Re-installing Windows XP

If I were to reinstall Windows XP, would my installed programs work? Would the reinstallation remove the required .dll's and other data required for the programs to work? In other words, would I have to reinstall all of the programs I have working now?

 

Thanks a lot, Christer.

 

Christer, one more question. If I copy to a CD the Windows/system files, and then copy them to the new installation, would the programs work? Thanks again for your prompt reply.

I should have explained my situation better. I have been working for several years with XP Home. I want to use XP Pro. Since I had the feeling that reinstalling XP Pro over XP Home, my programs would not work, I partitioned the drive and installed XP Pro on the second partition.

Is there a way to copy whatever the programs need to work from one partition to the other?

 

Hi mxcaballero,

How 'bout doing a Repair Install instead? I'm guessing that you want to keep all your settings, programs, etc.

A Repair Install will replace the system files with "good ones ", but it will leave your applications and settings intact. But, Windows Updates will need to be reapplied.

 

Hi mxcaballero,

Short answer — Yes and No.

Yes: You can copy the folders the programs reside in, but you'll have to change the Target Location to the partition where the program originally was installed; ie., If you have widgeteater.exe installed on your C:\ partition (XP Home) and copied the folder over to your D:\ partition (XP Pro), when you click on the widgeteater icon (that you copied from XP Home) when you boot to XP Pro, you'll get a window saying that widgeteater can't be found — because it isn't installed there. You'll have to create new shortcuts to all your programs and amend the Target box to point to where the program was originally installed (XP Home).

Too much brain damage.

Best answer: No. It's better to reinstall the programs as you need them. The Desktop icons will point to where they were installed (XP Pro) and all will be right with the world.

p.s. I did some searching and it is possible to install XP Pro over XP Home. When you boot from the XP Pro CD, it should ask you if you would like to upgrade. There should be an option that allows you to install XP pro as an upgrade from what I've read. See this link:
http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/CCC/Help/Software/Windows/WinXP/winxphometowinxppro.html

 

Hi Christer,

You may be correct as far as one partition to another. I have 2 separate, bootable HDDs. Since I have many of the same programs on my second HDD, what I did was change the "Target" and "Start in" boxes to point to the program on my second HDD. The programs worked and when I clicked Properties\Find Target, it took me to my 2nd HDD.

And, yes, all the entries in the Registry will point to the original location. That's why I wrote that he'd have to create new shortcuts to the programs and amend the Target and Start in boxes to point to the original location.

I'll have to defer to you regarding your post, though, as I'm working from one HDD to another and not one partition to another.

But either way, the most important part of my post is: "Too much brain damage."

 

Hi Christer,

How did we get here?

Anyway, you wrote: "I'm not sure if that would "update" the registry. "

You're correct, it will not update the registry as far as all the stuff that's put in there when you install a program. There may be an entry in the registry someplace about the shortcut (maybe).

However, the program is on partition 1 where the original program was installed and it has it's own registry.

You also wrote: "However, if you say it works I really can't argue against because I've never tried and failed. "

WHAT?!? You've never done something on your computer that's gone horribly, horribly wrong?

Maybe the best thing is for mxcaballero give it a go to see conclusively if it works or not.

mxcaballero, try this: Make a shortcut from an XP Home program and put it on your XP Pro desktop; then click it and see if the program opens. Post back with the results.

I said it before and I'll say it again: If you do it my way "” It's too much brain damage.

Easiest is to just reinstall your programs as you need them.

 

This is a first class question that is not often asked, because I think people think they'll get the raspberry.

The problem of rebuilds really arises via the many tens of thousands of cross references created in the Windows Registry. These keys and links reference physical devices such as hard drives etc as well as logical devices such as character named partitions i.e. the C: drive and everything on them, which is a hell of a lot.

Microsoft should have their own registry rebuild software, but I think even they think its too complicated with too many unknowns. Like to hear from people on this.

To be honest, I don't how all this stuff finally sits together in the registry. I think it just sits there, some parts carefully crafted, other parts just a load of junk. Don't forget, this stuff was previously in earlier MS operating systems as INI files and I think the idea was to put all INI files into one big master and call it the registry. Well the sins of the grandfather have been propagated to the child.

