How to Reinstall Windows XP on a Computer Without Erasing Data on the Hard Drive

When your computer behaves erratically, is unusually slow or has problems booting, the best solution is to reinstall the operating system. Unfortunately, a normal installation of Windows XP will destroy your existing data and remove your existing applications. You need a method to reinstall the operating system while preserving essential files from the previous installation. If you purchased and installed Windows XP for an existing computer, there may be solution known as a "repair installation" that allows you to keep your data and application files while effectively reinstalling Windows XP.

Instructions

Step 1

 

Back up your data. If you can boot your computer and access your data files, you should copy these files to another drive or backup media in the event the repair installation fails.

Step 2

 

Place the original Windows XP installation CD in your computer's CD drive and reboot the computer. Make sure your computer gives you the option to boot to CD on startup. If not, check the settings in your BIOS to provide the CD boot option on startup.

Step 3

 

At the "Press any key to boot from CD" prompt, press a key on your keyboard to begin booting from your Windows XP CD.

Step 4

 

Windows will then display this message: "This portion of the Setup program prepares Microsoft Windows XP to run on your computer: To setup Windows XP now, press ENTER. To repair a Windows XP installation by using Recovery Console, press R. To quit Setup without installing Windows XP, press F3."

Step 5

 

Do not press the "R" key at this point even though the message indicates doing so to repair an installation of Windows XP.

Step 6

 

Press "Enter" on your keyboard to proceed as though you were performing a new installation of Windows XP.

Step 7

 

Agree to the licensing information by pressing "F8."

Step 8

 

Note the display showing your current Windows installation directory. Select this directory, and then press the "R" key to repair this installation. If the "R" key is not available, your existing installation may have been made by the computer manufacturer. You will need to contact the manufacturer for information on obtaining recovery discs to restore the original Windows installation.

Step 9

 

Follow the instructions displayed to initiate the repair installation. You may be required to re-enter your installation key code.

Step 10

 

Windows XP will proceed with reinstalling the operating system. This may take a while. When finished, you will need to also install all subsequent service packs and security updates.