XP Clean Install - Michael Stevens Tech

XP Clean Install 

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● Click here to skip to "Steps to Clean Install XP" 

● Prepping for a Clean install 

● Microsoft XP boot floppies 

● Specialized floppy boot disk 

Why clean install? 

While a clean install is not always necessary, slightly better stability and performance 

can be expected when XP is installed to a clean hard drive or partition. 

The XP upgrade is a vast improvement over previous Windows upgrades, and is usually 

the best choice when transitioning from a previous Windows version to XP. I 

recommend the clean install approach as a last resort, not the first option. 

My recommendation is to prepare for a clean install, but first try the upgrade option. If 

in the unlikely event results of the upgrade are a failure, nothing is lost but the time 

spent doing the upgrade and evaluating the results. The preparation to clean install is in 

place and the upgrade experience will serve as a hands on tutorial to familiarize you 

with the XP setup procedure. 

What are the positives 

Slightly better performance, a smaller footprint on the hard drive, knowledge that 

nothing is carried over from a previous OS. There really isn't that much more than the 

issues in the link I included below. 

Known Issues for XP Upgrades 

More KB setup related articles 

http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html (1 of 9)8/25/2005 11:21:47 PM


What are the negatives? 

You will need to reinstall all your programs, backup and restore your data and files 

along with custom tweaks. 

There are exceptions where a clean install can impair the performance over a well 

prepared upgrade. The exceptions being systems with proprietary hardware and system 

utilities like laptops and some OEM desktops. 

Hint: When you experience a situation where the hardware or software worked when 

you upgraded, but is no longer functional after clean installing. You can restore the 

original OS along with the software/drivers that work and then use the retail Home or 

Pro, upgrade or full XP version to install XP. This will be as close to a clean install as 

possible without actually clean installing. 

Preparation 

Does your system meet the minimum requirements? 

Run the Upgrade Advisor from the XP CD, or download from Microsoft. 

Upgrade Advisor 

Even though XP will recognize most of the hardware and peripherals the clean install 

does NOT furnish all the latest drivers. For instance, without downloading the 

appropriate drivers from the card manufacturer's web site; Graphics cards will not be 

enabled for OpenGL. 

Does your system allow booting from the CD? Check your BIOS by noting during boot 

up the Key Commands needed to access the BIOS, this will be a text message usually at 

the bottom of the screen. If your system has a splash screen with the OEM logo hiding 

the boot up screen, press ESC as soon as you start boot up. When you get to the BIOS, 

access the screen that allows you to change the boot sequence. Set it to boot from CD 

before hard drive in the boot sequence. Some systems can change the boot sequence 

without accessing the BIOS, laptops for the most part do not need to access the 

BIOS. 

If your computer does not support booting from the CD, check your OEM or 

Motherboard makers web site for updated BIOS. If the system is old enough it doesn't 

support booting from CD, you should carefully evaluate your options. Sometimes the 

complete replacement of the system will be a better investment than the likely need to 

upgrade hardware and software to run XP. 

If booting from CD is impossible, you have the options below. 

Download the XP floppy boot disk set from Microsoft. Home and Pro plus the SP1 

version of Home and Pro can be downloaded from the link below. 

XP Boot Floppy Set 



Another option to the floppy disk set 

from 

Dr. D's 

Windows XP System Setup Disk Look for bootdisk essentials 

Allows you to boot from a single floppy disk, partition and format the drive and then 

begin the XP installation from CD 

Note: 

A lot of people appear to be unaware of the fact that you do NOT need the 4 or 5 setup 

disks in order to install Windows 2000 and XP. A common Win98 boot disk such as the 

Boot Disk Essentials diskette below can be used to install these OS's. This is what the 

Win XP System Setup Disk above does. 

Here's how to do it: 

1. Start the computer with your chosen boot disk. 

2. Change to the cdrom drive. 

3. Go into the \i386 directory on the cdrom. 

4. Run WINNT.EXE to begin the install process. 

The above was copied from Dr. D's web site. 

If a bootdisk other than the essentials is used, smartdrv.exe must be added and 

loaded manually before running WINNT.EXE 

If the system you have files and setting on the drive is the one you are clean installing, 

you should run the Files and Settings Transfer wizard* on the XP CD before 

running setup. Also backup anything you do not have other media to restore from. This 

also includes software downloaded from the internet that is only accessed from the hard 

drive. Make sure you have all passwords and serial numbers backed up. If possible it 

would be a good idea to use Imaging software like Ghost or Disk Image to create an 

image of the partition before clean installing. The two mentioned have the ability to 

restore individual files from the images. 

