How do I totally remove Windows and Reinstall?

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Guest

I want to completely reformat my hard drive, or otherwise remove everything
on it, and reinstall XP Home, as I'm having major, major problems with it
(explorer.exe crashes and doesn't come back at startup... no Start Menu, run
box or command prompt!)

I have a legal copy of XP Home that I bought especially to do this
reinstall, as I got my laptop from Dell, and it's too old to warrant their
support.

I have tried booting from the CD, and I get the option to install, but only
on top of my old install. I have tried repairing the old install, but it
didn't fix my many problems (see above).

How do I reformat my hard drive and reinstall XP?
 
Jenesis said:
I want to completely reformat my hard drive, or otherwise remove
everything on it, and reinstall XP Home, as I'm having major, major
problems with it (explorer.exe crashes and doesn't come back at
startup... no Start Menu, run box or command prompt!)

I have a legal copy of XP Home that I bought especially to do this
reinstall, as I got my laptop from Dell, and it's too old to
warrant their support.

I have tried booting from the CD, and I get the option to install,
but only on top of my old install. I have tried repairing the old
install, but it didn't fix my many problems (see above).

How do I reformat my hard drive and reinstall XP?
Click to expand...

Delete the partitions when asked where to install and create a new
partition.

** You may want to print this **

1) Download and install Belarc Advisor onto the current Windows XP
machine. Use it to get a list of hardware from the
machine as well as the CD Key used to install it. Print it if you like.
http://www.belarc.com/

You may be able to obtain other product keys from here as well.
You will see everything that is installed listed here - so you have
a record of what you will be putting back - if you have the
installation media. Now is the time to find the installation media!

2) Using the list of hardware you obtained - visit the hardware
manufacturer(s) web page(s) and download the software drivers
for each of the components.

If it is a "vendor" computer (Dell, HP, IBM, Gateway, etc..) - simply
visit the vendor's page and go to the support/downloads for the
particular model and download all hardware drivers. Write those
to external (to that computer) media. CD/DVD/USB/Network.

If it is a piece-meal computer, take the Belarc list and visit each
manufacturer's web page. Be sure - at a minimum - to obtain the
motherboard chipset drivers, the hard drive controller card drivers,
the video card drivers, the modem drivers, the network card
drivers and the sound card drivers. Technically - if you have the
drivers for the hardware that will allow you to access the Internet,
everything else can be gotten later. However - there is something
to be said about going in prepared.

3) Now that you have the software and hardware drivers covered -
you can get to the business of obtaining Service Pack 2 and most
of the post-sp2 updates you will need. I have a list with links
below this - if you grabbed everything on this list - installed them
(after installing Windows XP) in numerical (by KB Article #) order
- rebooting when asked to - before ever connecting to the Internet
- you might (at this time) have 5-10 more to grab from the update
web page.

Essentially - visit each of these pages, download the update for
Windows XP (32bit) w/SP2 and save them to an external location.
CD/DVD/USB/Network. Consider yourself an "IT Professional" in
order to get to the page with the actual file download link for each
update.

You could get away with (pretty much) installing them in the order
given.

Direct Download of Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP
http://snipurl.com/8bqy

Critical Updates
----------------------
Released: -- [ Web Page Address ] -- Description:
9/14/2004 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/885626 ]
-- Critical Update for Windows XP
11/22/2004 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/887742 ]
-- Update for Windows XP
12/13/2004 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/885835 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
12/13/2004 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/885836 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
12/13/2004 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/886185 ]
-- Critical Update for Windows XP
12/13/2004 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/873339 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
2/7/2005 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/891781 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
2/7/2005 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/888302 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
2/7/2005 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/887472 ]
-- Security Update for Windows Messenger
4/11/2005 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/890859 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
5/18/2005 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/894391 ]
-- Update for Windows XP
5/24/2005 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896344 ]
-- Update for Windows XP
6/13/2005 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896358 ]
-- Security Update for Microsoft Windows XP
6/13/2005 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896428 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
6/24/2005 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/900930 ]
-- Update for Windows XP
6/27/2005 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/898461 ]
-- Update for Windows XP
7/11/2005 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/901214 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
8/8/2005 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896423 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
8/8/2005 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/899587 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
8/8/2005 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/899591 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
8/8/2005 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/893756 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
10/10/2005 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/901017 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
10/10/2005 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902400 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
10/10/2005 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/905749 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
10/10/2005 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/905414 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
10/10/2005 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/900725 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
12/12/2005 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/910437 ]
-- Update for Windows XP
12/13/2005 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/904706 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
1/9/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/908519 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
2/13/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/911927 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
4/10/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/911562 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
4/18/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/904942 ]
-- Update for Windows XP
4/25/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/900485 ]
-- Update for Windows XP
4/25/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/908531 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
5/9/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/913580 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
6/6/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/916595 ]
-- Update for Windows XP
6/8/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918439 ]
-- Vulnerability in ART Image Rendering Could Allow Remote Code
Execution in Internet Explorer for Windows XP SP2
6/12/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/914389 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
6/12/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917953 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
6/13/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917344 ]
-- JScript 5.6 Security Update for Windows XP SP1 and SP2
6/27/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/911280 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
7/10/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917159 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
7/10/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/914388 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
8/7/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917422 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
8/7/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/920670 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
8/7/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922616 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
8/7/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/920683 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
8/17/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/920872 ]
-- Update for Windows XP
9/11/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/920685 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
9/11/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922582 ]
-- Update for Windows XP
9/11/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/919007 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
10/9/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922819 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
10/9/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/924496 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
10/9/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923414 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
10/9/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923191 ]
-- Security Update for Windows XP
11/14/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/920213 ]
-- Vulnerability in Microsoft Agent could allow remote code
execution
11/14/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923789 ]
-- Vulnerabilities in Macromedia Flash Player from Adobe
could allow remote code execution
11/14/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/924270 ]
-- Vulnerability in Workstation Service could allow
remote code execution
11/14/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928088 ]
-- Vulnerability in Microsoft XML Core Services could
allow remote code execution
11/14/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923980 ]
-- Vulnerability in the Client Service could allow remote code
execution
12/12/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/926247 ]
-- Vulnerability in Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
could allow remote code execution
12/12/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/926255 ]
-- Vulnerability in Windows could allow elevation of privilege
12/12/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923694 ]
-- Cumulative security update for Outlook Express
1/9/2007 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929969 ]
-- Vulnerability in Vector Markup Language
Could Allow Remote Code Execution
* If you have installed IE7, also install the IE7 version
of this patch!
2/13/2007 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928255 ]
-- Vulnerability in Windows Shell Could Allow Elevation
of Privilege
2/13/2007 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927802 ]
-- Vulnerability in Windows Image Acquisition Service
Could Allow Elevation of Privilege
2/13/2007 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928843 ]
-- Vulnerability in HTML Help ActiveX Control Could
Allow Remote Code Execution
2/13/2007 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927779 ]
-- Vulnerability in Microsoft Data Access Components
Could Allow Remote Code Execution
2/13/2007 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/926436 ]
-- Vulnerability in Microsoft OLE Dialog Could Allow
Remote Code Execution
2/13/2007 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/924667 ]
-- Vulnerability in Microsoft MFC Could Allow Remote
Code Execution
2/13/2007 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918118 ]
-- Vulnerability in Microsoft RichEdit Could Allow
Remote Code Execution
2/13/2007 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928090 ]
-- Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer
* If you have IE7, obtain that version of this update.
4/3/2007 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925902 ]
-- Vulnerabilities in GDI Could Allow Remote Code Execution
4/10/2007 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931261 ]
-- Vulnerability in Universal Plug and Play Could
Allow Remote Code Execution
4/10/2007 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932168 ]
-- Vulnerability in Microsoft Agent Could Allow Remote
Code Execution
4/10/2007 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/930178 ]
-- Vulnerabilities in CSRSS Could Allow Remote Code
Execution
4/10/2007 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931784 ]
-- Vulnerability in Windows Kernel Could Allow
Elevation of Privilege

