WinXP repair install, does it work?

[Buzioid]

I know someone who wants a new motherboard and I was thinking of doing a repair install to keep all files/settings with WinXP Spanish edition.

Has anyone dnoe this and the outcome was successful?
Does it save everything you have in start menu/my docs, etc?

[bailey]

just do the switch of the motherboards
after it boots up, it will detect the changes, just have the cd for the new motherboard in the cd drive so the drivers will be there when xp ask for them
then after its done, just install all the drivers and soft ware for the new motherboard and it will set everything correctly.
no need to reinstall or repaire anything, all your files and settings will still be the same.

[Buzioid]

umm, it didn't work.
I got a new faster mobo/cpu.
when I start up it taked me to a big BSOD.

[bailey]

if all you changed was the motherboard and the cpu, and you still had the same hard drive with xp installed, it should have worked.
I have done it several times.

[Buzioid]

Well when I start up it stops at a BSOD. Even on my comptuer this has happened.

[John Prophet]

"just do the switch of the motherboards
after it boots up, it will detect the changes"

wow...I have to disagree...I dont know how youve done this before unless it was the same brand and chipset or something......usually you get a bsod or something.


So, buzoid....just do the repair install....boot from the cd....(dont press "R")....just go on like you are doing a fresh install....it will search for windows installs....then it will ask if you want to repair the current windows install..so choose that.....I have seen several posts here for people saying they have done this and it worked.

JP

[Gettinbye]

I have to agree with JP-I've heard of people doing a motherboard/CPU upgrade and having XP sort it out without the repair install, but I have yet to see it firsthand...kinda like a bigfoot sighting
If you're concerned about losing files and/or settings, you should back up your current system with the "files and settings transfer wizard", and save the files to a spare hard drive, another partition, or a folder to burn to CD...

[rpertusio]

Buzioid,
I am guessing the BSOD is something like "Inaccessible boot device"?


A repair install XP works great! To be absolutely safe, back up the important stuff. But if you do the repair install correctly, you shouldn't lose any of your settings. More importantly, all your files will still be the same.

The only real difference you will see is that all the Windows system specific files will be reverted to the original ones. (For example, any hotfixes will need to be re-applied). The other benefit (which is why you would do this), is that it re-enumerates all the hardware on the system.

A great website to help you repair install can be found here. Scroll down to the "How to repair install" section, and follow those instructions word for word!

- rp

[Buzioid]

Great!
What I'm Planning to do is make an image of the HD or something its only 3gb or so of data, not much to worry about.

[rpertusio]

[edit: deleted this text so no one will ever know that Buzioid likes fluffy lobsters]