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Redoing Windows setup vs. repair?
We are having problems with our Windows XP. About a month or so ago, it would load the startup screen, but then would never get to the login screen; just a black screen. I asked for help then and was told to run the boot disc. Did that, although it didn't work the way it was supposed to, but I eventually got the login screen.
Since that time, it fairly regularly fails to boot to the login screen. Usually, if you turn the computer off then back on, it'll work. Today, it refused. I have put the boot disc in and have run Recovery Console, but all that seems to happen is it asks me which installation I want to log onto (there's only 1), and then nothing. So, I restart the computer and go through the whole thing again. Sometimes it does the whole repair thing, but then it just gets to the end and stops. Rebooting doesn't get me anywhere.
If I were to run Setup, would it affect what we have on our hard drive? Email and personal files and all that? Or...? Help!
By "gets to the end and stops", I mean it goes through the repair, says it has made corrections to the file system, lists al the KB in all kinds of places and just stays on that screen.
4 Answers
- 1 decade agoFavorite Answer
I agree, the best thing to do at this point is to completely start "fresh". Yeah, you will lose all data on the disk and that completely sucks, but I can only recommend one thing, "Back UP regularly. Burn your data to CD's." I have learned to do this because the minute you don't, something crashes!
- ELfaGeekLv 71 decade ago
"it didn't work the way it was supposed to", you do know you are NOT doing it correctly. "run the boot disc" means, BEFORE your PC boots into Windows.
Back up all personal data on your PC ("Backup" means: copy your data to CD / DVD / external hard drive). Then (if store-bought), do a Windows XP Home "Clean Install", for further instructions, go to:
Here's Part 1 of 7 PARTS of the official explanation:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896526
Note: You must use the manufacturer's Recovery disks, if included with your PC, to avoid driver problems, not a store-bought XP disk.
The Recovery disks may be ON the hard drive, so Read The Friendly Manual (RTFM) FIRST to find out how to make your own Recovery disks, if you haven't already formatted your hard drive.
If so, PAY a pro to do it right.
- 1 decade ago
Yes, if you run Set-Up, it'll format your drive and you'll lose everything.
If you've got a CD or DVD Writer, I suggest you burn all your personal files to Discs, e-mails aren't the easiest things to save, I'd suggest creating an on-line e-mail account, then forward all the e-mails you want to save to that.
Your address book can be saved as a normal file.
Before you put any of your personal files back on after running set-up again, make sure you've got a good Anti-Virus program installed, just in case there's something nasty lurking that's been hiding in your computer since your problems started.
Best of luck, e-mail if you require any further help or advice.
Source(s): Years of experience - Anonymous1 decade ago
Something has seriousely messed up your XP. If the repair has failed as you say then the only thing left to do is to reinstall XP. Next time you manage to make it work save all your files and settings, download and burn http://dban.sourceforge.net/, boot from it and wipe your hard disk.