Media Player:
-------------------
Released: -- [ Web Page Address: ] -- Description:
9/2/2004 -- [ http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=30984 ]
-- Windows Media Player 10
11/7/2005 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902344 ]
-- Update for WMDRM-enabled Media Players
2/13/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/911564 ]
-- Security Update for Windows Media Player Plug-in
4/11/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/911565 ]
-- Security Update for Windows Media Player 10 for Windows XP
6/12/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917734 ]
-- Security Update for Windows Media Player 10 for Windows XP
12/12/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923689 ]
-- Vulnerability in Windows Media Format Could Allow Remote
Code Execution

..NET Framework:
------------------------
Released: -- [ Web Page Address: ] -- Description:
3/30/2004 -- [ http://snipurl.com/10bde ]
-- Microsoft .NET Framework Version 1.1 Redistributable Package
8/30/2004 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/885055 ]
-- Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 Service Pack 1
2/8/2005 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/887219 ]
-- ASP.NET Security Update for Microsoft NET Framework 1.1
Service Pack 1
3/22/2006 -- [ http://snipurl.com/10bdv ]
-- Microsoft .NET Framework Version 2.0 Redistributable
Package (x86)
7/11/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917283 ]
-- NDP 2.0 ASP.Net Security Update
10/10/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922770 ]
-- NET Framework 2.0 SYSTEM.WEB.DLL Security Update

Other Updates:
---------------------
Released: -- [ Web Page Address: ] -- Description:
9/14/2004 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/873374 ]
-- Microsoft GDI+ Detection Tool
9/2/2005 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/893803 ]
-- Windows Installer 3.1 Redistributable (v2)
10/14/2005 -- [ http://snipurl.com/10bex ]
-- Windows Media Connect 2.0
11/29/2005 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/909520 ]
-- Microsoft Base Smart Card Cryptographic Service Provider
Package: x86
10/10/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/890830 ]
-- Microsoft® Windows® Malicious Software Removal Tool
- November 2006

Purely OPTIONAL:
----------------------
10/18/2006 -- [ http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downloads/ ]
-- Internet Explorer 7.0
10/30/2006 -- [ http://snipurl.com/167ea ]
-- Media Player 11
12/8/2006 -- [ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925876 ]
-- Remote Desktop Connection 6.0 client


4) Now that you have all the updates you will need to install Windows
XP, all the hardware drivers you will need to get the
operating system to communicate with your hardware, all your
installation media and product keys in a pile - you can install
Windows XP by simply changing the boot order in
the system BIOS to CD first, putting in your Windows XP
CD and following the prompts. When it asks where you
would like to install - delete the partitions shown and create a new
partition to install on. Format it NTFS. Continue following the
prompts.

Want something a little more pictographic?
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

5) Once the installation is done - break out whatever external media
you saved all the 2nd & 3rd list items to and connect/insert it into
the system and begin installing all the hardware drivers (1st) and
then all the patches and such. It'll take a while and probably 10+
reboots.

6) Install your favorite AntiVirus software (I am including a tips list that
has several free alternatives as tip (9)) and immunize your system
against most spyware (see tip (10) in the same list below) and connect
to the Internet. Visit http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ and scan
your system for more updates. Do not install hardware drivers from
here.

7) Install whatever other software you need this system to have. Plugins
like quicktime, flash, shockwave, real player (or real alternative),
acrobat reader and so on... Full applications like Microsoft Office,
WordPerfect, Photoshop, etc. Any special software for
cameras/scanners/printers. Anything and everything you want this
computer to have.

8) Create an additional administrative user. Log out and log in as that
user. Make sure it has a password that is good and that you can
remember. Log out and log back in as the original user. That new
user is your 'just in case' account.


Good luck to you!

Microsoft has these suggestions for Protecting your computer from the
various things that could happen to you/it:

Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/

Outfitting a new computer for the Net
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/update/newcomputer.mspx

Getting started with a new PC
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/moredone/yournewpc.mspx

Although those tips are fantastic, there are many things you should
know above and beyond that. Below I have detailed out many tips
that can not only help you clean-up a problem PC but keep it clean,
secure and running at its best.

I know this text can seem intimidating - it is quite long and a lot
to take in for a novice - however I can assure you that one trip
through this list and you will understand your computer and the
options available to you for protecting your data much better -
and that the next time you go through these steps, the time it
takes will be greatly reduced.

Let's take the cleanup of your computer step-by-step.
Yes, it will take up some of your time - but consider what you use
your computer for and how much you would dislike it if all of your
stuff on your computer went away because you did not "feel like"
performing some simple maintenance tasks - think of it like taking
out your garbage, collecting and sorting your postal mail, paying
your bills on time, etc.

I'll mainly work around Windows XP, as that is what the bulk of this
document is about; however, here is some places for you poor souls
still stuck in Windows 98/ME where you can get information on
maintaining your system:

Windows 98 and 'Maintaining Your Computer':
http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/usingwindows/maintaining/

Windows ME Computer Health:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsME/using/computerhealth/articles/

Pay close attention to the sections:
(in order)
- Clean up your hard disk
- Check for errors by running ScanDisk
- Defragment your hard disk
- Roll back the clock with System Restore


Also - now is a good time to point you to one of the easiest ways to find
information on problems you may be having and solutions others have found:

Search using Google!
http://www.google.com/
(How-to: http://www.google.com/intl/en/help/basics.html )


Now, let's go through some maintenance first that should only have to be
done once (mostly):

Tip (1):
Locate all of the software you have installed on your computer.
(the installation media - CDs, downloaded files, etc)
Collect these CDs and files together in a central and safe
place along with their CD keys and such. Make backups of these
installation media sets using your favorite copying method (CD/DVD Burner
and application, Disk copier, etc.) You'll be glad to know that if you
have a CD/DVD burner, you may be able to use a free application to make a
duplicate copy of your CDs. One such application is ISORecorder:

ISORecorder page (with general instructions on use):
http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/isorecorder.htm

More full function applications (free) for CD/DVD burning would be:

CDBurnerXP Pro
http://www.cdburnerxp.se/

DeepBurner Free
http://www.deepburner.com/

ImgBurn (burn ISO images)
http://www.imgburn.com/

Final Burner
http://www.protectedsoft.com/products.php

Another Option would be to search the web with Pricewatch.com or
Dealsites.net and find deals on Products like Ahead Nero and/or Roxio.

