Reinstalling/Fixing Windows
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So I posted about a BSOD issue I was having in this thread right here, but I still can't get it fixed. Is there a way I can replace all my system files without having to wipe the drive to which they are installed?
I have a terrabyte drive, with a 131 GB partition to which Windows XP SP2 is installed, with an 800 GB partition for everything else. I have a 500 GB drive I could backup all my files on, but I'm not sure if there's enough space to fit what all I have.
Is it going to be easier to pop in the OS install disc and perform some operation that will copy over all my good and bad system files without losing my system settings, or will it just be easier to just wipe the big drive after backing up to the smaller one and performing a clean install?
I have a terrabyte drive, with a 131 GB partition to which Windows XP SP2 is installed, with an 800 GB partition for everything else. I have a 500 GB drive I could backup all my files on, but I'm not sure if there's enough space to fit what all I have.
Is it going to be easier to pop in the OS install disc and perform some operation that will copy over all my good and bad system files without losing my system settings, or will it just be easier to just wipe the big drive after backing up to the smaller one and performing a clean install?
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It is always easier to do a clean install, since you are then sure that your system works.
The XP install disk does come with a recovery console functionality which can restore critical system files without deleting your settings, so you could of cause do that.
The XP install disk does come with a recovery console functionality which can restore critical system files without deleting your settings, so you could of cause do that.
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You don't have to wipe the whole drive to do a clean install of the OS, only that first partition. Besides the recovery console there is also an option to reinstall XP. It will just install itself over the existing Windows and all your data on that partition will remain intact. Some programs might not function properly afterward due to the rollback in patches; if you keep up with patches that is.
