"refresh" Windows XP Pro

[bmaltz]

Is it possible to reinstall Windows XP Pro over itself to simply refresh all it's files, so that I do NOT have to re-install all of my already-installed applications and so that my current login name (i.e., c:\Documents and Settings\myLoginName ) does not get changed to a different name (such as what happens with a typical re-installation of windows)?

Thanks,
Ben

 

[raybay]

Depends on the version you have on a CD. The OEM versions and a few others allow the "repair" install which refreshes a lot. Some "recovery" disc sets included by manufacturers do not allow this.
What works for us is to delete the Service Pack 2, when installed separately, then reinstall Service Pack 2. That seems to be a reasonably complete refresh... Of course you then have to install about 76 to 85 Microsoft updates afterward... but it is as complete a refresh as I have seen.

 

[Rick]

There's a guide, right here:
https://www.techspot.com/vb/topic8356.html