Windows XP Repair Installation

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     At some point you may need to repair the installation of Windows XP. This is preferable to a clean install in some cases as it attempts only to repair your copy of Windows without removing any programs or personal files on your computer. A repair install deletes the corrupted files and then reinstalls those files from the CD. A repair install will not rebuild your computer's registry, delete applications and user settings, or fix problems caused by an application.

1. Insert the Windows XP CD into your CD/DVD-ROM drive and then restart the computer.

NOTE: To start your computer from the Windows XP CD-ROM your computer must be configured to start from the CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive (or the floppy disk drive). In some cases, you may have to modify your computer's BIOS settings to do this. For information about how to configure your computer to start from the CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive (or the floppy disk drive), see the documentation that is included with your computer, or contact the computer manufacturer.

If you are starting the computer from the Windows XP CD-ROM, select any options that are required to start the computer from the CD-ROM drive if you are prompted (press any key).

2. After a moment you will be taken to the Windows XP Setup screen. Though the second option says to repair do not press R. Instead, press ENTER to continue.

3. Press F8 to accept the Windows XP Licensing Agreement, and the setup will search for you previous installation of Windows XP.

4. After it has finished detecting you need to select the XP installation you want to repair. In most cases, use the arrow keys to select the C: partition and then press R to repair the installation. If you don’t see the repair option, you will need to do a clean installation.

5. Setup will copy the files needed for the installation onto the hard drive and reboot the computer. You will be prompted to press any key to boot from CD again. Don’t press any keys and wait for the message to disappear. Windows XP will automatically start to install, and you can follow the text on the screen when prompted. After the installation finished, your programs and person files will be intact.

If you have questions, please call CompOp at (414) 229-4606 for help.