Ahead Nero
http://www.nero.com/

Roxio Easy Media Creator
http://www.roxio.com/

Tip (2):
Empty your Temporary Internet Files and shrink the size it stores to a
size between 128MB and 512MB..

- Open ONE copy of Internet Explorer.
- Select TOOLS -> Internet Options.
- Under the General tab in the "Temporary Internet Files" section, do the
following:
- Click on "Delete Cookies" (click OK)
- Click on "Settings" and change the "Amount of disk space to use:" to
something between 128MB and 512MB. (Betting it is MUCH larger right
now.)
- Click OK.
- Click on "Delete Files" and select to "Delete all offline contents"
(the checkbox) and click OK. (If you had a LOT, this could take 2-10
minutes or more.)
- Once it is done, click OK, close Internet Explorer, re-open Internet
Explorer.

Tip (3):
If things are running a bit sluggish and/or you have an older system
(1.5GHz or less and 256MB RAM or less) then you may want to look into
tweaking the performance by turning off some of the 'resource hogging'
Windows XP "prettifications". The fastest method is:

Control Panel --> System --> Advanced tab --> Performance section,
Settings button. Then choose "adjust for best performance" and you
now have a Windows 2000/98 look which turned off most of the annoying
"prettifications" in one swift action. You can play with the last
three checkboxes to get more of an XP look without many of the
other annoyances. You could also grab and install/use one
(or more) of the Microsoft Powertoys - TweakUI in particular:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

Another viable (decently inexpensive) option is to increase the amount
of memory (RAM) your computer has. You can get an idea of what you
need by visiting:

Crucial Memory AdvisorT Tool
http://www.crucial.com/

Then either buy direct from there or write down the specs you get and
visit: http://www.pricewatch.com/ and locate the best price on what you
need. 512MB up to 1GB total memory should be more than enough for
the normal home user.

Tip (4):
Understanding what a good password might be is vital to your
personal and system security. You may think you do not need to password
your home computer, as you may have it in a locked area (your home) where
no one else has access to it. Remember, however, you aren't always
"in that locked area" when using your computer online - meaning you likely
have usernames and passwords associated with web sites and the likes that
you would prefer other people do not discover/use. This is why you should
understand and utilize good passwords.

Good passwords are those that meet these general rules
(mileage may vary):

Passwords should contain at least six characters, and the character
string should contain at least three of these four character types:
- uppercase letters
- lowercase letters
- numerals
- nonalphanumeric characters (e.g., *, %, &, !, :)

Passwords should not contain your name/username.
Passwords should be unique to you and easy to remember.

One method many people are using today is to make up a phrase that
describes a point in their life and then turning that phrase into their
password by using only certain letters out of each word in that phrase.
It's much better than using your birthday month/year or your anniversary
in a pure sense. For example, let's say my phrase is:
'Great new job in November 2006'
I could come up with this password from that:
'Gr8n3wj0bNOV2006'

The password tip is in the one time section, but I highly
recommend you periodically change your passwords. The suggested time
varies, but I will throw out a 'once in every 3 to 6 months for
every account you have.'

Also - many people complain that they just cannot remember the passwords
for all the sites they have - so they choose one password and use it for
everything. Not a good idea. A much better method would be to use a
Password Management tool - so you only have to remember one password,
but it opens an application that stores your username/passwords for
everything else - plus other valuable information. One that I can
recommend:

KeePass Password Safe
http://keepass.sourceforge.net/

It can even generate passwords for you.


Tip (5):
This tip is also 'questionable' in the one time section; however -
if properly setup - this one can be pretty well ignored for most people
after the initial 'fiddle-with' time.

Why you should use a computer firewall..
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/viruses/fwbenefits.mspx

You should, in some way, use a firewall. Hardware (like a nice
Cable Modem/DSL router) or software is up to you. Many use both of
these. The simplest one to use is the hardware one, as most people
don't do anything that they will need to configure their NAT device
for and those who do certainly will not mind fiddling with the equipment
to make things work for them. Next in the line of simplicity would
have to be the built-in Windows Firewall of Windows XP. In SP2 it
is turned on by default. It is not difficult to turn on in any
case, however:

More information on the Internet Connection Firewall (Pre-SP2):
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/320855

Post-SP2 Windows Firewall Information/guidance:
http://snipurl.com/atal

The trouble with the Windows Firewall is that it only keeps things
out. For most people who maintain their system in other ways, this is
MORE than sufficient. You may feel otherwise. If you want to
know when one of your applications is trying to obtain access to the
outside world so you can stop it, then you will have to install a
third-party application and configure/maintain it. I have compiled a
list with links of some of the better known/free firewalls you can choose
from:

BlackICE PC Protection (~$39.95 and up)
http://blackice.iss.net/

Comodo Free Fireall (Free)
http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/

Jetico Personal Firewall (Free)
http://www.jetico.com/index.htm#/jpfirewall.htm

Outpost Firewall from Agnitum (Free and up)
http://www.agnitum.com/products/outpostfree/

Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall (KPF) (Free and up)
http://www.kerio.com/kpf_download.html

Symantec's Norton Personal Firewall (~$49.95 and up)
http://www.symantec.com/sabu/nis/npf/

ZoneAlarm (Free and up)
http://www.zonelabs.com/

You should find the right firewall for your situation in that
list and set it up if you feel the Windows XP firewall is
insufficient.

Every firewall WILL require some maintenance. Essentially checking for
patches or upgrades (this goes for hardware and software solutions) is
the extent of this maintenance - you may also have to configure your
firewall to allow some traffic depending on your needs.

** Don't stack the software firewalls! Running more than one software
firewall will not make you safer - it would possibly negate some
protection you gleamed from one or the other firewall you run. It is
fine (and in many ways better) to have the software firewall as well
as a NAT router.


Now that you have some of the more basic things down..
Let's go through some of the steps you should take periodically to
maintain a healthy and stable windows computer. If you have not
done some of these things in the past, they may seem tedious - however,
they will become routine and some can even be scheduled.


Tip (6):
The system restore feature is only a useful feature if you keep it
maintained and use it to your advantage. Remember that the system
restore pretty much tells you in the name what it protects which is
'system' files. Your documents, your pictures, your stuff is NOT
system files - so you should also look into some backup solution.

Whenever you think about it (after doing a once-over on your machine
once a month or so would be optimal) - clear out your System Restore
and create a manual restoration point.

'Why?'

