Try this:
You could try resizing the partition that your current installation is on.
Partition magic can do that. Just down size it by a couple of gig's. Then
install XP to the 2 gig unused space. During installation, when the process
gets to its first reboot, enter the Bios and set the hard drive as the first
boot device. That way it won't even look at the CD again during bootup. This
may be putting you in the "install restart" loop. Some motherboards don't
offer the choice of booting from the CD, they just automatically boot from
it if it's set as the first boot device and if it's a bootable CD.
After you get XP on the small partition, bootup to it. That'll give you full
access to the old install partition. Then you can copy your profiles
under Documents and Setting (which contain your Address books, Favorites,
Documents, custom program setups, etc...). ""Make absolutely sure your
Folder Options are set to show all files and System Files before you copy
the profiles""
If you have a CD burner, install
the software on the new XP install and burn all this info to disk.
Everything you what to keep.
Then when your ready to wipe everything out, boot from the XP install CD
again. This time when it gets to the partition for installation, select each
partition and delete them. Then install on the total unallocated space. I
would recommend not setting any password for the Administrator account until
your done with everything.
After installation, stay logged in as the administrator during all software
installation. If you do not create any users, it will automatically log in
as Admin when booting up.
After all software that you were previously using is installed, create the
two user accounts that you and your wife were using. Give those accounts
administrator privileges. Login once on each account, don't change or do
anything.
REBOOT the machine. Log in as Admin. But, once accounts are created, Admin
will not be available at the log in screen. You have to press Ctrl-Alt-Del
twice to get the real log in screen so you can log in as Administrator. Now
just copy the contents for each user of your user accounts on the CD and
overwrite the contents of the same directory under Documents and Settings.
Then test each login.
Good luck.
Richie Moore
