Nice How To Clean Reinstall Article

Here is a nice article explaining a clean reinstall of XP along with what to do with your existing apps. Also instructs you on creating an image of your now clean system

Hope this is helpful to those who need it..

Doc

Thanks for the link. My machine was made in 2003, so it is old. This helped me by telling me what I might need to look at as far as hardware is conderned as well as Service Packs, and also just what to do in getting ready. I have the XP discs and numbers. I appreciate time to do this. I have lots of Microsoft "Updates" showing in "Add/remove Programs." Are these included in the Service Packs, or is it necessary to find each of them for downloading after reinstalling?

Install XP
install SP3 if it is not slipstreamed. You cn download it from http://www.microsoft.com/DownLoads/d...displaylang=en
and burn it to a cd now for future use.

Install mobo drivers needed.
Now install video drivers if needed.
Install antivirus and 3rd party firewalls if you use them.
Make darn sure either the 3rd party of the native windows fire was in working.
No firewall and you will infected in about the first 15 seconds you hit the internet.

only now are you ready to hit windows updates.

Thanks, Train. Some time ago I slipstreamed Sp2, and I can DL 3 as you suggest. I have my discs for installing programs again --ugh -- and the drivers for printer, scanner and video card. You mention mobo drivers. I am not certain I know just what you are describing here. The computer is cabled to a router on my home network, wireless to a laptop. My antivirus is the McAfee suite offered by Comcast. My hard drive is partitioned into 5 partitions, and I keep the data on the other 4 partitions. The link suggested a new HD, using the old one as backup, and that does make some sense so if some difficulty not forseen happened, nothing has really been destroyed on the old disc and it is there to copy data over when completed. Further suggestions appreciated. This is a big task. Thanks

SP3, of course, contained all the Updates to the time SP3 was issued. Some say that is the only thing SP3 really offered! :)

And the make and model of the pc is?
Although if it is a custom/home built rig, post the make and model of the motherboard.

Train, the computer is a Gateway 500XL, 250GB drive, 3.07 Gigahertz CPU.

Rats!!
Plug your serial number in at
http://support.gateway.com/support/d...p?cmpid=topnav

What did you mean by "Rats"?

I have the original XP disc and the discs that are labeled "Applications and Drivers" and one labeled "Drivers," with the sub-title, so to speak, "Controladores Pilotes." I have a disc I made with XP and SP2 slipstreamed to it, as well as the XP SP2 disc from MS by itself. I can DL SP3 and put it on a disc to keep for my reinstall. I have not installed SP3 to the machine as of this time, though. I think I did the slipstream XP when someone said that if I ever needed to reinstall XP over the old installation with SP2 installed and tried to use the original disc it would not work. The only new MoBo hardward I have on this is a new video driver and I have the installation discs. I have a Canon printer and the install disc, a Visioneer scanner and discs. The applications on the original disc had an antivirus to load, but I can go to Comcast site and load one from there after installation. Seems to me that when I have all the "ducks in a row" I can load my XP disc, format C:, leaving it the size it is if I decide to use my present HD, and install XP. Then I install the drivers from the original discs, plus the video driver for my new card. I can then install SP2, then SP3, all without being on the web. Then I go to comcast and get the AV program. I know on the Gateway site there are listings of the drivers for my original setup, and I could DL the modem, etc., if newer. Following this I can reinstall my programs. If I get a new HD, I can install to it and use Partition Magic for making any changes. There is a DOS partition manager in XP, I think, but I have the other already. While there is no "perfect" method, I suppose, how does this look? Thanks for your help.

I forgot with gateway you needed the SN. :(

Otherwise when you do a clean install again, then having SP3 handy is a good time to install it. Sure saves on the number of updates we need to get.

Make backups of your various cds, a just incase thing which can and has saved the old bacon. It paid a big dividend for a couple clients in the last month.

Actually, when I dug a little further into the Gateway site, I found there are instructions for an automatic reinstallation of XP using the driver discs to begin. I have the certification/installation numbers on the computer for XP. Interestingly, this computer was a refurbished one when I got it, and it came with XP Home installed, but with XP Home and XP Pro discs. I messed something up right off the bat -- don't remember just what, but I think it had to do with partitioning the drive -- and had to reinstall. I thought about using the Pro disc, but decided to use the Home one as that was the listing on the computer itself. I still have some "lining up" to do making sure I have all the other discs, etc. And my wife is having chemo every 21 days, so this may be a while before it transpires. But I really appreciate your help and experience.

I wish the Mrs the best!