Too many times have I seen the system restore files go corrupt or get
a virus in them, meaning you could not or did not want to restore from
them. By clearing it out periodically you help prevent any corruption
from happening and you make sure you have at least one good "snapshot".
(*This, of course, will erase any previous restore point you have.*)

- Turn off System Restore.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310405
- Reboot the Computer.
- Review the first bullet to turn on System Restore
- Make a Manual Restoration Point.
http://snipurl.com/68nx

That covers your system files, but doesn't do anything for the files
that you are REALLY worried about - yours! For that you need to look
into backups. You can either manually copy your important files, folders,
documents, spreadsheets, emails, contacts, pictures, drawings and so on
to an external location (CD/DVD - any disk of some sort, etc) or you can
use the backup tool that comes with Windows XP:

How To Use Backup to Back Up Files and Folders on Your Computer
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308422

Yes - you still need some sort of external media to store the results
on, but you could schedule the backup to occur when you are not around,
then burn the resultant data onto CD or DVD or something when you are
(while you do other things!)

Another option that seems to still be going strong:

Cobian Backup
http://www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/cobianbackup.htm

A lot of people have wondered about how to completely backup their system
so that they would not have to go through the trouble of a reinstall..
I'm going to voice my opinion here and say that it would be worthless to
do for MOST people. Unless you plan on periodically updating the image
backup of your system (remaking it) - then by the time you use it
(something goes wrong) - it will be so outdated as to be more trouble than
performing a full install of the operating system and all applications.

Having said my part against it, you can clone/backup your hard drive
completely using many methods - by far the simplest are using disk cloning
applications:

Symantec/Norton Ghost
http://snipurl.com/13e00

Acronis True Image
http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/

BootItT NG
http://terabyteunlimited.com/bootitng.html

Tip (7):
You should sometimes look through the list of applications that are
installed on your computer. The list may surprise you. There are more
than likely things in there you know you never use - so why have them
there? There may even be things you know you did *not* install and
certainly do not use (maybe don't WANT to use.)

This web site should help you get started at looking through this list:

How to Uninstall Programs
http://snipurl.com/8v6b

How to change or remove a program in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307895

A word of warning - Do NOT uninstall anything you think you MIGHT need
in the future unless you have completed Tip (1) and have the installation
media and proper keys for use backed up somewhere safe!

Tip (8):
Patches and Updates!

This one cannot be stressed enough. It is SO simple, yet so neglected
by many people. It is really simple for the critical Microsoft patches!
Microsoft put in an AUTOMATED feature for you to utilize so that you do
NOT have to worry yourself about the patching of the Operating System:

How to configure and use Automatic Updates in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306525

However, not everyone wants to be a slave to automation, and that is
fine. Admittedly, I prefer this method on some of my more critical
systems.

Windows Update
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/

Go there and scan your machine for updates. Always get the critical ones
as you see them. Write down the KB###### or Q###### you see when
selecting the updates and if you have trouble over the next few days,
go into your control panel (Add/Remove Programs), insure that the
'Show Updates' checkbox is checked and match up the latest numbers you
downloaded recently (since you started noticing an issue) and uninstall
them. If there was more than one (usually is), uninstall them one by one
with a few hours of use in between, to see if the problem returns.
Yes - the process is not perfect (updating) and can cause trouble like I
mentioned - but as you can see, the solution isn't that bad - and is
MUCH better than the alternatives.

Windows is not the only product you likely have on your PC. The
manufacturers of the other products usually have updates. New versions
of almost everything come out all the time - some are free, some are pay
and some you can only download if you are registered - but it is best
to check. Just go to their web pages and look under their support and
download sections. For example, for Microsoft Office you should visit:

Microsoft Office Updates
http://office.microsoft.com/
(and select 'Check for Updates' and/or 'Downloads' for more)

You also have hardware on your machine that requires drivers to interface
with the operating system. You have a video card that allows you to see on
your screen, a sound card that allows you to hear your PCs sound output and
so on. Visit those manufacturer web sites for the latest downloadable
drivers for your hardware/operating system. Always get the manufacturers'
hardware driver over any Microsoft offers. On the Windows Update site I
mentioned earlier, I suggest NOT getting their hardware drivers - no matter
how tempting.

How do you know what hardware you have in your computer? Break out the
invoice or if it is up and working now - take inventory:

Belarc Advisor
http://belarc.com/free_download.html

Once you know what you have, what next? Go get the latest driver for your
hardware/OS from the manufacturer's web page. For example, let's say you
have an NVidia chipset video card or ATI video card, perhaps a Creative
Labs sound card or C-Media chipset sound card...

NVidia Video Card Drivers
http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp

ATI Video Card Drivers
http://ati.amd.com/support/driver.html

Creative Labs Sound Device
http://us.creative.com/support/downloads/

C-Media Sound Device
http://www.cmedia.com.tw/?q=en/driver

Then install these drivers. Updated drivers are usually more stable and
may provide extra benefits/features that you really wished you had before.

As for Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP, Microsoft has made this
particular patch available in a number of ways. First, there is the
Windows Update web page above. Then there is a direct download site.

Direct Download of Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP
http://snipurl.com/8bqy

Order Windows XP Service Pack 2 on CD
http://snipurl.com/d41v

If all else fails - grab the full download above and try to use that.
In this case - consider yourself a 'IT professional or developer'.

Tip (9):
What about the dreaded word in the computer world, VIRUS?

Well, there are many products to choose from that will help you prevent
infections from these horrid little applications. Many are FREE to the
home user and which you choose is a matter of taste, really. Many people
have emotional attachments or performance issues with one or another
AntiVirus software. Try some out, read reviews and decide for yourself
which you like more:

( Good Comparison Page for AV software: http://www.av-comparatives.org/ )

AntiVir (Free and up)
http://www.free-av.com/

avast! (Free and up)
http://www.avast.com/

AVG Anti-Virus System (Free and up)
http://free.grisoft.com/

ca Anti-Virus (~$49.99 and up)
http://snipurl.com/13e0u

eset NOD32 (~$39.00 and up)
http://www.eset.com/products/

Kaspersky Anti-Virus (~$39.95 and up)
http://www.kaspersky.com/kav6

McAfee VirusScan (~$39.99 and up)
http://www.mcafee.com/

Panda Antivirus Titanium (~$39.95 and up)
http://www.pandasoftware.com/products/antivirus2007.htm
(Free Online Scanner: http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/)

Symantec (Norton) AntiVirus (~$39.99 and up)
http://snipurl.com/13e12

Trend Micro (~$44.95 and up)
http://www.trendmicro.com/en/products/desktop/tav/
(Free Online Scanner:
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp)

Most of them have automatic update capabilities. You will have to
look into the features of the one you choose. Whatever one you finally
settle with - be SURE to keep it updated (I recommend at least daily) and
perform a full scan periodically (yes, most protect you actively, but a
full scan once a month at 4AM probably won't bother you.)

Tip (10):
The most rampant infestation at the current time concerns SPYWARE/ADWARE.
You need to eliminate it from your machine.