Hence the need for a complete re-build and I mean complete, reformat the disks, re-create the partitions and use NTFS where ever you can. The big plus is, disks are now so cheap, you can put a drive aside off line until you have built and tested its replacement. You can create some good images with software like Acronis of the entire or key parts of a system.

Once you do a rebuild, you need to ask how long will it last? Most software engineers usually say between 6 months and two years. I think you have to build with the idea of a rebuild later on, that is, you rebuild to create a maintainable system.

If you build a developers system, loading and testing new software, you'll always end up with garbage in the registry at some point, that a rebuild will eventually be needed to get rid of.

However, if you build system for a commercial user, you should be able to run this for years with minimal maintenance for both Windows Pro and Home and no need for rebuilds, unless some tinkerer or a virus stuffs it up.

You must have a REGISTRY CLEANER program, like registry first aid. This stuff really does work and cleans out the registry.

 

Hi Codecutter,

Quote: Microsoft should have their own registry rebuild software, but I think even they think its too complicated with too many unknowns. Like to hear from people on this.

You can rebuild your registry from a command prompt and the Windows CD. However, once you rebuild the registry, any programs you've installed will be munged because you'll be replacing the 5 registry hives and within those hives reside WPA, Key Codes, Product Activation Codes, Program Registration keys, filters, tags, settings, GUI's, etc., etc.

And as far as mxcaballero's original post about reinstalling, you're correct in that it's a good question because after your system is set to the way you want, you don't want to have to redo it all over again. But I kinda tend to disagree with you that people are afraid of getting the raspberries asking the question: At least not here anyway. Just look at all the posts it's generated

Quote:You must have a REGISTRY CLEANER program, like registry first aid. This stuff really does work and cleans out the registry.

They only work if you really know what you're doing and looking for. If you do a ton of installs, uninstalls, beta tests — then yes, a lot of crud can be left behind, and even then it may not really slow down your system.

For instance, lets say RegClean found an entry for a program that you uninstalled, but it has a dependency on another reg entry from a program by the same company. RegClean will say it's OK to delete it, but the new program is dependent on {6E59230DI4-F6FG-4mlr-2Mm748} | Threading Model -Apartment | REG_SZ 0x0ff2890(0). So you delete it and something stops working — maybe even the whole computer — because of the dependency.

So, I'd have to disagree with you about reg cleaners because the vast majority of computer users should stay away from the registry unless it's absolutely necessary and then only with supervision. One little goof can render your system inoperable.

[off the soapbox now]

 

Unless missed something original problem was:

I should have explained my situation better. I have been working for several years with XP Home. I want to use XP Pro. Since I had the feeling that reinstalling XP Pro over XP Home, my programs would not work, I partitioned the drive and installed XP Pro on the second partition.

How about simply upgrading the Home partition to Pro?
That way all the programs would still be there and work.

Only possible catch is if XP Home version has been upgraded to a higher SP level then the Pro installation disk. In that case would have to slipstream a new disk. Certainly easier then reinstalling and upgrading everything.

 

Hi Guys,

To get then to the crux, you can install Windows XP Pro right over the top of Windows XP Home and all installed Applications should continue to work, but ya can't go back the other way.

 

I have a similar issue - am trying to run a repair for XP off the Windows CD. I select Repair option - select the Windows system to be repaired (there is only one) - enter the Administrator password - it thinks a little bit and then I am dropped to a Windows command prompt in the C:\Windows directory.

It says this is the Recovery Console. How do I run the repair from here? HELP gives me a list of commands and repair is not on the list.

 

I like to find more information about "repair install ".

I used the combofix to download recovery console in safe mode to have it installed on XP machine.

Now I don't know how to proceed with "repair install" without damaging the programs, such as MS Word 2007.

Can someone elaborate?

 

jay2009 and BradIn Maine see here:

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm
or
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tips/doug92.mspx

mickzer.

 

Questions:

1) Boot the computer using the XP CD
Is the recovery CD same as the XP CD here?

2) The recovery CD was created when XP was under SP 2. Now it is SP3. Do I need to uninstall SP3 first?

3) How to keep the MS Word Installation and license intact? Any way to contact Microsoft to get the license?