need help with win xp repair install

Gary S. Terhune wrote:
> 1. This is a Windows ME group, not an XP one.

Indeed.

> You aren't likely to
> get the best advice available about XP while posting to an ME group.
>

Maybe in terms of sheer quantity that is so, but considering that all the
respondents here use XP and most have been doing so as long as those on XP
General, from someone who is a semi-regular here himself, so should know
this, that seems a little insulting. Especially given the sheer quantity of
twats on XP General and the potential for a person to believe they know what
they're talking about because they're MVPs! Jeez, Carey still going strong?
Even the resident MS employee (didn't he grow whiskers on his...no, forget
it...) trots out the erroneous company line rather than any noticeable
wisdom.

Kelly knows what she's talking about, of course! And DC - once a regular
here - does, if you can get past the strangely-offensive attitude!

Odds are, until you learn who's who on XP general, you'll follow bad
advice - because there's more of that than accurate advice there! One or two
MVPs who do know XP but can barely get beyond false accusations of piracy.
At least with modern HDD sizes the vast majority are no longer wrong about
which file system to use.

> 2. A Repair install of XP *shouldn't* affect installed programs, but
> it might. BE prepared to reinstall one or more apps.
>

Yes. Elementary stuff, no better advice coming from elsewhere for that one.

> 3. You have done well to back up personal data files before doing the
> Repair, but it shouldn't affect any of them. Only if something goes
> drastically wrong and you have to resort to more drastic measures.
>
> 4. Post to the XP General group for more complete answers to your
> questions.

How about 'be prepared to enter your key again even if you begin it from
Windows and it has the capability of knowing damn-well it's already been
activated!' In SP3 you'll be required to drop your trousers. So girls, make
sure you're wearing a pair, since M$ don't know how to get this stuff right!


Shane

>
> "rb" <rbig.TakeThisOut@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
> news:OxUz5X0uHHA.4572@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>> I've been working on our church office pc, and am going to need to
>> do a WinXP repair install. I haven't done a clean or repair Windows
>> install, so am trying to anticpate potential glitches with the
>> repair. Some questions:
>>
>> A. Will some of our peripheral programs survive the Windows repair
>> (I assume the repair simply overwrites all the Windows
>> files/programs in the OEM CD)? Maybe those that don't have any
>> registry or shared file tie with Windows may be OK.
>>
>> B. Will our data files survive the repair install? I've already
>> pulled off onto CD My Documents, Favorites, Outlook Address Book,
>> Sent and Inbox email, etc, in case the ones on the hard drive are
>> deleted or damaged.

PS There are a NUMBER of things the OP should know about using the Repair
option, like what to do if the installation disk isn't already SP2 (if you
don't deal with this issue, you get into deep doodoo.) Which is why I
pointed the OP to the XP groups, so that someone who answers questions like
this all day long can give the "more complete answer".

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
www.grystmill.com

"Shane" <shanebeatson.TakeThisOut@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:%23GhMN61uHHA.4440@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> Gary S. Terhune wrote:
>> 1. This is a Windows ME group, not an XP one.
>
> Indeed.
>
>> You aren't likely to
>> get the best advice available about XP while posting to an ME group.
>>
>
> Maybe in terms of sheer quantity that is so, but considering that all the
> respondents here use XP and most have been doing so as long as those on XP
> General, from someone who is a semi-regular here himself, so should know
> this, that seems a little insulting. Especially given the sheer quantity
> of twats on XP General and the potential for a person to believe they know
> what they're talking about because they're MVPs! Jeez, Carey still going
> strong? Even the resident MS employee (didn't he grow whiskers on
> his...no, forget it...) trots out the erroneous company line rather than
> any noticeable wisdom.
>
> Kelly knows what she's talking about, of course! And DC - once a regular
> here - does, if you can get past the strangely-offensive attitude!
>
> Odds are, until you learn who's who on XP general, you'll follow bad
> advice - because there's more of that than accurate advice there! One or
> two MVPs who do know XP but can barely get beyond false accusations of
> piracy. At least with modern HDD sizes the vast majority are no longer
> wrong about which file system to use.
>
>> 2. A Repair install of XP *shouldn't* affect installed programs, but
>> it might. BE prepared to reinstall one or more apps.
>>
>
> Yes. Elementary stuff, no better advice coming from elsewhere for that
> one.
>
>> 3. You have done well to back up personal data files before doing the
>> Repair, but it shouldn't affect any of them. Only if something goes
>> drastically wrong and you have to resort to more drastic measures.
>>
>> 4. Post to the XP General group for more complete answers to your
>> questions.
>
> How about 'be prepared to enter your key again even if you begin it from
> Windows and it has the capability of knowing damn-well it's already been
> activated!' In SP3 you'll be required to drop your trousers. So girls,
> make sure you're wearing a pair, since M$ don't know how to get this stuff
> right!
>
>
> Shane
>
>>
>> "rb" <rbig.TakeThisOut@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
>> news:OxUz5X0uHHA.4572@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>> I've been working on our church office pc, and am going to need to
>>> do a WinXP repair install. I haven't done a clean or repair Windows
>>> install, so am trying to anticpate potential glitches with the
>>> repair. Some questions:
>>>
>>> A. Will some of our peripheral programs survive the Windows repair
>>> (I assume the repair simply overwrites all the Windows
>>> files/programs in the OEM CD)? Maybe those that don't have any
>>> registry or shared file tie with Windows may be OK.
>>>
>>> B. Will our data files survive the repair install? I've already
>>> pulled off onto CD My Documents, Favorites, Outlook Address Book,
>>> Sent and Inbox email, etc, in case the ones on the hard drive are
>>> deleted or damaged.
>
>