R
RJ
Would a reinstall fix problems? Or should I get a 3rd party software - is
there a good utility/registry software that goes with XP Home?
there a good utility/registry software that goes with XP Home?
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M
Mike Hall, MS-MVP
Fix what problems?
B
Bill Ridgeway
Reinstalling Windows can fix problems BUT it can also create problems.
Have a look at www.1001solutions.co.uk/reformatting_a_hard_disk_drive.pdf
Regards.
Bill Ridgeway
Computer Solutions
Have a look at www.1001solutions.co.uk/reformatting_a_hard_disk_drive.pdf
Regards.
Bill Ridgeway
Computer Solutions
K
Ken Blake, MVP
RJ said:Would a reinstall fix problems? Or should I get a 3rd party software
- is there a good utility/registry software that goes with XP Home?
Since you've told us nothing about what problems you're experiencing, your
question is impossible to answer. Please ask again, and be very explicit
about what your problems are.
For information on how to make a good newsgroup posting, read
http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.html
R
RJ
It goes into a restart loop whenever I schedule a Chkdsk /f on C: drive,
and the only way to get into Windows is via Last Known Good. Anyway, now I
have a new problem while trying to reinstall:
I tried reinstalling WinXP with SP32 both from Windows (chose upgrade) and
from booting the CD and choosing the option to repair the current
installation rather than a fresh install as I didn't want it to overwrite
existing programs. But I get a copy error for a whole bunch of files which
are there on the CD in the i386 folder but Setup cannot copy these files. So
I had to click Cancel for each file to complete the setup. There's nothing
wrong with my CD/DVD drive as it can boot from it and read from it.
and the only way to get into Windows is via Last Known Good. Anyway, now I
have a new problem while trying to reinstall:
I tried reinstalling WinXP with SP32 both from Windows (chose upgrade) and
from booting the CD and choosing the option to repair the current
installation rather than a fresh install as I didn't want it to overwrite
existing programs. But I get a copy error for a whole bunch of files which
are there on the CD in the i386 folder but Setup cannot copy these files. So
I had to click Cancel for each file to complete the setup. There's nothing
wrong with my CD/DVD drive as it can boot from it and read from it.
K
keepout
It goes into a restart loop whenever I schedule a Chkdsk /f on C: drive,
and the only way to get into Windows is via Last Known Good. Anyway, nowI
have a new problem while trying to reinstall:
I tried reinstalling WinXP with SP32 both from Windows (chose upgrade) and
from booting the CD and choosing the option to repair the current
installation rather than a fresh install as I didn't want it to overwrite
existing programs. But I get a copy error for a whole bunch of files which
are there on the CD in the i386 folder but Setup cannot copy these files. So
I had to click Cancel for each file to complete the setup. There's nothing
wrong with my CD/DVD drive as it can boot from it and read from it.
Something you can try if you have the SP2 CD is to just reinstall that. Takes quite awhile, best to just get that thing installing, and go somewhere else while it works. I've seen it look like it's hung up many times. it's aggravating sitting there watching nothing happening.
But if as with many of my crashes, you're at that point where re-install of the OS is the only logical answer, you might consider a few special setup configs to make fixing this problem in the future much easier.
get a good IMAGING program, Norton Ghost, Acronis True Image, etc..
create a 30 gig C:\ System partition for JUST the OS, and those few crap programs that won't install anywhere except on C:\
format the extra space out to drive D:\ for programs, data etc. everything EXCEPT the OS.
install your OS.
Turn off System restore. biggest waste of drive space ever made.
If you have a 2nd HD and use Acronis, put your Acronis partition on that drive.
Next time [and there will be a next time] XP chokes and takes out the OS,just stick the recover CD in the CD drive, and RESTORE your OS C:\ without screwing up everything else.
Takes maybe an hour to restore with my P4 3.2 ghz. Used to take several months of reinstalling everything with one of these cascade failures..
Same when I used system restore.
You might be able to get by with less than a 30 gig OS partition, but youmight kick yourself for not thinking ahead when crap programs start filling up C:/ with useless logs, data, programs etc..
ie: I use ATI for display. the TV creates 4 gig files on a normal day on the C:\ drive. and I can't install it or the virus programs on any drive EXCEPT C:\
The key is as has been since computers started writing data is to have a BETTER BACKUP system than the SYSTEM itself.
