[RESOLVED] [Pro] Repair install

[judge john]

hi,
i just need a little clarification on what exactly a repair install does. i have a HD from an old computer with XP installed and some software and internet settings i must keep. if i put it into my new computer can i perform a repair install and keep these programs/settings. or will repair remove them?

[lgbpop]

Doing a repair install usually leaves your files intact, but any applications you've added--as well as all M$ updates and service packs--have to be reinstalled. Trying it on a HDD that's not "native" to your system might be dicey--the configuration data's going to be different because of the different hardware, and some programs and settings on the old drive that were hardware-specific may no longer work (or be lost completely). You might want to slave the old drive to another and move as much as you can to be on the safe side before you try it. FWIW, I don't know if I'd try it.

[judge john]

well to be honest at the moment i am clutching at straws. due to some very unfortunate circumstances i am stuck at home for 3weeks with unusable new computer (in my specs) and am therefore having to use a very old one, 450MHz P3, 13GB HD, 256MB mem, and it's driving me crazy. as the old HD is only 13GB and used by my parents it doesn’t have any important files on it. so if worst comes to worst i can just do a clean install of windows anyway. And the old computer is so slow and capable of so little I will go crazy having to use it for 3 weeks! All I need the repair to keep intact is the software for my router, which I will still be using when it’s in my new one anyway.

[SuperSparks]

Why is your new one unusable JJ?

[lgbpop]

Sorry for the extra post, but you might miss an edit.

Save yourself some grief--if you do go the Repair Install route, you'll have a second, new set of Documents folders (My Pictures, My Videos, etc.) and if you don't consolidate them immediately you'll have a terrible time sorting them all out later. If there's a trick to avoid this, I'd love to know about it.

[judge john]

Why is your new one unusable JJ?

http://discussions.virtualdr.com/sho...=204265&page=2
that’s why! as it says i don't have my Router installation CD and so cannot get the internet on my new install of XP. so i had the idea that i might be able to use the old HD from another computer that has my router installed to get the internet on my new computer. bit of a long shot but i can't bare having to use my old comp.
anyway as i have been discussing in the Vista forum i can get my hands on the Vista installation CD and use that until i go back to uni and can put the internet back on my new XP install. a bit messy but it will allow me to do most things i want for the next few weeks. just a pity Vista won't play any games or sound for me .

[SuperSparks]

I can't understand why a router needs an installation CD Every router I've ever used just uses a normal web browser to access its configuration settings. Are you sure that you can't access the router that way?

[judge john]

now i think about it your right. don't know what the CD has on it but i thought i needed it. well time to test that theory. the only other thing that i can think would stop the internet form working would be the Ethernet ports. as i don't have the mobo installation CD i could not install some network drivers that the disk had on them. so i will try and see if they are on the Asus site.

[SuperSparks]

They are there:

http://support.asus.com/download/dow...Language=en-us

Unfortunately Asus has one of those silly sites where you can't directly link to the exact item

[judge john]

Super you’re a Genius!!!!!!!!
Here’s me trying to think of the most obscure ways to fix my problem and it’s all relatively simple. I don’t think you could imagine the amount of frustration you have saved me, so thanks very much

now just a couple of hours of installing and re-starting etc ahead

[SuperSparks]

You're very welcome

I'm just the same sometimes, I'll think of all kinds of complicated ways to get out of something and miss the simple idea altogether