There is no one software that cleans and immunizes you against
everything. Antivirus software - you only needed one. Firewall, you
only needed one. AntiSpyware - you will need several. I have a list and
I recommend you use at least the first five.

First - make sure you have NOT installed "Rogue AntiSpyware". There are
people out there who created AntiSpyware products that actually install
spyware of their own! You need to avoid these:

Rogue/Suspect Anti-Spyware Products & Web Sites
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm

Also, you can always visit this site..
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
For more updated information.

Install the first five of these: (Install, Run, Update, Scan with..)
(If you already have one or more - uninstall them and download the
LATEST version from the page given!)

Lavasoft AdAware (Free and up)
http://www.lavasoft.de/products/ad-aware_se_personal.php
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/atdn )

Spybot Search and Destroy (Free!)
http://www.safer-networking.net/en/download/
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/atdk )

SpywareBlaster (Free!)
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/sbdownload.html
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/ate6 )

IE-SPYAD2 (Free!)
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/uiuc/resource.htm#IESPYAD
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/ate7 )

SuperAntiSpyware (Free and up)
http://www.superantispyware.com/

CWShredder Stand-Alone (Free!)
http://www.trendmicro.com/cwshredder/

Hijack This! (Free!)
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html
(Log Analyzer: http://hjt.networktechs.com/ )

Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner (Free!)
http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanner/
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/ate3 )

ToolbarCop (Free!)
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/toolbarcop.htm

Ccleaner (Free!)
http://www.ccleaner.com/

Browser Security Tests (Free Tester)
http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/BrowserSecurity/

Popup Tester (Free Tester)
http://www.popuptest.com/

The Cleaner (~$49.95 and up)
http://www.moosoft.com/

Sometimes you need to install the application and reboot into SAFE MODE in
order to thoroughly clean your computer. Many applications also have
(or are) immunization applications. Spybot Search and Destroy and
SpywareBlaster are two that currently do the best job at passively
protecting your system from malware. None of these programs (in these
editions) run in the background unless you TELL them to. The space they
take up and how easy they are to use greatly makes up for any inconvenience
you may be feeling.

Please notice that Windows XP SP2 does help stop popups as well.

Another option is to use an alternative Web browser. I suggest
'Mozilla Firefox', as it has some great features and is very easy to use:

Mozilla Firefox
http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/


So your machine is pretty clean and up to date now. If you use the sections
above as a guide, it should stay that way as well! There are still a few
more things you can do to keep your machine running in top shape.

Tip (11):
You should periodically check your hard drive(s) for errors and defragment
them. Only defragment after you have cleaned up your machine of
outside parasites and never defragment as a solution to a quirkiness in
your system. It may help speed up your system, but it should be clean
before you do this. Do these things IN ORDER...

How to use Disk Cleanup
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310312

How to scan your disks for errors
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265

How to Defragment your hard drives
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314848

I would personally perform the above steps at least once every three months.
For most people this should be sufficient, but if the difference you notice
afterwards is greater than you think it should be, lessen the time in
between its schedule.. If the difference you notice is negligible, you can
increase the time.

Tip (12):
SPAM! JUNK MAIL!
This one can get annoying, just like the rest. You get 50 emails in one
sitting and 2 of them you wanted. NICE! (Not.) What can you do? Well,
although there are services out there to help you, some email
servers/services that actually do lower your spam with features built into
their servers - I still like the methods that let you be the end-decision
maker on what is spam and what is not. I have a few products to suggest
to you, look at them and see if any of them suite your needs. Again, if
they don't, Google is free and available for your perusal.

SpamBayes (Free!)
http://spambayes.sourceforge.net/

Spamihilator (Free!)
http://www.spamihilator.com/

MailWasher
http://www.mailwasher.net/

As I said, those are not your only options, but are reliable ones I have
seen function for hundreds+ people.

Tip (13):
ADVANCED TIP! Only do this once you are comfortable under the hood of your
computer!

There are lots of services on your PC that are probably turned on by default
you don't use. Why have them on? Check out these web pages to see what all
of the services you might find on your computer are and set them according
to your personal needs. Be CAREFUL what you set to manual, and take heed
and write down as you change things! Also, don't expect a large performance
increase or anything - especially on today's 2+ GHz machines, however - I
look at each service you set to manual as one less service you have to worry
about someone exploiting.

Service Configuration Tips
http://www.tweakhound.com/xp/xptweaks/supertweaks6.htm

Configuring Services
http://smallvoid.com/tweak/winnt/services.html

Task List Programs
http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm

Processes in Windows NT/2000/XP
http://www.reger24.de/prozesse/

There are also applications that AREN'T services that startup when you start
up the computer/logon. One of the better description on how to handle these
I have found here:

Startups
http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php


If you follow the advice laid out above (and do some of your own research as
well, so you understand what you are doing) - your computer will stay fairly
stable and secure and you will have a more trouble-free system.
 
At some point during the install, before the file copy, you should get an
option to format the drive, select it.
 
Jenesis said:
I want to completely reformat my hard drive, or otherwise remove everything
on it, and reinstall XP Home, as I'm having major, major problems with it
(explorer.exe crashes and doesn't come back at startup... no Start Menu, run
box or command prompt!)

I have a legal copy of XP Home that I bought especially to do this
reinstall, as I got my laptop from Dell, and it's too old to warrant their
support.

I have tried booting from the CD, and I get the option to install, but only
on top of my old install. I have tried repairing the old install, but it
didn't fix my many problems (see above).

How do I reformat my hard drive and reinstall XP?
Click to expand...
 
I apologize for bringing up an old topic, but I'm wondering if Shenan
Stanley's post would be helpful in my situation.

I have Windows XP Home that was preinstalled on my Compaq PC. Although I
have installed a 500Gb second hard drive, and moved the entire My Documents
folder to the second drive, the original C: drive with 75Gb is still running
out of room.

What I want to do is install a new primary C: drive with at least 320Gb and
reinstall all of my apps on the new drive. I realize I will have to install
all the drivers, etc. as outlined in Shenan's post, which I do feel
comfortable in doing.

What I'm wondering is if I can buy an unlicensed copy of Windows XP SP3 and
use the original license that came with the PC to install Windows XP Home on
a new C:drive. Since I only have room for 2 hard drives in my CPU case, I
would not keep the old hard drive. As long as I have the product key for the
original installation, can I use the unlicensed copy with SP3 to set up the
new primary drive?

I want to avoid having to install XP from the original Restore CD, since it
would take an enormous amount of time to download all the updates to XP Home
since 2002.

FYI - several people have advised me that there's no way that I could have
enough apps installed to take up 55Gb, but apparently I do. I have a lot of
apps that require lots of disk space, as well as lots of RAM. I have upgraded
my system to 2Gb RAM, and while this helped speed it up, I still have the
issue of Virtual Memory running out of room. And, I have more apps that I
want to install.

I routinely run the defrag and disk cleanup utilities, but when my free disk
space gets below about 15Gb, then defrag won't run.

