Reinstall windows xp home concern

cliff18 wrote:

>I want to repair and clean my desktop computer by, I thought, reinstalling
>the Windows XP Home Edition CD, but when I click on 'Install Windows XP' I
>get a message saying 'Setup cannot continue because the version of Windows on
>my computer is newer than the version on the CD' and if I delete the newer
>version, the files and settings cannot be recovered.
>Is this just becuse I keep it updated, and if I go ahead and run the CD,
>then carry out the updates again, I will be able to reload the data I've
>backed up to an external HD, and all will work fine?

Yes.
 >> Stay informed about: Reinstall windows xp home concern 

cliff18 wrote:
> I want to repair and clean my desktop computer by, I thought,
> reinstalling the Windows XP Home Edition CD, but when I click on
> 'Install Windows XP' I get a message saying 'Setup cannot continue
> because the version of Windows on my computer is newer than the
> version on the CD' and if I delete the newer version, the files and
> settings cannot be recovered.
> Is this just becuse I keep it updated, and if I go ahead and run the
> CD, then carry out the updates again, I will be able to reload the
> data I've backed up to an external HD, and all will work fine?
> I cleaned up my laptop by reinstalling the Operating System CD I have
> with it, as it runs the XP Professional edition. I didn't recieve
> this message and had no problem.

Several points, Cliff.

First, it seems you are confusing a Clean Install with a Repair Install.
A repair install will not clean your desktop PC! In fact you can do that
without *any* kind of install. A clean install wipes everything off your
hard drive, and you start with a fresh clean install of XP Home. Of
course, all your programs and data files would be erased in the process.
That is why it is important for you to make sure all your data is backed
up (actually, backing up data is something everybody should do all the
time in case of disaster). Additionally, you will need to reinstall all
your programs -- so you need to make sure you have all the installation
CDs and standalone files for your programs. Finally, you will need to
have your hardware drivers handy so that you may reinstall them, too. A
clean install takes quite a while! A repair install merely replaces your
OS files, leaving data and programs intact. If there is something
specifically wrong with your OS *only*, a repair install may help (but
it's not guaranteed to work), but it almost surely will fail to improve
sluggish performance.

Second, *if* a Repair Install was the proper solution for you, there are
two things getting in the way. First, you are correct in that updating
(to a higher Service Pack level) can give you the message you mentioned.
The other factor is that you chose to boot off your hard drive. It's
better to boot off the CD itself. To do that, you would need to change
your PC's BIOS settings. Actually, that just entails pressing a certain
key (e.g., F2 or Delete) immediately after turning on your PC (before
Windows even has a chance to load). That key depends on your particular
PC.

Third, since reinstalling the OS (Clean or Repair) is probably not
indicated, why not just tell us specifically what is going on so that we
may guide you to a practical solution? Be very detailed: make and model
of PC and its specs (amount of RAM, size of hard drive and amount of
free space on it, etc.). What is you particular performance problem?
What security software are you currently running (i.e., antivirus,
antispyware, firewall)? How long have you had this problem and can you
trace it to a particulat event?
 >> Stay informed about: Reinstall windows xp home concern 

> cliff18 wrote:
>> I want to repair and clean my desktop computer by, I thought,
>> reinstalling the Windows XP Home Edition CD, but when I click on
>> 'Install Windows XP' I get a message saying 'Setup cannot continue
>> because the version of Windows on my computer is newer than the
>> version on the CD' and if I delete the newer version, the files and
>> settings cannot be recovered.
>> Is this just becuse I keep it updated, and if I go ahead and run the
>> CD, then carry out the updates again, I will be able to reload the
>> data I've backed up to an external HD, and all will work fine?
>> I cleaned up my laptop by reinstalling the Operating System CD I have
>> with it, as it runs the XP Professional edition. I didn't recieve
>> this message and had no problem.


