Running a Repair and/or booting from the XP CD that came with my XP.

I have SP1 now by the way.

My system is working, but with constant quirks, 5 or 6 a day day after day as I use it. I usually can work around the quirks and get what I want done, but they are getting annoying. So I think "just do a repair or wipe the HD (C drive) out, f-disk and reformat and start all over again."

There is stuff I need to know and am learning from www.michaelstevenstech.com. But he doesn't tell me the basic basics so could someone answer the following for me, please?

When I put my XP CD into my CDROM I get 4 options:

Install XP
Install optional components
Perform additional tasks
Check system compatibility

The only one that seems even a bit relevant is the first. But I don't want to install XP. It's installed and running (if not too well). If I select "Install XP" I get to choose an upgrade (recommended) or a New Installation (advanced.) But I don't want to upgrade (from an earlier Windows O/S) and I question the appropriateness of installing XP over itself.

1. I read that trying "Repair" is what one would try first before f-disking and reformatting but how do I get to do that?

2. Also do I have it right that f-disk is what wipes out or makes unreadable everything and format partitions the drive or arranges for just 1 big drive without partition.

I hope you can answer my questions and also refer me to a site that answers the basic basics.

To run repair go into bios (hit delete key several times while rebooting - until you get to bios) and make CD rom 1st boot device. Save and let it restart and click any key to boot off CD, when it asks you. After inspecting files, it will ask you to repair or install. Hit enter to install. It will again ask you if you want to repair - hit R for repair. Then just follow instructions.

Quote:

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TheElderGeek.com When the time comes to reformat your hard drive, and it will, FDISK may become one of the tools you'll need. FDISK isn't as popular as it was a few years ago, especially with the popularity of NTFS file systems, but FDISK is still a clean, simple and quite functional tool for many formatting and partitioning situations. Detailed instructions on FDISK... http://support.microsoft.com/support.../Q255/8/67.ASP

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If you want to perform a repair have a look it... http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsXP/e...nox/doug92.asp

Hope that helps,
Coffee.

o0ps sorry lynchknot, your post wasn't there a moment ago :-S

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wumply

When I put my XP CD into my CDROM I get 4 options:

Install XP
Install optional components
Perform additional tasks
Check system compatibility

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To run a repair you have to "Boot" from the XP CD and not run the CD via Windows,which is what you are currently doing.

As lynchknot explained,you first have to set the CDROM as First Boot Device.
Restart your machine and hold down the Del key until you enter the BIOS Setup screen.Select Advanced BIOS Features and use the arrow keys to highlight First Boot Device.

Use the Page Up/Page Down keys to change the device to CDROM.Press Escape and then select the "Save and Exit" option.Type Y to save.

Your machine will now reboot so put your XP CD in the drive.And during the Power-On Self Test (POST) when you see the Boot from CD message at the bottom press any key.

Then follow the instructions in the link posted by Coffee.

opps, I left out "press F8" agreement :p and some other stuff