*See the link below for the ultimate user friendly illustrated guide on the valuable XP 

transition tool F.A.S.T by MS-MVP Gary Woodruff 



http://aumha.org/a/fast.htm 

You will need to have a qualifying Win98/Me/2000 CD to insert if you are using an 

upgrade version of XP to clean install. OEM restore disks will usually not fulfill the 

qualifying requirement. If the restore disk has a i386 folder, it will usually work. 

As a final preparation tip, download critical updates and burn to CD or obtain update 

CD's from Microsoft before running the XP setup. 

Since XP is now on Service Pack 2, if your XP CD does not include SP2, I highly 

recommend creating a slipstreamed XP CD with SP2 to use for the Clean Install. 

Slipstreaming Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2) 

Another Slipstream step by step 

AutoStreamer mirror link for AutoStreamer 

Step by Step on AutoStreamer 

Windows XP Service Pack 1 

Get Windows XP SP1a on CD 

Service Pack 2 

Windows Security Update CD below is shipped free of charge. 

Microsoft Windows Security Update CD 

Steps to Clean Install XP 

If the above instructions for configuring your system to boot from CD or you have 

acquired the necessary boot floppy/floppies; you can now boot the computer and 

follow the on screen prompts. 

Have your Product Key available, typical install is around 30 minutes. If setup seems to 

hang, wait at least 10 minutes + before restarting system. You should experience 

momentary screen blackouts. 



1. Power on the computer. Press the Pause/Break key as soon as you see text on the 

screen. 

[If you currently are running in an OS of any flavor, insert XP CD and restart computer. 

Skip to #3 if system is configured to boot from CD.] 

2. Insert XP CD into CD drive. Press ENTER to resume booting from the XP CD. (BIOS 

must support booting from CD and boot order must be set so CD boots before hard 

drive. If computer does not support booting from CD go to 2a for floppy install). 

2a. Floppy install: Boot from Win98/Me/Special XP install floppy disk with 

smartdrv.exe added to the boot disk; or the Win XP set of 6 floppy disks. 

3. Look for message "booting from CD" usually located at the bottom of the screen. If you 

have a factory splash screen, press ESC to unload it. 

3a. Floppy install: From the A Prompt; A:\type: smartdrv.exe. then press 

ENTER. If you are using the XP boot floppy setup disks skip to step #5. 

4. Press any Key when you see the prompt to 'Press Any Key" 

4a. Floppy install: CD to the location of the CD-ROM drive with the XP setup files; 

CD to the i386 folder where you will type: winnt.exe to start setup. 

5. Setup will start copying files, if you need to install any third-party or RAID drivers press 

F6 at this time. the copying of files can take awhile. 

6. Next you will get the option to repair or enter setup, choose to enter setup. Press 

ENTER. 

To see images full size, place mouse cursor over image and click/double click or press 

the left button and open. 

7. Press F8 if you agree to the license. 

8. Setup will scan for previous Windows installations 

9. If you are using the upgrade version of XP on a computer without any version of 

Windows currently installed, this is where you will replace the XP CD with your 

qualifying CD, XP setup will scan the qualifying CD and instruct you to replace it with 

the XP CD to continue XP setup; otherwise, you will not see this screen. Clean install 

qualifying media can be any of the following Win NT3.51, 4.0, 2000, Win 95, 98, Me 

and XP Home when upgrading to XP Pro. 



10. Choose the location to install. 

10a If this is a clean hard drive, you can choose to create a partition in the unpartitioned 

space. At this point, you can allow Setup to use all the space or set a size for 

the partition. 

10b If the hard drive or partition has a previous installation of XP you want to remove, 

choose to delete the partition by pressing "D". You will then be prompted to create a 

new partition in the empty space. This will remove all data from the deleted space. 

If setup returns a message the partition contains the setup files and cannot be deleted 

use the info from this link: Delete NON-DOS Partition 

10c If you intend to use multiple partitions, or dual boot, this is where you specify the 

size of the boot partition and or setup location for XP. If you are planning to dual boot 

XP, I would create a small 100 meg DOS partition for the first primary partition, then 

an 8 to 10 gig partition for XP. You can partition and format the remaining space after 

XP is setup from Disk Manager. If you do not intend to dual boot, you can either use all 

the un-partitioned space, or create an 8 to 10 gig partition for XP and leave the rest free 

to partition later. 

If a fat32 partition larger than 32 gigabyte is desired, the hard drive or partition will 

need to be created before running XP setup. XP will not create a fat 32 partition larger 

than 32 gig, but will support one previously created. 

11. Choose the file system from this screen. If dual booting and you created the small 100 

meg partition, make it a fat partition. NTFS is configured at the optimal file size during 

the initial setup. See this link for more on NTFS 

If you have more that one partition or hard drive on your system, make sure you are 

formatting the correct partition/drive. 

