Windows XP Re-Installing XP

BigJock2005

BigJock2005

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I'm upgrading my system at the moment, and I'm thinking about a clean reinstall of WinXP Home. Has anyone done this before, and did you have any problem re-registering XP once the new system is running? Must admit, I'm inclined to think about spending £80 and getting an OEM Pro version.

Cheers.
 
shouldn't have a problem at all. if you come across any activation issues you can always contact microsoft.

Only time you should be concerned about reinstalling windows is if it's a pirate copy. Which i'm sure it isn't.

J
 
I saw in a computer mag that windows xp home does'nt have online activation anymore.

is this true?.

have they removed the online activation !.

I have a old version of windows xp home with the activation online part.

I do not want to ring microsoft to see if my copy is real or not!.
 
Yeah, it's a genuine copy alright, I just wondered if I should expect any trouble from MS. I hear they are getting difficult about "OEM" copies purchased from vendors without hardware, and have refused to validate some people's copies.
 
It wont make any differance if you validate by phone, or over the internet. if it wont let you, you cant do it either way.
 
Yes it does!!

On SEVERAL occasions, internet activation has refused it to me... A quick call to microsoft and 1 minute later im activated. Sorted.
 
Just in case you or anyone here has been experiencing severe difficulties re-installing win xp, particularly from older discs, with LSA Shell problems and pop-ups from hell, I'd like to post a solution. This is the letter I sent to Microsoft after they were unable to address the problem:

CASE_ID_NUM: SRZ050527000053
MESSAGE: Hello Linda and James:

Pardon me for taking so long to get back to you. Kindly note that in my support message I told you that I had already done two clean installs. Your solution was to do another; and the result was precisely the same. I was bombarded with popups, some of which looked like windows system messages, claiming that the registry was corrupted, etc., which, of course, it now was, and leading to websites that would scan for problems and sell you a solution. These are filthy and disgusting business practices. In addition, one is unable to install and/or run any sort of anti-virus or firewall program, unable to properly perform windows update functions, the LSA Shell closes, the computer shuts down, and it's a total horror. As an aside, saying you don't support third party software is obvious, but rather disingenuous. Quality, well-written programs such as the ones I mentioned do not normally have these issues unless Windows itself is the problem.

I have solved this, and it is apparent that you need to know the solution. I researched this issue on the net and in forums before I contacted you folks, and it is pretty widespread, causing a lot of frustration for people who re-install their XP operating system. I found no good solution anywhere, so I contacted you folks. A virus may be involved, but it is NOT the root cause. I discovered that my XP installation disc contains some Alexa spyware that y'all probably took money to include on it. This spyware added 9 or 10 values into the registry. In the couple years since this disc came out, some enterprising and immoral soul, possibly Alexa itself, has taken further advantage of this. The INSTANT it detects an internet connection, the damage is done; well before one can possibly download updates. I downloaded Lavasoft's Ad-Aware, the AVG anti-virus program, ZoneAlarm firewall, and SpyBot to a separate hard drive. Great products and they are free. The key was to unplug or entirely disable the internet connection during re-install, run Ad-Aware to remove the Alexa crap, do a virus scan (which came up clean), and install the firewall; BEFORE setting up or plugging in the internet connection and getting updates. And absolutely before plugging in a phone line to activate or register Windows. After taking these precautions I had an excellent and trouble-free installation.

Microsoft has little respect among techies for just this sort of crap. I am astounded that you are apparently unaware of this highly damaging and undisclosed (except maybe in some buried fine print) spyware problem. I am well aware that Microsoft has bullied and cheated, rather than competed, its way into market dominance; but for crying out loud.... can't you do better than this? Damaging and corrupting spyware on your own official installation disc! What kind of horror this must cause to those less knowledgeable than myself! How many people have unnecessarily paid for these damned registry cleaners? And I'm betting that those self-same cleaners are written to keep themselves in business by ensuring that you will always need them. This is fraud, pure and simple. You ought to be ashamed. Also, because of the circumstances I have outlined, I do not feel that this should even count as one of my two support requests, as it is entirely due to Microsoft's faulty product.

I am going to go back to the forums and paste and post this letter in its entirety. I bet I help more people faster than you do! Although I am pleased that you folks have thought about me and sent follow-up messages to make sure that my problem was resolved.

Sincerely,
Michael Kendall
 
INTRODUCTION
This step-by-step article describes how to install Windows XP.

For additional information about how to install Windows XP Professional, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
286463 Release notes for Windows XP Setup contained in the Pro.txt file
For additional information about how to install Windows XP Home Edition, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
306824 Release notes for Windows XP Setup contained in the Home.txt file

Upgrade to Windows XP
This section describes how to upgrade to Windows XP from Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me), and Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional.