"Daave" wrote in message

> Several points, Cliff.
>
> First, it seems you are confusing a Clean Install with a Repair Install. A
> repair install will not clean your desktop PC! In fact you can do that
> without *any* kind of install. A clean install wipes everything off your
> hard drive, and you start with a fresh clean install of XP Home. Of
> course, all your programs and data files would be erased in the process.
> That is why it is important for you to make sure all your data is backed
> up (actually, backing up data is something everybody should do all the
> time in case of disaster). Additionally, you will need to reinstall all
> your programs -- so you need to make sure you have all the installation
> CDs and standalone files for your programs. Finally, you will need to have
> your hardware drivers handy so that you may reinstall them, too. A clean
> install takes quite a while! A repair install merely replaces your OS
> files, leaving data and programs intact. If there is something
> specifically wrong with your OS *only*, a repair install may help (but
> it's not guaranteed to work), but it almost surely will fail to improve
> sluggish performance.
>
> Second, *if* a Repair Install was the proper solution for you, there are
> two things getting in the way. First, you are correct in that updating (to
> a higher Service Pack level) can give you the message you mentioned. The
> other factor is that you chose to boot off your hard drive. It's better to
> boot off the CD itself. To do that, you would need to change your PC's
> BIOS settings. Actually, that just entails pressing a certain key (e.g.,
> F2 or Delete) immediately after turning on your PC (before Windows even
> has a chance to load). That key depends on your particular PC.
>
> Third, since reinstalling the OS (Clean or Repair) is probably not
> indicated, why not just tell us specifically what is going on so that we
> may guide you to a practical solution? Be very detailed: make and model of
> PC and its specs (amount of RAM, size of hard drive and amount of free
> space on it, etc.). What is you particular performance problem? What
> security software are you currently running (i.e., antivirus, antispyware,
> firewall)? How long have you had this problem and can you trace it to a
> particulat event?


cliff...
1. Without going into the "gory" details as to why you want to "repair and
clean (your) desktop computer", we'll assume you have good & sufficient
reasons for taking this action, i.e,, you have a (hopefully!) mildly
corrupted OS that you want to "uncorrupt" by undertaking a Repair install of
the OS. So that all your presently installed programs & personal data will
be retained in the event of a successful Repair install of the OS. That's
it, right?

As Daave insinuates, a Repair installation affecting the OS may *not* be the
solution to whatever problem(s) you're experiencing. You've given no
indication why you believe a Repair install is necessary or desirable in
your circumstances.

But, as I've indicated, we'll assume that you've correctly diagnosed
whatever problem(s) you're experiencing, and a Repair install of the OS *is*
appropriate at this time.

2. As you've heard from Daave, et al., you're probably attempting to run
(what amounts to) a Repair install from your Desktop by inserting your XP OS
installation CD and selecting the "Install Windows XP" option.

As you have heard, presumably your *present* installed XP OS contains SP3
and your XP installation CD contains an earlier SP (or no SP at all). Under
those circumstances the system will not permit you to undertake a Repair
install of the OS - only a "fresh" install. No doubt that's the reason for
the Windows message you've received.

3. However, this restriction applies only if you're attempting to run a
Repair install from the Desktop with your XP installation CD. You can,
however, run a Repair install by booting to the XP installation CD even if
that CD contains an earlier SP (or no SP). Assuming the Repair install is
successful, you could subsequently install a later SP, i.e, SP2 or SP3.

4. But as has been suggested to you, it probably would be wiser for you to
create a "slipstreamed" XP OS installation CD that contains whatever SP is
currently installed on your machine. (If you're unaware of the
"slipstreaming" process do a Google search on this topic). Then you could
run the Repair install from the Desktop without any problem (assuming
nothing else is amiss with your system). Or you could run the Repair install
by booting directly to the XP installation CD as indicated above.

5. Assuming you do plan to undertake the Repair install through one means or
another, it would be wise that before doing so you would first either clone
or image the contents of your current drive (using a disk cloning or disk
imaging program) to another HDD, or at the minimum copy from your current
drive whatever data is important to you.

While a Repair install is generally safe in that it doesn't create any
additional problems with one's system (even should the Repair install be
unsuccessful), it *can* & *does* happen from time-to-time. So be aware of
this.
Anna
 >> Stay informed about: Reinstall windows xp home concern 

Wow! I thought someone may try to help but am blown away by the level of
assistance offered. Thank you everyone! I should have given my reasons so I
guess I better get into the “gory” details as Anna put it.
My desktop has been putting up with about 5 years of my family and I web
surfing, playing games, downloading past and presently used programs, music
and anything else that looked half interesting and even runs VOIP. Its doing
very well considering, but it has slowed up considerably. Now when we start
it up, nothing can be done until I go into ‘Task Manager’ and locate
something called hprblog.exe (could be our printer, not sure) and hit ‘End
Process’. I spent many hours yesterday removing things that I know were no
longer necessary, but there is a lot there that I don’t know whether they are
required or not, so I thought I’d be better off with a clean rather than a
repair, and start all over again. I bought an external HD for backing up
which I now try to keep up to date for both computers, so after the success
with my laptop I thought it’s what I should do here.
Daave has a point about having to install the drivers again though. It was
no problem with the laptop, I guess because it was off the shelf, I had a
Driver Recovery CD. This desk top computer was custom made for us, and
although I do have a few disks, I’m not sure that I have everything. I was
hoping that I could download any drivers that I may not have but with my very
limited knowledge on the subject, I guess that’s a dangerous assumption.

