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Author Topic: Questions re clean install of windows xp home  (Read 2172 times)

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starfillybaby

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    Questions re clean install of windows xp home
    « on: January 07, 2009, 10:50:19 AM »
    Hello! My Mothers computer needs to be wiped clean and windows xp home reinstalled. She has many issues regarding missing files, errors, collected junk and cant even access the help files or update correctly anymore.
    My thought is to do a clean install. I tried repairing but no dice. Mom has alot of family history info and some games, the usual for a barely used home computer, however the hard disk has c: with her current info and then E: (I think its e anyway) which was done by the computer store when she bought this computer a few years ago. They just copied all the stuff from her old computer to this partition. In any case, She is terrified that I will lose some of her "stuff" even thought most of it needs to be removed anyway.

    Can anyone tell me what is the best, easiest, safest, way to go about saving her data and programs.

    I guess a possibility is just networking it to my computer, saving it all on mine and then just dumping it back onto hers. Is that a possibility? I really need to spend the time to clean out all the crap that's just not pessary.

    Hmm...
    Thanks in advance for any help or advice! 


    Carbon Dudeoxide

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    Re: Questions re clean install of windows xp home
    « Reply #1 on: January 09, 2009, 02:14:30 AM »
    If the computer has problems, than an image might not be a good idea.

    The best course would be to get any storage device (like another computer or external hard drive) and copy all her important files (anything she wants to save) except any programs in Program File.

    If you copy Program File, you will not only be wasting time, but space as well because they will have to be reinstalled again.

    Geek-9pm


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    Re: Questions re clean install of windows xp home
    « Reply #2 on: January 09, 2009, 02:37:00 AM »
    Quote
    Can anyone tell me what is the best, easiest, safest, way to go about saving her data and programs.
    Pay attention to what CO2 said. Best idea is another storage device.

    A USB external drive may seem to be the easy way. And it is a good choice. Most USB externals are just IDE drives with a USB adapter.

     If you have any experience with the inside of a computer, just buy her a new drive. Gently remove the old one and set it aside. Do a fresh install on the new drive. Take former drive with here stuff on it over to you computer and retrieve as much as you can. A  IDE to USB external case would be an easy way to hook it to your machine.You can retrieve some of the settings, but not the application programs. They have to be installed from the original CD, just like the Windows OS. Keep the old drive around for awhile, just in case you forgot something.
    Ans yes, you can send anything over an local network  connection, but you still have to install the programs.

    The cost of IDE drives is now about as low as it can be for drives under 120 GB, but avoid used drives. Buy a new one.  :)