Reinstall XP Without Losing Any Software Or Settings

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his technique lets you completely and nondestructively rebuild, repair or refresh an existing XP installation while leaving already-installed software alone (no reinstallation needed!). It leaves user accounts, names, and passwords untouched; and also takes only a fraction of the time a full, from-scratch reinstall does. And unlike a traditional full reinstall, this option doesn't leave you with two copies of XP on your hard drive; or delete an exiting copy. Instead, you end up with just your original installation, but repaired, refreshed, and ready to go. It's XP's most powerful rebuild/repair option; and yet Microsoft chose to hide it behind seeming dead ends, red herrings, and a recycled interface that makes it hard to find and (at first) somewhat confusing to use. Go figure. We've saved this technique for last in our discussion of the various XP repair/rebuild options because the fixes we've previously discussed are like first aid--- the things you try first. For instance, see this discussion on removing limitations on XP's Recovery Console http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=187000225 turning it into a more complete repair tool; or this discussion on the Recovery Console's little known boot data "Rebuild" command http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=185301251 that can cure many boot-related problems. (There's also lots more on the Recovery Console here: http://tinyurl.com/p7fnr But when the Recovery Console techniques don't work and you're facing the prospect of a total reformat/reinstall, STOP! Try this no-reformat reinstall technique, and you just may get your XP setup running in a fraction of the time and with a fraction of the hassle of a grand mal wipe- and-restore. You'll find complete, step-by-step instructions with abundant screen shots waiting for you here:http://www.informationweek.com/windows/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=189400897 With this information, you should almost never have to face a dreaded start-over, from-scratch reformat/reinstall of XP!