what will re installing windows do?

[nroberts]

reformat my HD's?

Definately. If you really want to start from scratch. I have seen situations where the windows install disk would blue screen until you formatted the hard drive. I have no idea why, it shouldn't make a bit of difference but it does.

You can use your boot install and I forget how but you go to cmd line. Run format c: and any other drives you have (excepting your backup of course) and then reboot and run the install. I think you go into repair to get the cmd line.

If you are going to re-install you may as well be doubly sure nothing of the previous screwy install sticks around.

 

[noisedude]

The only time I've seen XP not update properly is when the user has been running a known pirated copy ....

Back your stuff up, format and start over. I have also seen the 'Windows Installer' service go nuts after a spyware attack, so it's not impossible to be where you are and be innocent!

 

[Nick The Man]

what happened was... when i first got my computer i for some reason shut off the automatic updates and my computer never got updated. so now i dont have much protection. But im a little bitch and im too scared of losing all of my stuff. so i havent put all of these ideas into action yet. mainly becuase i dont even have a CD copy of windows XP home edition. so once i wipe everything off how do i get the computer up and running again if i dont have a cd copy of windows? i have so many questions and concerns and i have no idea how to word them and it is driving me crazy..... there is so much to the story of my computer going downhill

 

[Nick The Man]

i could write a friggen book

 

[Nick The Man]

and where do i find a cheap external hard drive?????



BTW thank all of you for all the help

 

[gordone]

Easy solution to your problems young man - Put ALL your documents/video files/anything you want to save on your 2nd hard drive. Put the Windows XP CD in your machine, tell the BIOS to boot the CD, and follow the prompts to FORMAT and INSTALL XP on the first drive (C and NOT the drive where you just copied all your stuff/documents/etc... Anyone running a dual-hard-drive system should ALWAYS keep the OS and applications (MS-Office, Cakewalk, whatever) on the primary drive, and all data on the secondary drive. That way when XP gets hosed, you just re-install your OS and all your apps (you do have the original CDs for all your software right?), and your data is untouched on the 2nd drive. Good luck!

 

[nroberts]

and where do i find a cheap external hard drive?????



BTW thank all of you for all the help

Just get one of these and a regular old hard drive:
http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec.hmx?scriteria=AA23790

 

[noodles2k5]

How big is each drive you have, nick?

gordone has the best option. If it's any assurance to you, I know it's the best option because I've been doing that type of work on computers on a daily basis for several years. An external drive (like the others mentioned) isn't necessarily a bad idea, but you might be able to pull it off without spending any money.

 

[TimOBrien]

If you're not backing up your data, you're gonna get nuked eventually.

Repeat this mantra 10,000 times: "Drives fail."

They're just a thin layer of rust (oxide) on a metal platter and sooner or later enough will flake off or demagnitize or the heads will scrape and there goes your precious data for ever and ever....

If it ain't backed up (and it several locations), it's only a matter of time before it's GONE....

 

[Nick The Man]

thank you everyone for all the feedback... so far i have burned all of my information that i want to keep on to 6 DVD+r discs. from there EVERYTHING WILL BE DELETED. and then i will proceed in re-installing windows XP.

my drive are as follows

15 GIG
i think the other is around 100 GIGS

 

[gordone]

DID YOU READ ANYTHING I WROTE???????
Put all your data on the second drive, and then reinstall XP on the primary drive. You'll have to reinstall all your applications, but your data will NOT be erased. That's great that you have a backup of your data, but you do not have erase "EVERYTHING"

thank you everyone for all the feedback... so far i have burned all of my information that i want to keep on to 6 DVD+r discs. from there EVERYTHING WILL BE DELETED. and then i will proceed in re-installing windows XP.

my drive are as follows

15 GIG
i think the other is around 100 GIGS

 

[Dogman]

Listen to gordone nick. His way is very easy, and since you have all data backed up, you will have no worries about losing anything.
Ed

 

[Nick The Man]

i probably should but i have like folders all over the place and shit everywhere i wanna clean everything and then re organize;.... is it not worth it?

i dont have many programs installed

 

[Nick The Man]

ok here we go im starting gordons plan

 

[hueseph]

Just wondering if you've defragmented your hard drive lately.

 

[crazyjman]

Here's a step by step on reformatting if you need it.
http://www.resnet.uni.edu/docs/reformatxp.html

But I also agree to just reformat the one drive. Do all your reorganizing later on the second. It's great that you backed it all up on disks...consider it an extra backup.

 

[Nick The Man]

ok well i went through with the plan and all information is well. but i can no longer connect to the internet (im on a different computer) and everything looks all weird. for example the windows and icon and everything are to big and when i maximize or minimize a window its all choppy same with when i move the wiindow.

does anyone know how to solve these problems

 

[noodles2k5]

Install videocard drivers.
Install ethernet/modem drivers and run the setup wizard.

 

[Nick The Man]

when i try to install the ethernet driver it askes to connect to the internet..... which i obviously cannot do. it also askes my to insert a software disc which i do not have because i bought my computer off of ebay

 

[nroberts]

when i try to install the ethernet driver it askes to connect to the internet..... which i obviously cannot do. it also askes my to insert a software disc which i do not have because i bought my computer off of ebay

You have to go to a friend's house and download the drivers I guess.