I have the following info I got from nlite that Randem mentioned.
CPU. AMD Athlon XP2500+ 1830mhz L2 Cache 512kb 32 bit 1.7V
Main. nVidia-nForce2 by Gigabyte Tech Co. S/N Nvidia-42302e31 Bios
rel.03/01/2004 S/N
Mem. Bank 0/1: 256mb DIMM. Bank 2/3: 256mb DIMM. Tot physical mem: 536mb
Local Drives: IDE Secondary Master: HHD 75GB WDC WD800JB-00F C:[Boot] 75GB
(18GB free) S/N 68B7313E.
Vid Card: GeCube Radeon 9600se game Buster. Chipset: ATI Radeon 9600 Series
AGP(0x4151) 128mb.
I use Panda Antivirus pro 2009 (8.00.00) with the Windows Firewall.
The case has ‘Age of Digital’ on it.
Your right about my Home Edition CD as it states it includes Service pack
1a. I hope I haven’t forgotten anything Daave, but please ask if I have.

I’ve done, and will continue to investigate, the ‘Slipstreamed disk’ search
as Anna suggested and perhaps if made with nlite, is the correct approach,
but as I don’t know enough about what can be stripped from Windows, and can’t
identify all the unnecessary files and programs on my computer now, am I
correct in saying it may be an improvement but not ideal, as I would still
have some unnecessary stuff on it? Still if this is the case, I guess better
safe than sorry.

Sorry to be so long but trying to cover everything.
Thanks again to all who answered.

Cheers
cliff18


"Anna" wrote:

>
> > cliff18 wrote:
> >> I want to repair and clean my desktop computer by, I thought,
> >> reinstalling the Windows XP Home Edition CD, but when I click on
> >> 'Install Windows XP' I get a message saying 'Setup cannot continue
> >> because the version of Windows on my computer is newer than the
> >> version on the CD' and if I delete the newer version, the files and
> >> settings cannot be recovered.
> >> Is this just becuse I keep it updated, and if I go ahead and run the
> >> CD, then carry out the updates again, I will be able to reload the
> >> data I've backed up to an external HD, and all will work fine?
> >> I cleaned up my laptop by reinstalling the Operating System CD I have
> >> with it, as it runs the XP Professional edition. I didn't recieve
> >> this message and had no problem.
>
>
> "Daave" wrote in message

