Repairing a Windows XP installation is valuable when you want to keep your programs and data intact, but want to restore important system files to their original state. This is often a simple solution to complex Windows problems.
How do I perform a repair installation of Windows® XP by booting from the Windows® XP CD on a PC?
This 19-step guide will walk you through each part of the repair installation.
Although a repair installation does not alter any programs or data other than Windows XP itself, we strongly recommend that you take precautions in the rare event that something does go wrong and you lose data. That means that if there is anything you want to keep, you should back it up before beginning this process.
Some things you may want to consider backing up that are typically located on the same drive as Windows XP (which we'll assume is "C:") include a number of folders under C:/Documents and Settings/{YOUR NAME}, such as Desktop, Favorites, and My Documents. Also check these folders under other users' accounts if more than one person logs into your PC.
