration. Then, the next time you reinstall Windows, just keep these tips handy to help ensure a smooth trip.

by Christian Perry

Create A Slipstream Disc On top of other problems you might face while performing a repair installation of Windows XP, you may find that doing so replaces newer system files with outdated ones. Although some users have no problems while reinstalling Windows and then reinstalling major updates such as service packs, others encounter more problems than they had before they reinstalled Windows. One way to avoid this mess is to reformat your hard drive and install WinXP from scratch, but there’s also another option you can use that’ll let you safely reinstall Windows without reformatting. Known as slipstreaming, this advanced technique incorporates files from the most recent Windows service pack directly onto your WinXP installation disc (or rather, a new one that you’ll create). This allows you to install WinXP complete with the latest updates so that you won’t run into conflicts with older files, and you’ll be instantly up-to-date after the installation. Slipstreaming is a rather complicated process, but several excellent online guides walk you through the process from beginning to end. The most useful of these is Paul Thurrott’s slipstreaming guide (www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windows xp_sp2_slipstream.asp), which features extensive directions and screen shots that illustrate every step. Although a slipstreaming disc takes quite awhile to create, it’ll well worth the effort when you consider that it helps you avoid problems with reinstallations.

How To Reactivate Windows After performing a clean Windows installation, you’ll have to reactivate the OS (operating system) with Microsoft after you finish the process. Unless you’re also upgrading hardware devices when you reinstall Windows, you should be able to reactivate Windows using your Internet connection. A notification will appear in your System Tray after the reinstallation process, reminding you to activate the OS. Once you configure your Internet connection and download and install all high-priority updates, double-click the update reminder icon (or click Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and Activate Windows) and choose Yes, Let’s Activate Windows Over The Internet Now. Click Next and then click No, I Don’t Want To Register Now; Let’s Just Activate Windows. When you click Next again, the wizard should establish a connection and process the activation request. After the You Have Successfully Activated Your Copy Of Windows message appears, click OK. If your Internet connection isn’t active or if Windows is unable to activate it using the Internet, return to the first Windows Activation screen and click Yes, I Want To Telephone A Customer Service Representative To Activate Windows Now. Then, click Next and follow the directions for activating Windows over the phone.