> > Several points, Cliff.
> >
> > First, it seems you are confusing a Clean Install with a Repair Install. A
> > repair install will not clean your desktop PC! In fact you can do that
> > without *any* kind of install. A clean install wipes everything off your
> > hard drive, and you start with a fresh clean install of XP Home. Of
> > course, all your programs and data files would be erased in the process.
> > That is why it is important for you to make sure all your data is backed
> > up (actually, backing up data is something everybody should do all the
> > time in case of disaster). Additionally, you will need to reinstall all
> > your programs -- so you need to make sure you have all the installation
> > CDs and standalone files for your programs. Finally, you will need to have
> > your hardware drivers handy so that you may reinstall them, too. A clean
> > install takes quite a while! A repair install merely replaces your OS
> > files, leaving data and programs intact. If there is something
> > specifically wrong with your OS *only*, a repair install may help (but
> > it's not guaranteed to work), but it almost surely will fail to improve
> > sluggish performance.
> >
> > Second, *if* a Repair Install was the proper solution for you, there are
> > two things getting in the way. First, you are correct in that updating (to
> > a higher Service Pack level) can give you the message you mentioned. The
> > other factor is that you chose to boot off your hard drive. It's better to
> > boot off the CD itself. To do that, you would need to change your PC's
> > BIOS settings. Actually, that just entails pressing a certain key (e.g.,
> > F2 or Delete) immediately after turning on your PC (before Windows even
> > has a chance to load). That key depends on your particular PC.
> >
> > Third, since reinstalling the OS (Clean or Repair) is probably not
> > indicated, why not just tell us specifically what is going on so that we
> > may guide you to a practical solution? Be very detailed: make and model of
> > PC and its specs (amount of RAM, size of hard drive and amount of free
> > space on it, etc.). What is you particular performance problem? What
> > security software are you currently running (i.e., antivirus, antispyware,
> > firewall)? How long have you had this problem and can you trace it to a
> > particulat event?
>
>
> cliff...
> 1. Without going into the "gory" details as to why you want to "repair and
> clean (your) desktop computer", we'll assume you have good & sufficient
> reasons for taking this action, i.e,, you have a (hopefully!) mildly
> corrupted OS that you want to "uncorrupt" by undertaking a Repair install of
> the OS. So that all your presently installed programs & personal data will
> be retained in the event of a successful Repair install of the OS. That's
> it, right?
>
> As Daave insinuates, a Repair installation affecting the OS may *not* be the
> solution to whatever problem(s) you're experiencing. You've given no
> indication why you believe a Repair install is necessary or desirable in
> your circumstances.
>
> But, as I've indicated, we'll assume that you've correctly diagnosed
> whatever problem(s) you're experiencing, and a Repair install of the OS *is*
> appropriate at this time.
>
> 2. As you've heard from Daave, et al., you're probably attempting to run
> (what amounts to) a Repair install from your Desktop by inserting your XP OS
> installation CD and selecting the "Install Windows XP" option.
>
> As you have heard, presumably your *present* installed XP OS contains SP3
> and your XP installation CD contains an earlier SP (or no SP at all). Under
> those circumstances the system will not permit you to undertake a Repair
> install of the OS - only a "fresh" install. No doubt that's the reason for
> the Windows message you've received.
>
> 3. However, this restriction applies only if you're attempting to run a
> Repair install from the Desktop with your XP installation CD. You can,
> however, run a Repair install by booting to the XP installation CD even if
> that CD contains an earlier SP (or no SP). Assuming the Repair install is
> successful, you could subsequently install a later SP, i.e, SP2 or SP3.
>
> 4. But as has been suggested to you, it probably would be wiser for you to
> create a "slipstreamed" XP OS installation CD that contains whatever SP is
> currently installed on your machine. (If you're unaware of the
> "slipstreaming" process do a Google search on this topic). Then you could
> run the Repair install from the Desktop without any problem (assuming
> nothing else is amiss with your system). Or you could run the Repair install
> by booting directly to the XP installation CD as indicated above.
>
> 5. Assuming you do plan to undertake the Repair install through one means or
> another, it would be wise that before doing so you would first either clone
> or image the contents of your current drive (using a disk cloning or disk
> imaging program) to another HDD, or at the minimum copy from your current
> drive whatever data is important to you.
>
> While a Repair install is generally safe in that it doesn't create any
> additional problems with one's system (even should the Repair install be
> unsuccessful), it *can* & *does* happen from time-to-time. So be aware of
> this.
> Anna
>
>
>
>
 >> Stay informed about: Reinstall windows xp home concern 

PS
After deciding to go with nlite, I have found it to be a relatively
expensive experiment (if I'm looking at the right thing). I have found other
ways of making a slipstream CD, although it appears I would still need to
reload my drivers. Is there a way I can create a Driver Recovery CD from my
computer before I start?
 >> Stay informed about: Reinstall windows xp home concern 

Nlite is free, you can't get less expensive.
 >> Stay informed about: Reinstall windows xp home concern 

>> > > cliff18 wrote:
>> > >> I want to repair and clean my desktop computer by, I thought,
>> > >> reinstalling the Windows XP Home Edition CD, but when I click on
>> > >> 'Install Windows XP' I get a message saying 'Setup cannot continue
>> > >> because the version of Windows on my computer is newer than the
>> > >> version on the CD' and if I delete the newer version, the files and
>> > >> settings cannot be recovered.
>> > >> Is this just becuse I keep it updated, and if I go ahead and run the
>> > >> CD, then carry out the updates again, I will be able to reload the
>> > >> data I've backed up to an external HD, and all will work fine?
>> > >> I cleaned up my laptop by reinstalling the Operating System CD I
>> > >> have
>> > >> with it, as it runs the XP Professional edition. I didn't recieve
>> > >> this message and had no problem.


