Is it possible to delete winnt directory and reinstall Win..

[user]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

I'm having lots of problems with my laptop but I can't format it because I
have too many things on it. Would it be possible to just erase the winnt
directory (and any other critical firectory) and reinstall the whole thing
again? But formatting is out of the question (at least for now).

THanks.

 

[Neobyte]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

No need to erase, assuming you are running 2000 or XP just boot from
CD, choose "Install" and then "Repair", and Windows will re-install
itself, leaving all of your non-Windows-system files intact (such as My
Documents etc).

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

VMI wrote:

> I'm having lots of problems with my laptop but I can't format it
> because I have too many things on it. Would it be possible to just
> erase the winnt directory (and any other critical firectory) and
> reinstall the whole thing again? But formatting is out of the
> question (at least for now).



I assume that when you say "formatting is out of the question," that means
you have no backup of what's on it.

If I were you, I would consider that lack of backup to be my *most* serious
problem, and work to remedy that as quickly as possible. You have a constant
risk of losing everything. Everyone has such a risk, but the risk is
greatest with a laptop because laptops are so easily, dropped, broken,
stolen, etc.

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Why not invest in a backup device like an external USB hard disk- makes life
easier for a few bucks!

Anyhow, you can remove the Windows folder and Program Files folder, but it
has to be done from DOS. If you have an NTFS file system, then the DOS
option is no longer an option. I don't think re-installing over the top is
going to prove anything except that you have a lot of free time on your
hands. You NEED an external USB drive to save your data and then format your
drive.

I hope you have all the drivers for your notebook before you re-install!!!

--
|
+-- Thief_
|

<VMI> wrote in message news:u9MncL2rFHA.3884@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> I'm having lots of problems with my laptop but I can't format it because I
> have too many things on it. Would it be possible to just erase the winnt
> directory (and any other critical firectory) and reinstall the whole thing
> again? But formatting is out of the question (at least for now).
>
> THanks.
>
>

 

[matt]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Ken Blake wrote:
> VMI wrote:
>
>
>>I'm having lots of problems with my laptop but I can't format it
>>because I have too many things on it. Would it be possible to just
>>erase the winnt directory (and any other critical firectory) and
>>reinstall the whole thing again? But formatting is out of the
>>question (at least for now).
>
This is entirely possible and something I do frequently when I have a PC
that is beyond a repair with a repair install (i.e when you just
reinstall windows over the top of itself) To do this though, you need
some way of booting outside of windows, either put the hard drive in
another PC, boot into DOS (if your any good at using DOS, its a skill I
lost a long time ago, and keep in mind most DOS disks dont support
NTFS), or some kind of preinstalled environment CD.

I always take the extra step of renaming "Documents and settings" to
"documents and settings old" just so I know i`m getting a 100% fresh
installation, this is probably not necessary. I then copy all the bits
out of documents and settings old into my new documents and settings folder.

Keep in mind that you will have to reinstall almost all of your
programs, because the registry will be reset. Data files should be
perfectly fine though.