Reparing XP will delete the current installation?

[LakeyDaKidd]

Does anybody know if a repair of xp using the xp cd will delete the current installation?

 

[strategic]

No, it won't delete it, nor will it delete any files on your system.

 

[AlbertLionheart]

But you will have to reactivate the installation when complete and sometimes reinstall drivers and some updates.

 

[LakeyDaKidd]

Cool thats exactly what I was hoping to hear. My computer all of a sudden refuses to boot I tried disabling all the services and start up programs from msconfig and still wouldn't boot then I tried a system restore and that didn't work. So then I tried a repair using the xp cd and from what I remember the repair option is suppose to bring you to a command prompt but this time it started copying over system files and I let that finish thinking that was it but then it rebooted and started installing xp.It was at the screen that comes up when installing xp, the part where it tells you the progress (finalizing installation,etc..) so I turned off the computer cause I thought it was gonna erase all my docs. So am i suppose to go through the steps described above when doing a repair using the repair option and not the recovery console?

 

[LookinAround]

See this link http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

Also, if you are running SP3 but only have SP1 or SP2 install CDs you will need to "slipstream" build an SP3 CD first. Let us know if you need that info also

And of course,while the repair shouldn't mess with the non-Windows files/installation, of course, still be cautious and do a full backup before you do the repair

 

[raybay]

Well, of course, you can always reinstall Service Pack 2, then Service Pack 3... you don't need to reinstall Service Pack 1.
But as LookingAround has mentioned, it is very wise to create the backup. There are more than plenty of crises created when running R for repair.

When the quality of the Windows you are attempting to repair is corrupted badly, you can potentially lose everything.

 

[LookinAround]

Well, of course, you can always reinstall Service Pack 2, then Service Pack 3... you don't need to reinstall Service Pack 1.
<snip>

point of note: yes, you can do that with a re-install. But the question is about a repair (not reinstall). And you can't do a Windows repair on a computer running SP3 with an SP1 or SP2 install CD