>> > "Daave" wrote in message
>>
>> > > Several points, Cliff.
>> > >
>> > > First, it seems you are confusing a Clean Install with a Repair
>> > > Install. A
>> > > repair install will not clean your desktop PC! In fact you can do
>> > > that
>> > > without *any* kind of install. A clean install wipes everything off
>> > > your
>> > > hard drive, and you start with a fresh clean install of XP Home. Of
>> > > course, all your programs and data files would be erased in the
>> > > process.
>> > > That is why it is important for you to make sure all your data is
>> > > backed
>> > > up (actually, backing up data is something everybody should do all
>> > > the
>> > > time in case of disaster). Additionally, you will need to reinstall
>> > > all
>> > > your programs -- so you need to make sure you have all the
>> > > installation
>> > > CDs and standalone files for your programs. Finally, you will need to
>> > > have
>> > > your hardware drivers handy so that you may reinstall them, too. A
>> > > clean
>> > > install takes quite a while! A repair install merely replaces your OS
>> > > files, leaving data and programs intact. If there is something
>> > > specifically wrong with your OS *only*, a repair install may help
>> > > (but
>> > > it's not guaranteed to work), but it almost surely will fail to
>> > > improve
>> > > sluggish performance.
>> > >
>> > > Second, *if* a Repair Install was the proper solution for you, there
>> > > are
>> > > two things getting in the way. First, you are correct in that
>> > > updating (to
>> > > a higher Service Pack level) can give you the message you mentioned.
>> > > The
>> > > other factor is that you chose to boot off your hard drive. It's
>> > > better to
>> > > boot off the CD itself. To do that, you would need to change your
>> > > PC's
>> > > BIOS settings. Actually, that just entails pressing a certain key
>> > > (e.g.,
>> > > F2 or Delete) immediately after turning on your PC (before Windows
>> > > even
>> > > has a chance to load). That key depends on your particular PC.
>> > >
>> > > Third, since reinstalling the OS (Clean or Repair) is probably not
>> > > indicated, why not just tell us specifically what is going on so that
>> > > we
>> > > may guide you to a practical solution? Be very detailed: make and
>> > > model of
>> > > PC and its specs (amount of RAM, size of hard drive and amount of
>> > > free
>> > > space on it, etc.). What is you particular performance problem? What
>> > > security software are you currently running (i.e., antivirus,
>> > > antispyware,
>> > > firewall)? How long have you had this problem and can you trace it to
>> > > a
>> > > particulat event?


>> "Anna" wrote:
>> > cliff...
>> > 1. Without going into the "gory" details as to why you want to "repair
>> > and
>> > clean (your) desktop computer", we'll assume you have good & sufficient
>> > reasons for taking this action, i.e,, you have a (hopefully!) mildly
>> > corrupted OS that you want to "uncorrupt" by undertaking a Repair
>> > install of
>> > the OS. So that all your presently installed programs & personal data
>> > will
>> > be retained in the event of a successful Repair install of the OS.
>> > That's
>> > it, right?
>> >
>> > As Daave insinuates, a Repair installation affecting the OS may *not*
>> > be the
>> > solution to whatever problem(s) you're experiencing. You've given no
>> > indication why you believe a Repair install is necessary or desirable
>> > in
>> > your circumstances.
>> >
>> > But, as I've indicated, we'll assume that you've correctly diagnosed
>> > whatever problem(s) you're experiencing, and a Repair install of the OS
>> > *is*
>> > appropriate at this time.
>> >
>> > 2. As you've heard from Daave, et al., you're probably attempting to
>> > run
>> > (what amounts to) a Repair install from your Desktop by inserting your
>> > XP OS
>> > installation CD and selecting the "Install Windows XP" option.
>> >
>> > As you have heard, presumably your *present* installed XP OS contains
>> > SP3
>> > and your XP installation CD contains an earlier SP (or no SP at all).
>> > Under
>> > those circumstances the system will not permit you to undertake a
>> > Repair
>> > install of the OS - only a "fresh" install. No doubt that's the reason
>> > for
>> > the Windows message you've received.
>> >
>> > 3. However, this restriction applies only if you're attempting to run a
>> > Repair install from the Desktop with your XP installation CD. You can,
>> > however, run a Repair install by booting to the XP installation CD even
>> > if
>> > that CD contains an earlier SP (or no SP). Assuming the Repair install
>> > is
>> > successful, you could subsequently install a later SP, i.e, SP2 or SP3.
>> >
>> > 4. But as has been suggested to you, it probably would be wiser for you
>> > to
>> > create a "slipstreamed" XP OS installation CD that contains whatever SP
>> > is
>> > currently installed on your machine. (If you're unaware of the
>> > "slipstreaming" process do a Google search on this topic). Then you
>> > could
>> > run the Repair install from the Desktop without any problem (assuming
>> > nothing else is amiss with your system). Or you could run the Repair
>> > install
>> > by booting directly to the XP installation CD as indicated above.
>> >
>> > 5. Assuming you do plan to undertake the Repair install through one
>> > means or
>> > another, it would be wise that before doing so you would first either
>> > clone
>> > or image the contents of your current drive (using a disk cloning or
>> > disk
>> > imaging program) to another HDD, or at the minimum copy from your
>> > current
>> > drive whatever data is important to you.
>> >
>> > While a Repair install is generally safe in that it doesn't create any
>> > additional problems with one's system (even should the Repair install
>> > be
>> > unsuccessful), it *can* & *does* happen from time-to-time. So be aware
>> > of
>> > this.
>> > Anna