Thanks very much if anyone can advise me on this situation.

Cyndi

:

[long post re: steps to reinstall Windows XP Home]
 
Hi!
What I'm wondering is if I can buy an unlicensed copy of Windows XP SP3 and
use the original license that came with the PC to install Windows XP Home on
a new C:drive.
Click to expand...

Maaaaaaaybe.

It depends upon what you mean by "unlicensed" for at least two reasons:

1. If the disc you buy is not genuine or has been "cracked" to bypass
Microsoft activation/licensing requirements, you don't really know what
you're getting. It could be laced with malicious software or stuff that you
don't want and cannot easily get rid of.

2. You have to buy the right type of installation disc. Retail discs
generally don't work with OEM key numbers. The opposite (OEM disc and retail
key number) is also true.

I want to avoid having to install XP from the original Restore CD, since it
would take an enormous amount of time to download all the updates to XP Home
since 2002.
Click to expand...

If the CD you have is a "true" Windows XP reinstallation disc (and not some
hokey "restore" CD that installs everything from a disk image file or
similar process) you could add SP3 to it relatively easily. All you need is
a real Windows XP CD, a CD burner, a blank CD-R disc, the full ("network")
SP3 installer package and some instructions. Here are some:

http://www.howtohaven.com/system/slipstream-xp-service-pack-3.shtml

(If you don't find those satisfactory, others exist and some have
screenshots.)
FYI - several people have advised me that there's no way that I could have
enough apps installed to take up 55Gb, but apparently I do. I have a lot of
apps that require lots of disk space, as well as lots of RAM. I have upgraded
my system to 2Gb RAM, and while this helped speed it up, I still have the
issue of Virtual Memory running out of room. And, I have more apps that I
want to install.
Click to expand...

If you intend to reinstall all the applications you presently have, you may
run right into this again. Although I feel that this could be a result of an
old and creaky Windows installation that should be replaced, using a lot of
applications and having a lot of stuff load in the background can cause
Windows to run low on virtual memory.

You can do two things in that case:

1. Install more RAM (but not more than 3/3.5GB). 32-bit editions of Windows
XP can't make use of RAM beyond the 3/3.5 GB point.

2. Increase the size of your paging file.

However, I think you'll find that your problems will go away if you just
start fresh.

William
 
That might depend on your PC maker.
Are you wanting to replace the C drive entirely?
If you use a cloning app, eg Acronis TI you can clone your existing C drive
to a new drive, and in the process clone to a larger drive. ie if the
origonal drive is 80gb you can clone to a 320gb drive using all the
available space on the 500gb, the new C will be 320gb (less the usual
formated amount)
Acronis provides a fully functioning trial version (14 days, I think)
Follow the instructions, should be no problem. For safety's sake disconnect
the slave, or in your case replace the slave with what will be your new C,
and any media readers, leave only the cd/dvd drive and HD connected, no
periferals
 
Hi, William:

I do not have a retail Win XP CD, but only the Restore CD and Recovery CD
that came from Compaq, my system's manufacturer. The license key is on a
Genuine Microsoft label on the CPU case. I went through the Microsoft website
(from another post here) to make sure I passed the COA test for the license
key.

I should have specified that the unlicensed copy of Win XP Home SP3 is
available from a local reputable computer business. They've been in business
here for over 20 years and service many large companies in our area. I
seriously doubt it would be an illegal copy. Since they build their own
branded computers, they are allowed to distribute unlicensed copies for use
with existing licenses. However, after reading some other posts, it became
unclear to me whether I could use the unlicensed copy with my original
license key or not. I would be installing XP back onto the same PC, but it
would have a new C: drive. Would that invalidate the license?

I'm not sure why you think if I reinstall all of the apps I have now and add
more later that I would run out of space on a 320Gb hard drive? My current C:
drive is 80Gb, with 4Gb partitioned off for some system files. 320GB is 4
times as much space as 80Gb; please explain what you mean by "run into this
again".

I'm not sure why you think I can install another Gb of RAM. My system was
built to use a maximum of 2Gb, according to the manual and the information on
the HP/Compaq support site. Besides, there are only two memory slots, so I
would have to buy a 2Gb memory chip and throw away one of the 1Gb chips that
I have already installed and have been using for over a year now. And, it
still wouldn't solve the space problem on the original C: drive.

I do appreciate your response, but I am a little confused about some of your
advice. Any elaboration you can provide would be helpful.

Gratefully,
Cyndi
 
DL,

I am somewhat confused by your answers, and hope you can expand and clarify
for me.

Yes, I want to replace the 80Gb drive with a new, faster one that is at
least 320Gb.

As for cloning the C: drive to a new drive, you also mention "using all of
the available space on the 500Gb drive". I'm not sure if you mean to
temporarily use 320Gb of the 500Gb drive just for the cloning, or to
partition the 500Gb drive into 2 drives. If you mean the later, I do not wish
to partition the 500Gb or use any part of it for the primary drive. My
intention was to have 500Gb just for files, because I store a lot of photos
and do not wish to keep them on CDs or other media. Of course, I do back up
the photos to an online backup service just in case of hard drive failure.

Could you also please clarify what you mean about "replace the slave with
what will be your new C"? I'm unsure whether you are calling my 500Gb second
drive the slave drive, or the original 80Gb C: drive?

Thanks,
Cyndi

DL said:
That might depend on your PC maker.
Are you wanting to replace the C drive entirely?
If you use a cloning app, eg Acronis TI you can clone your existing C drive
to a new drive, and in the process clone to a larger drive. ie if the
origonal drive is 80gb you can clone to a 320gb drive using all the
available space on the 500gb, the new C will be 320gb (less the usual
formated amount)
Acronis provides a fully functioning trial version (14 days, I think)
Follow the instructions, should be no problem. For safety's sake disconnect
the slave, or in your case replace the slave with what will be your new C,
and any media readers, leave only the cd/dvd drive and HD connected, no
periferals

cyndiwise notsowise said:
I apologize for bringing up an old topic, but I'm wondering if Shenan
Stanley's post would be helpful in my situation.

I have Windows XP Home that was preinstalled on my Compaq PC. Although I
have installed a 500Gb second hard drive, and moved the entire My
Documents
folder to the second drive, the original C: drive with 75Gb is still
running
out of room.

What I want to do is install a new primary C: drive with at least 320Gb
and
reinstall all of my apps on the new drive. I realize I will have to
install
all the drivers, etc. as outlined in Shenan's post, which I do feel
comfortable in doing.

What I'm wondering is if I can buy an unlicensed copy of Windows XP SP3
and
use the original license that came with the PC to install Windows XP Home
on
a new C:drive. Since I only have room for 2 hard drives in my CPU case, I
would not keep the old hard drive. As long as I have the product key for
the
original installation, can I use the unlicensed copy with SP3 to set up
the
new primary drive?

I want to avoid having to install XP from the original Restore CD, since
it
would take an enormous amount of time to download all the updates to XP
Home
since 2002.