I have 2 internal HD's totaling 450 gigs, 1 DVD writer, 1 CD writer, and a 300 gig external HD.
It looks like a mess with drive's A:, C:, D:, E:, F:, G:, H:, and I, downthe left, but it works. C: & D: are on the same drive.
Oh and as an after thought, NEVER USE CHKDSK /F. Sometimes you can get the BSOD and CHKDSK will run itself. This CHKDSK seems to work. but FORCING CHKDSK seems to take out the OS and screw up everything if there's nothing wrong.
Old OS's used CHKDSK /F to clean and defrag drives.
XP has it's own defrag program. And nothing I can say for fact, but crosslinked and bad sectors seem to be a thing of the past with XP and new HD's. You should NEVER have to use CHKDSK.
This week I found someone else that had CHKDSK destroy their OS, so it would seem it does destroy in some special cases, or many un reported cases.
B
Bruce Chambers
RJ said:Would a reinstall fix problems?
Well, that would depend entirely u[pon the specific type of problems
you're experiencing. No reinstallation can fix defective hardware, for
example. In many cases, a new inastallation won't fix virus-related
problems either. No one can provide a more definitive answer if you
don't provide at least a modicum of pertinent information.
Help us help you:
Or should I get a 3rd party software - is
there a good utility/registry software that goes with XP Home?
No such thing, to the best of my knowledge. There's certainly no
need to ever use one on WinXP.
What specific problem are you experiencing that you *know* beyond
all reasonable doubt will be fixed by using a registry cleaner? If you
do have a problem that is rooted in the registry, it would be far better
to simply edit (after backing up, of course) only the specific key(s)
and/or value(s) that are causing the problem. Why use a shotgun when a
scalpel will do the job? Additionally, the manually changing of one or
two registry entries is far less likely to have the dire consequences of
allowing an automated product to make multiple changes simultaneously.
The registry contains all of the operating system's "knowledge" of
the computer's hardware devices, installed software, the location of the
device drivers, and the computer's configuration. A misstep in the
registry can have severe consequences. One should not even turning
loose a poorly understood automated "cleaner," unless he is fully
confident that he knows *exactly* what is going to happen as a result of
each and every change. Having seen the results of inexperienced people
using automated registry "cleaners," I can only advise all but the most
experienced computer technicians (and/or hobbyists) to avoid them all.
Experience has shown me that such tools simply are not safe in the hands
of the inexperienced user.
The only thing needed to safely clean your registry is knowledge
and Regedit.exe. If you lack the knowledge and experience to maintain
your registry by yourself, then you also lack the knowledge and
experience to safely configure and use any automated registry cleaner,
no matter how safe they claim to be.
Further, no one has ever demonstrated, to my satisfaction, that the
use of an automated registry cleaner, particularly by an untrained,
inexperienced computer user, does any real good. There's certainly been
no empirical evidence offered to demonstrate that the use of such
products to "clean" WinXP's registry improves a computer's performance
or stability.
I always use Regedit.exe. I trust my own experience and judgment
far more than I would any automated registry cleaner. I strongly
encourage others to acquire the knowledge, as well.
--
Bruce Chambers
Help us help you:
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin
Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrum Russell
B
Bruce Chambers
RJ said:It goes into a restart loop whenever I schedule a Chkdsk /f on C: drive,
and the only way to get into Windows is via Last Known Good. Anyway, now I
have a new problem while trying to reinstall:
I tried reinstalling WinXP with SP32 both from Windows (chose upgrade) and
from booting the CD and choosing the option to repair the current
installation rather than a fresh install as I didn't want it to overwrite
existing programs. But I get a copy error for a whole bunch of files which
are there on the CD in the i386 folder but Setup cannot copy these files. So
I had to click Cancel for each file to complete the setup. There's nothing
wrong with my CD/DVD drive as it can boot from it and read from it.
Problems copying files or corrupted files during installation are
most often caused by defective, incompatible, or sub-standard hardware;
in order of likelihood, either RAM, the hard drive, or the motherboard.
On very rare occasions the CD drive or installation CD is the problem.
--
Bruce Chambers
Help us help you:
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin
Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrum Russell