> "cliff18" wrote:
>> Wow! I thought someone may try to help but am blown away by the level of
>> assistance offered. Thank you everyone! I should have given my reasons so
>> I
>> guess I better get into the "gory" details as Anna put it.
>> My desktop has been putting up with about 5 years of my family and I web
>> surfing, playing games, downloading past and presently used programs,
>> music
>> and anything else that looked half interesting and even runs VOIP. Its
>> doing
>> very well considering, but it has slowed up considerably. Now when we
>> start
>> it up, nothing can be done until I go into 'Task Manager' and locate
>> something called hprblog.exe (could be our printer, not sure) and hit
>> 'End
>> Process'. I spent many hours yesterday removing things that I know were
>> no
>> longer necessary, but there is a lot there that I don't know whether they
>> are
>> required or not, so I thought I'd be better off with a clean rather than
>> a
>> repair, and start all over again. I bought an external HD for backing up
>> which I now try to keep up to date for both computers, so after the
>> success
>> with my laptop I thought it's what I should do here.
>> Daave has a point about having to install the drivers again though. It
>> was
>> no problem with the laptop, I guess because it was off the shelf, I had a
>> Driver Recovery CD. This desk top computer was custom made for us, and
>> although I do have a few disks, I'm not sure that I have everything. I
>> was
>> hoping that I could download any drivers that I may not have but with my
>> very
>> limited knowledge on the subject, I guess that's a dangerous assumption.
>>
>> I have the following info I got from nlite that Randem mentioned.
>> CPU. AMD Athlon XP2500+ 1830mhz L2 Cache 512kb 32 bit 1.7V
>> Main. nVidia-nForce2 by Gigabyte Tech Co. S/N Nvidia-42302e31 Bios
>> rel.03/01/2004 S/N
>> Mem. Bank 0/1: 256mb DIMM. Bank 2/3: 256mb DIMM. Tot physical mem: 536mb
>> Local Drives: IDE Secondary Master: HHD 75GB WDC WD800JB-00F C:[Boot]
>> 75GB
>> (18GB free) S/N 68B7313E.
>> Vid Card: GeCube Radeon 9600se game Buster. Chipset: ATI Radeon 9600
>> Series
>> AGP(0x4151) 128mb.
>> I use Panda Antivirus pro 2009 (8.00.00) with the Windows Firewall.
>> The case has 'Age of Digital' on it.
>> Your right about my Home Edition CD as it states it includes Service pack
>> 1a. I hope I haven't forgotten anything Daave, but please ask if I have.
>>
>> I've done, and will continue to investigate, the 'Slipstreamed disk'
>> search
>> as Anna suggested and perhaps if made with nlite, is the correct
>> approach,
>> but as I don't know enough about what can be stripped from Windows, and
>> can't
>> identify all the unnecessary files and programs on my computer now, am I
>> correct in saying it may be an improvement but not ideal, as I would
>> still
>> have some unnecessary stuff on it? Still if this is the case, I guess
>> better
>> safe than sorry.
>>
>> Sorry to be so long but trying to cover everything.
>> Thanks again to all who answered.
>>
>> Cheers
>> cliff18


"cliff18" wrote in message

> PS
> After deciding to go with nlite, I have found it to be a relatively
> expensive experiment (if I'm looking at the right thing). I have found
> other
> ways of making a slipstream CD, although it appears I would still need to
> reload my drivers. Is there a way I can create a Driver Recovery CD from
> my
> computer before I start?
> --
> Cheers
> cliff18


cliff:
First of all - as I'm sure you're aware - you're dealing with a quite modest
system here relative to today's home PC systems. I only mention that because
the performance of the system will obviously be constrained by its basic
components. This is not to say that the overall performance of the system
won't be enhanced by a fresh-install of the OS (as you have apparently
decided upon), and subsequent installation of your programs/applications.
But I trust you will be realistic about the degree of performance
improvement you're going to get as a result of all this.