Note Before you start the upgrade process, obtain and install the latest BIOS upgrade for your computer from the computer's manufacturer. If you update the BIOS after you upgrade the computer, you may have to reinstall Windows XP to take advantage of features such as Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) support in the BIOS. Update the firmware in all of your hardware devices before you start the upgrade if you can.

Also, you may want to disconnect from the Internet during the installation. Disconnecting from the Internet during the installation helps protect you from malicious users. You may also want to enable the Microsoft Internet Explorer firewall. For more information, see the "Enable or disable Internet Connection Firewall" topic in Windows XP Help. For additional information about how to prepare Windows 98 or Windows Millennium Edition for an upgrade to Windows XP, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
316639 How to prepare Windows 98 or Windows Me to upgrade to Windows XP
To upgrade to Windows XP:1. Start your computer, and then insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive.
2. If Windows automatically detects the CD-ROM, click Install Windows to start the Windows XP Setup Wizard.

If Windows does not automatically detect the CD-ROM, click Start, click Run, type the following command, and then click OK:
CD-ROM drive letter:\setup.exe
3. When you are prompted to select an installation type, select Upgrade (the default setting), and then click Next.
4. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the upgrade.

Install Windows XP to a new hard disk
To install Windows XP to a new hard disk, you must start your computer by using one of the following media: • Microsoft Windows 98/Windows Millennium startup disk
• Windows XP boot disks
• Windows XP CD-ROM
For additional information about how to obtain the Windows XP Setup boot disks, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
310994 How to obtain Windows XP Setup boot disks
Note If you want to start your computer from the Windows XP CD-ROM, your CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive must be configured to do this. For information about how to configure your computer to start from the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, see the documentation that is included with your computer or contact the computer manufacturer.

To install Windows XP to a new hard disk:1. Read the End-User License Agreement, and then press F8.

Note If your Windows XP CD-ROM is an upgrade, you are prompted to insert a CD-ROM of a previous operating system to verify upgrade compliance. Remove the Windows XP CD-ROM, and then insert the CD-ROM from your previous operating system into the CD-ROM drive. You can use the CD-ROM to upgrade from the following versions of Windows:
Windows 98
Windows 98 Second Edition
Windows Millennium Edition
Windows NT 4.0
Windows 2000 Professional
2. When you are prompted for the Windows XP CD-ROM, remove your previous operating system CD-ROM, and then insert your Windows XP CD-ROM.
3. To install Windows XP by starting the computer from the Windows XP CD-ROM, insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into your CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, and then restart the computer.
4. When you see the "Press any key to boot from CD" message, press any key to start the computer from the Windows XP CD-ROM.
5. At the Welcome to Setup screen, press ENTER to start Windows XP Setup.
6. Follow the instructions on the screen to select and format a partition where you want to install Windows XP.
7. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete Windows XP Setup.

Install Windows XP to a new folder
To install Windows XP to a new folder (also known as a parallel installation), you must start your computer by using one of the following media: • Microsoft Windows 98/Windows Millennium Edition startup disk
• Windows XP boot disks
• Windows XP CD-ROM
For additional information about how to start Setup from MS-DOS or a Windows 98/Windows Millennium Edition startup disk, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
307848 How to start the Setup program from MS-DOS in Windows XP
For additional information about how to obtain the Windows XP Setup boot disks, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
310994 How to obtain Windows XP Setup boot disks
Note If you want to start your computer from the Windows XP CD-ROM, your CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive must be configured to do this. For information about how to configure your computer to start from the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, please refer to the documentation that is included with your computer or contact the computer manufacturer.

To install Windows XP to a new folder (to perform a parallel installation):1. Start your computer from the Windows XP CD-ROM. To do this, insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into your CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, and then restart your computer.
2. When the "Press any key to boot from CD" message appears on the screen, press any key to start the computer from the Windows XP CD-ROM.
3. At the Welcome to Setup screen, press ENTER to begin Windows XP Setup.
4. Read the End-User License Agreement, and then press F8.
5. Select the partition in which you want to install Windows XP, and then press ENTER.
6. Select the Leave the current file system intact (no changes) option, and then press ENTER to continue.
7. Press ESC to install to a different folder.

If the Setup program detects another operating system folder, it prompts you to type the name for the new folder after the back slash (\), for example, \WINXP. If there are no other operating systems detected, the Setup program automatically names the folder \Windows.
8. Press ENTER to continue.
9. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete Windows XP Setup.
 
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