FYI - several people have advised me that there's no way that I could have
enough apps installed to take up 55Gb, but apparently I do. I have a lot
of
apps that require lots of disk space, as well as lots of RAM. I have
upgraded
my system to 2Gb RAM, and while this helped speed it up, I still have the
issue of Virtual Memory running out of room. And, I have more apps that I
want to install.

I routinely run the defrag and disk cleanup utilities, but when my free
disk
space gets below about 15Gb, then defrag won't run.

Thanks very much if anyone can advise me on this situation.

Cyndi

:

[long post re: steps to reinstall Windows XP Home]
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Replies inline---
cyndiwise notsowise said:
DL,

I am somewhat confused by your answers, and hope you can expand and
clarify
for me.

Yes, I want to replace the 80Gb drive with a new, faster one that is at
least 320Gb.

As for cloning the C: drive to a new drive, you also mention "using all of
the available space on the 500Gb drive". I'm not sure if you mean to
temporarily use 320Gb of the 500Gb drive just for the cloning, or to
partition the 500Gb drive into 2 drives. If you mean the later, I do not
wish
to partition the 500Gb or use any part of it for the primary drive. My
intention was to have 500Gb just for files, because I store a lot of
photos
and do not wish to keep them on CDs or other media. Of course, I do back
up
the photos to an online backup service just in case of hard drive failure.

Could you also please clarify what you mean about "replace the slave with
what will be your new C"? I'm unsure whether you are calling my 500Gb
second
drive the slave drive, or the original 80Gb C: drive?

Thanks,
Cyndi
Click to expand...
No, DL did not intend for you to use only 320 GB of a 500 GB drive for the
system. What DL posted is a method for cloning the existing 80 GB disk onto
a new disk of whatever size. I presume that DL's mentioning of 320 GB was a
slip of the wrist. Acronis True Image is quite capable of expanding
partitions to fill the space provided by a bigger drive.

What you do is to remove your existing 500 GB drive and put a new drive in
its place. Then, you clone your 80GB drive onto the new drive taking care
to tell ATI to expand the partitions to use all of the new drive.

When the cloning completes, take out the existing 80 GB drive, put the new
drive in its place, and reinstall your old 500 GB drive. This is a
shortened description of the process. Since your current data disk will not
be installed while all this is going on, your current data is out of harm's
way.

Jim
DL said:
That might depend on your PC maker.
Are you wanting to replace the C drive entirely?
If you use a cloning app, eg Acronis TI you can clone your existing C
drive
to a new drive, and in the process clone to a larger drive. ie if the
origonal drive is 80gb you can clone to a 320gb drive using all the
available space on the 500gb, the new C will be 320gb (less the usual
formated amount)
Acronis provides a fully functioning trial version (14 days, I think)
Follow the instructions, should be no problem. For safety's sake
disconnect
the slave, or in your case replace the slave with what will be your new
C,
and any media readers, leave only the cd/dvd drive and HD connected, no
periferals

"cyndiwise notsowise" <[email protected]>
wrote
in message news:[email protected]...
I apologize for bringing up an old topic, but I'm wondering if Shenan
Stanley's post would be helpful in my situation.

I have Windows XP Home that was preinstalled on my Compaq PC. Although
I
have installed a 500Gb second hard drive, and moved the entire My
Documents
folder to the second drive, the original C: drive with 75Gb is still
running
out of room.

What I want to do is install a new primary C: drive with at least 320Gb
and
reinstall all of my apps on the new drive. I realize I will have to
install
all the drivers, etc. as outlined in Shenan's post, which I do feel
comfortable in doing.

What I'm wondering is if I can buy an unlicensed copy of Windows XP SP3
and
use the original license that came with the PC to install Windows XP
Home
on
a new C:drive. Since I only have room for 2 hard drives in my CPU case,
I
would not keep the old hard drive. As long as I have the product key
for
the
original installation, can I use the unlicensed copy with SP3 to set up
the
new primary drive?

I want to avoid having to install XP from the original Restore CD,
since
it
would take an enormous amount of time to download all the updates to XP
Home
since 2002.

FYI - several people have advised me that there's no way that I could
have
enough apps installed to take up 55Gb, but apparently I do. I have a
lot
of
apps that require lots of disk space, as well as lots of RAM. I have
upgraded
my system to 2Gb RAM, and while this helped speed it up, I still have
the
issue of Virtual Memory running out of room. And, I have more apps that
I
want to install.

I routinely run the defrag and disk cleanup utilities, but when my free
disk
space gets below about 15Gb, then defrag won't run.

Thanks very much if anyone can advise me on this situation.

Cyndi

:

[long post re: steps to reinstall Windows XP Home]
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Thanks, Jim. This makes more sense to me now.

Cyndi

Jim said:
Replies inline---
cyndiwise notsowise said:
DL,

I am somewhat confused by your answers, and hope you can expand and
clarify
for me.

Yes, I want to replace the 80Gb drive with a new, faster one that is at
least 320Gb.

As for cloning the C: drive to a new drive, you also mention "using all of
the available space on the 500Gb drive". I'm not sure if you mean to
temporarily use 320Gb of the 500Gb drive just for the cloning, or to
partition the 500Gb drive into 2 drives. If you mean the later, I do not
wish
to partition the 500Gb or use any part of it for the primary drive. My
intention was to have 500Gb just for files, because I store a lot of
photos
and do not wish to keep them on CDs or other media. Of course, I do back
up
the photos to an online backup service just in case of hard drive failure.

Could you also please clarify what you mean about "replace the slave with
what will be your new C"? I'm unsure whether you are calling my 500Gb
second
drive the slave drive, or the original 80Gb C: drive?

Thanks,
Cyndi
Click to expand...
No, DL did not intend for you to use only 320 GB of a 500 GB drive for the
system. What DL posted is a method for cloning the existing 80 GB disk onto
a new disk of whatever size. I presume that DL's mentioning of 320 GB was a
slip of the wrist. Acronis True Image is quite capable of expanding
partitions to fill the space provided by a bigger drive.

What you do is to remove your existing 500 GB drive and put a new drive in
its place. Then, you clone your 80GB drive onto the new drive taking care
to tell ATI to expand the partitions to use all of the new drive.

When the cloning completes, take out the existing 80 GB drive, put the new
drive in its place, and reinstall your old 500 GB drive. This is a
shortened description of the process. Since your current data disk will not
be installed while all this is going on, your current data is out of harm's
way.

Jim
DL said:
That might depend on your PC maker.
Are you wanting to replace the C drive entirely?
If you use a cloning app, eg Acronis TI you can clone your existing C
drive
to a new drive, and in the process clone to a larger drive. ie if the
origonal drive is 80gb you can clone to a 320gb drive using all the
available space on the 500gb, the new C will be 320gb (less the usual
formated amount)
Acronis provides a fully functioning trial version (14 days, I think)
Follow the instructions, should be no problem. For safety's sake
disconnect
the slave, or in your case replace the slave with what will be your new
C,
and any media readers, leave only the cd/dvd drive and HD connected, no
periferals

"cyndiwise notsowise" <[email protected]>
wrote
in message I apologize for bringing up an old topic, but I'm wondering if Shenan
Stanley's post would be helpful in my situation.