Anyway, all that's important is that the system is stable and performs to
your (reasonable) expectations.

Since, as you've indicated, you have a backup of all the data you want or
need, there should be no problem going ahead with a fresh install of the OS.
As you know, you will need to install the necessary drivers following the OS
install. Hopefully you have the motherboard's installation CD that contains
those drivers. Needless to say, it is important, if not vital, that you have
the necessary drivers to install. Do not go ahead with the fresh-install of
the OS unless you have these drivers. If you do not have the motherboard's
installation CD, access the website of the manuf. of the MB and see if you
can download the necessary drivers or possibly obtain a copy of their CD
containing such. It is possible that the XP installation process will "pick
up" a number of the drivers (in some cases all the necessary drivers) -
especially true when the OS installation CD contains SP2 or SP3. So that's
an incentive for using a slipstreamed OS installation CD containing SP2 or
SP3.

Notwithstanding the preceding (and assuming you have or will have current
access to any drivers the system will need) my inclination would be for you
to install the OS using your current XP OS installation CD containing SP1a,
and *not* use a slipstreamed OS installation CD containing SP3 at this
point. While in most cases there should be no problem fresh-installing the
XP OS containing SP3, we have encountered a few problems in this area,
(after fresh-installing the XP OS) particularly with AMD-based processors.
Again, this is not a major nor common problem, but merely a cautionary note.
Following the successful installation of the XP-SP1a OS and installation of
the necessary drivers, programs, personal data, etc., work with the system
for a short time to determine all is well. Then you can install SP3 directly
onto the current OS.

On the other hand, since you have backups of your data and if you feel
comfortable in doing so, then go ahead and use a slipstreamed XP OS
installation CD containing SP3 to fresh-install the OS.

You do understand, of course, that you should have your XP Product ID handy
during this OS install process.

While the NLite program is fine, you might want to also consider the
AutoStreamer (freebie) program which many users are finding to be the
program of choice when it comes to the slipstreaming process. It (kind of)
automates the process and is a relatively simple & straightforward program
for its intended purpose. Here are a few links to get you started...

Download AutoStreamer from:
[URL="http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/System-Tweak/Autostreamer.shtml"]http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/System-Tweak/Autostreamer.shtml[/URL]

Step-by-step instructions for using AutoStreamer can be found at
[URL="http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/slipstream.htm"]http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/slipstream.htm[/URL]
and,
[URL="http://www.simplyguides.net/guides/using_autostreamer/using_autostreamer.shtml"]http://www.simplyguides.net/guides/using_autostreamer/using_autostreamer.shtml[/URL]

(I haven't checked those links in some time; I hope they're still active).
Anna
 >> Stay informed about: Reinstall windows xp home concern 

Then I apologize Randem. As I said, I may not have been in the right area. I
was trying to follow an artical by 'Lifehacker' at
[URL="http://lifehacker.com/386526/slipstream-service-pack-3-into-your-windows-xp-installation-cd"]http://lifehacker.com/386526/slipstream-service-pack-3-into-your-windows-xp-installation-cd[/URL]
which was refering to nLite, but kept coming up with either 'Reimage' which
would scan for free but required $65.00 to fix, or 'Spotmau PowerSuite' for
$49.95. If you are able to give me a more direct link that I can't muck up,
I'll certainly have another look. I'm just not swiched on enough to find it
for myself.
 >> Stay informed about: Reinstall windows xp home concern 

Here's the link [URL="http://www.nliteos.com/"]http://www.nliteos.com/[/URL]
 >> Stay informed about: Reinstall windows xp home concern 

cliff18 wrote:
> Wow! I thought someone may try to help but am blown away by the level
> of assistance offered. Thank you everyone! I should have given my
> reasons so I guess I better get into the "gory" details as Anna put
> it.
> My desktop has been putting up with about 5 years of my family and I
> web surfing, playing games, downloading past and presently used
> programs, music and anything else that looked half interesting and
> even runs VOIP. Its doing very well considering, but it has slowed up
> considerably.

