This article describes how to perform an in-place upgrade, or reinstallation, of Microsoft Windows XP. This is also named a repair installation. It reinstalls Windows XP to the same folder. You may want to perform an in-place upgrade if your installation of Windows XP must be repaired. Such a repair installation may be required if one of the following conditions is true:
· You cannot start Windows XP in Safe Mode.
· The problem is caused by a recently installed Microsoft software update, and you cannot solve the problem in any other way.
· There is a registry problem that cannot be solved by using other tools such as System Restore.
· You must use the Windows Setup program to enumerate Plug and Play devices again, including the hardware abstraction layer (HAL)
To reinstall Windows XP, use the appropriate method in the "More information" section.
Note You may want to disconnect from the Internet during the installation. Disconnecting from the Internet during the installation helps protect you from malicious users. You may also want to enable the firewall in Internet Explorer. For more information, see the "Enable or disable Internet Connection Firewall" topic in Windows XP Help.
If you perform an in-place
upgrade of Windows XP, all existing restore points are removed and a new system
checkpoint restore point is created after the in-place upgrade is completed. Do
not perform an in-place upgrade if you may have to use System Restore to restore
your computer to a previous state.
· Do not use a repair or in-place upgrade to try to resolve a problem with a user account, password, or local profile. To determine if the problem is related to a user account, password, or local profile, create another user account (if you can), and then log on to that account to see if the problem is resolved.
· Do not use a repair or in-place upgrade to resolve a problem with third-party programs, files or registry entries.
· Do not use a repair or in-place upgrade if you suspect disk problems.
· Do not use a repair or in-place upgrade if you suspect a problem with a third-party device, and the latest device drivers are currently installed for the device.
To reinstall Windows XP by using Windows XP, follow these steps:
To reinstall Windows XP by starting your computer from the Windows XP CD, follow these steps:
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 using Recovery Console, press R.
To quit Setup without installing Windows XP, press F3.
Press ENTER to set up Windows XP.
After you perform an in-place upgrade or repair installation, you must reinstall all updates to Windows.