I have Windows XP Home that was preinstalled on my Compaq PC. Although
I
have installed a 500Gb second hard drive, and moved the entire My
Documents
folder to the second drive, the original C: drive with 75Gb is still
running
out of room.

What I want to do is install a new primary C: drive with at least 320Gb
and
reinstall all of my apps on the new drive. I realize I will have to
install
all the drivers, etc. as outlined in Shenan's post, which I do feel
comfortable in doing.

What I'm wondering is if I can buy an unlicensed copy of Windows XP SP3
and
use the original license that came with the PC to install Windows XP
Home
on
a new C:drive. Since I only have room for 2 hard drives in my CPU case,
I
would not keep the old hard drive. As long as I have the product key
for
the
original installation, can I use the unlicensed copy with SP3 to set up
the
new primary drive?

I want to avoid having to install XP from the original Restore CD,
since
it
would take an enormous amount of time to download all the updates to XP
Home
since 2002.

FYI - several people have advised me that there's no way that I could
have
enough apps installed to take up 55Gb, but apparently I do. I have a
lot
of
apps that require lots of disk space, as well as lots of RAM. I have
upgraded
my system to 2Gb RAM, and while this helped speed it up, I still have
the
issue of Virtual Memory running out of room. And, I have more apps that
I
want to install.

I routinely run the defrag and disk cleanup utilities, but when my free
disk
space gets below about 15Gb, then defrag won't run.

Thanks very much if anyone can advise me on this situation.

Cyndi

:

[long post re: steps to reinstall Windows XP Home]
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Am I understanding correctly that cloning my old C: drive to a new drive
would eliminate having to install XP again?

I was thinking with a fresh install of XP I could bypass all the extraneous
software that came installed from Compaq which is pretty much useless.

Cyndi

Jim said:
Replies inline---
cyndiwise notsowise said:
DL,

I am somewhat confused by your answers, and hope you can expand and
clarify
for me.

Yes, I want to replace the 80Gb drive with a new, faster one that is at
least 320Gb.

As for cloning the C: drive to a new drive, you also mention "using all of
the available space on the 500Gb drive". I'm not sure if you mean to
temporarily use 320Gb of the 500Gb drive just for the cloning, or to
partition the 500Gb drive into 2 drives. If you mean the later, I do not
wish
to partition the 500Gb or use any part of it for the primary drive. My
intention was to have 500Gb just for files, because I store a lot of
photos
and do not wish to keep them on CDs or other media. Of course, I do back
up
the photos to an online backup service just in case of hard drive failure.

Could you also please clarify what you mean about "replace the slave with
what will be your new C"? I'm unsure whether you are calling my 500Gb
second
drive the slave drive, or the original 80Gb C: drive?

Thanks,
Cyndi
Click to expand...
No, DL did not intend for you to use only 320 GB of a 500 GB drive for the
system. What DL posted is a method for cloning the existing 80 GB disk onto
a new disk of whatever size. I presume that DL's mentioning of 320 GB was a
slip of the wrist. Acronis True Image is quite capable of expanding
partitions to fill the space provided by a bigger drive.

What you do is to remove your existing 500 GB drive and put a new drive in
its place. Then, you clone your 80GB drive onto the new drive taking care
to tell ATI to expand the partitions to use all of the new drive.

When the cloning completes, take out the existing 80 GB drive, put the new
drive in its place, and reinstall your old 500 GB drive. This is a
shortened description of the process. Since your current data disk will not
be installed while all this is going on, your current data is out of harm's
way.

Jim
DL said:
That might depend on your PC maker.
Are you wanting to replace the C drive entirely?
If you use a cloning app, eg Acronis TI you can clone your existing C
drive
to a new drive, and in the process clone to a larger drive. ie if the
origonal drive is 80gb you can clone to a 320gb drive using all the
available space on the 500gb, the new C will be 320gb (less the usual
formated amount)
Acronis provides a fully functioning trial version (14 days, I think)
Follow the instructions, should be no problem. For safety's sake
disconnect
the slave, or in your case replace the slave with what will be your new
C,
and any media readers, leave only the cd/dvd drive and HD connected, no
periferals

"cyndiwise notsowise" <[email protected]>
wrote
in message I apologize for bringing up an old topic, but I'm wondering if Shenan
Stanley's post would be helpful in my situation.

I have Windows XP Home that was preinstalled on my Compaq PC. Although
I
have installed a 500Gb second hard drive, and moved the entire My
Documents
folder to the second drive, the original C: drive with 75Gb is still
running
out of room.

What I want to do is install a new primary C: drive with at least 320Gb
and
reinstall all of my apps on the new drive. I realize I will have to
install
all the drivers, etc. as outlined in Shenan's post, which I do feel
comfortable in doing.

What I'm wondering is if I can buy an unlicensed copy of Windows XP SP3
and
use the original license that came with the PC to install Windows XP
Home
on
a new C:drive. Since I only have room for 2 hard drives in my CPU case,
I
would not keep the old hard drive. As long as I have the product key
for
the
original installation, can I use the unlicensed copy with SP3 to set up
the
new primary drive?

I want to avoid having to install XP from the original Restore CD,
since
it
would take an enormous amount of time to download all the updates to XP
Home
since 2002.

FYI - several people have advised me that there's no way that I could
have
enough apps installed to take up 55Gb, but apparently I do. I have a
lot
of
apps that require lots of disk space, as well as lots of RAM. I have
upgraded
my system to 2Gb RAM, and while this helped speed it up, I still have
the
issue of Virtual Memory running out of room. And, I have more apps that
I
want to install.

I routinely run the defrag and disk cleanup utilities, but when my free
disk
space gets below about 15Gb, then defrag won't run.

Thanks very much if anyone can advise me on this situation.

Cyndi

:

[long post re: steps to reinstall Windows XP Home]
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Hi!
Would that invalidate the license?
Click to expand...

No, you should not have any problems by just replacing the hard drive.
I'm not sure why you think if I reinstall all of the apps I have now and add
more later that I would run out of space on a 320Gb hard drive?
Click to expand...

I was talking about the "low on virtual memory" message. That's what you
might see come up again.
I'm not sure why you think I can install another Gb of RAM.
Click to expand...

I did not know what system you had, or what its limitations were. The advice
was generic,and in this case it was not correct for your system.

William
 
Hi!
I was thinking with a fresh install of XP I could bypass all the extraneous
software that came installed from Compaq which is pretty much useless.
Click to expand...

That is exactly correct. And I would say it's a good idea--if you're sure
that the Windows XP installation media you plan on buying is legitimate, I'd
say go for it. Some folks are of the impression that uninstalling that stuff
is "good enough". I'd just as soon not have it there to start with.

William
 
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