From what you describe, reinstalling Windows should only be done as a
last resort. A Repair Install should only be done if there is a specific
Windows problem, but there doesn't seem to be one in your case. A Clean
Install would definitely speed things up, but in time, I'm sure the
sluggishness would return. Better to just identify the problem and solve
it!

Here are the typical causes of sluggishness (see numbers 4 and 5,
especially):

1. Malicious software (malware). You need to rule this out first! This
page has excellent information:

[URL="http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Viruses_Malware"]http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Viruses_Malware[/URL]

2. Certain programs that are designed to combat malware (e.g., Norton
and McAfee). Ironically, they can slow things down because they simply
use way too many resources. Sometime they cause conflicts with other
programs. And their default mode is to scan your entire hard drive each
time you boot up. Fortunately, there are other antimalware programs
available that use far fewer resources (e.g., NOD32, Avast, and Avira).

3. Too many of certain types of programs always running in the
background -- with or without your knowledge.

Use these sites to determine what these programs are and to learn how to
configure them not to always run at startup:

[URL="http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php#THE_PROGRAMS"]http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php#THE_PROGRAMS[/URL]
[URL="http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/startups/"]http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/startups/[/URL]
[URL="http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm"]http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm[/URL]

Sometimes it is recommended to use msconfig to configure the programs to
not run at startup. A better, more thorough program is Autoruns:

[URL="http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx"]http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx[/URL]

But before you do this, you should use the preference settings of the
program in question. Otherwise, for some programs, they will return to
the startup list anyway!

4. Not enough RAM, which causes the PC to overly rely on the pagefile. A
quick way to determine if this is happening is to open Task Manager
(Ctrl+Alt+Del) and click the Performance tab. Then note the three values
under Commit Charge (K): in the lower left-hand corner: Total, Limit,
and Peak.

The Total figure represents the amount of memory you are using at that
very moment. The Peak figure represents the highest amount of memory you
used since last bootup. If both these figures are below the value of
Physical Memory (K) Total, then you probably have plenty of RAM.
In case you want to explore this further, you may run Page File Monitor
for
Windows XP:

[URL="http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_pagefilemon.htm"]http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_pagefilemon.htm[/URL]

5. You might also want to check that your hard drive's access mode
didn't change from DMA to PIO:

[URL="http://www.technize.com/2007/08/02/is-your-hard-disk-cddvd-drives-too-slow-while-copying/"]http://www.technize.com/2007/08/02/is-your-hard-disk-cddvd-drives-too-slow-while-copying/[/URL]

and

[URL="http://users.bigpond.net.au/ninjaduck/itserviceduck/udma_fix/"]http://users.bigpond.net.au/ninjaduck/itserviceduck/udma_fix/[/URL]

> Now when we start it up, nothing can be done until I go
> into 'Task Manager' and locate something called hprblog.exe

Use Google to learn about this and other processes. If there's no
setting in HP's preferences to prevent this (probably unneeded) process
from running at startup, you may use msconfig or Autoruns to disable it.

Finally, it's important to have sufficient free space on your hard
drive. What percentage free space do you have on yours? Also, once you
delete temp files, etc., a defrag wouln't be a bad idea.
 >> Stay informed about: Reinstall windows xp home concern 

Ok Daave, I see what your telling me. First of all 'Commit Charge (K)' Total
& Peak figures are both above the 'Physical Memory (K)' Total now, and I'm
not running anything on that computer at the moment. I have about 18GB of my
75GB HD free at the moment, so about 25%, and I often run 'Disk Cleanup', and
run 'Defrag' when it suggests to do so, about once a month I guess.
It's looking like I need to increase my RAM before I go any futher as I
think you and Anna are suggesting. So I better close this thread at least for
a while so I can do the job properly and report back here to finalise.
Thankyou very much for your detailed imput. I have some work to do!
 >> Stay informed about: Reinstall windows xp home concern 

Yep that is where I was. Don't know what I'm doing wrong. I will go back yet
again and look. Thankyou for your help Randem!
 >> Stay informed about: Reinstall windows xp home concern 

Thankyou Anna for your detailed info and patience with me. I have a bit to do
now with hardware issues first (Increasing RAM) and following up your links
and other info. I will come back here once I have either completed, or
stuffed up, this excersize.
 >> Stay informed about: Reinstall windows xp home concern