12. This is where you reinsert the XP Pro Upgrade CD if necessary. 

13. Press Enter to continue. 

14. Setup will show a progress box and reboot when copying files is complete. 

15. When you see the "Press any Key to Reboot" do not Press any Key. If CD boots 

anyway, remove CD and reboot. 



16. From this point, you will follow the on screen prompts. 

17. If you live outside the US, you will probably need to modify the default settings. 

18. Personalize your XP Enter your Name and Organization. 

19. Enter the Product Key. The Key is located on the back of the CD folder in the Retail 

versions, and on a holographic label with the OEM versions purchased with a piece of 

hardware. Write this key down and secure it in a safe place in case the original is 

misplaced or destroyed through natural causes. 

20.Choose a name for the computer, this should be a unique name for the computer, 

especially if it is to be connected to a network. In Pro, you are given the option of 

creating a password or leaving it blank. 

21. Set your Time Zone and Time and Date. 

22. Setup will scan for network. 

23. If detected you will have the choice to choose a typical configuration or custom. Choose 

typical if you are unsure. 



24. For home you will choose your workgroup, if a network is already established and you 

intend to connect to it, use the existing workgroup name, otherwise, I suggest using the 

default. 

25. For Pro, the same goes for Pro as suggested for Home, but you will have the choice to 

join a Domain, if you do not have a Domain or do not know leave blank. 

26. Setup will continue and reboot when completed ignore the "Press Any Key". 

27. The XP loading window will now display after reboot. 

Note: All XP SP2 versions now show the same XP loading screen. Windows XP is 

displayed for both Home and Professional. 

28.You will see a change display settings, say yes, and accept the setting if you can see the 

screen after accepting. 

29. You will see a welcome screen, press next and unfortunately you have to wait for the 

dialog to finish. 

30.Set up your internet or network connection. 

31. This is the Activate, Register screen. You must activate within 30 days of installing XP, 

but you do not ever have to register, Registration is completely optional and if you do 

not register, no personal information will be transmitted during activation. If you 

register, then activation will transmit that information along with the activation. The 

first Activation is usually done over the internet if the computer is connected to the 

internet, otherwise, it can be accomplished by copying the alphanumeric string from the 

activation screen and make a phone call to the phone number [Usually Toll Free] 

supplied on screen. The activation center will then give you a slightly longer number to 

input into for activation. I suggest you do not activate immediately in case you need to 

make hard ware changes, or install to a different system within the thirty days, and you 

will be reminded on boot up until you do. 

Blaster worm warning: Enable the XP firewall before connecting to the internet. 

Do not immediately activate over the internet. You can activate after the firewall is 

enabled. 

To enable the XP firewall: Control Panel - Network Connections. Right click the 

connection you use, Properties, and there is a check box on the Advanced page. 



Printable version 

of Clean Install: 

clean.txt 

32. Setup users screen. Set at least one user for yourself or the person that will be using the 

computer. 

33. Thank You 

34. Logon to XP and apply Service Pack and Critical updates from Windows Update before 

installing any software or hardware. 

35. Install your anti-virus software. 

36. Install all applications and setup your email. 

37. Restore from Files and Settings transfer after reinstalling all applications. 

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Michael Stevens Tech 

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Where do I find information on Service Pack 2? 

Information on the XP Service Pack 2 can be found at XP 

SP2 Support Center 

What to Know: Before You Install SP2 

Must read tips: How to successfully install SP2 

Tidying up after installing SP2 

How do I format my hard drive with XP installed so I can start over? 

This question is frequently asked and raises a red flag that the user 

is in trouble and may need special help transitioning from the Win 

9X/Me platform to XP. The first question that should be asked is 

what problem has prompted the need to start over. Usually it is not 

necessary to start from scratch with XP. You have a few options before 

using the hammer approach aka format. 

1. Your first option would be to try System Restore from Start> All 

Programs> Accessories> System Tools> System Restore. Look for the last 

program; update; etc. you installed before the problem occurred and select 

a restore point accordingly.


2.. Make a post to the Microsoft XP newsgroups explaining the 

problem in as much detail as possible. I suggest you setup a 

newsreader instead of using the web based format. 

3. Do a Repair Install 

4. Do a Clean Install using the XP CD. 

5. See links from XP FAQ page for more format options. 

How to Format XP. 

http://michaelstevenstech.com/index.html (2 of 2)8/25/2005 11:21:52 PM 

If the system manufacturer supplies only a method to restore 

to original shipped state located on the hard drive or restore 

CD's; formatting the hard drive may remove the restore files and 

you should consult your system documentation and web site. 

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Setting up Outlook Express Newsreader 

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Using the web based access to newsgroups is a very difficult way to use high 

volume newsgroups like the XP newsgroups. With several XP newsgroups 

average daily volume well over 1000 messages, the web formats lack of the 

search ability severely limits the usefulness of the newsgroups forum. 

Below are steps and tips on setting up the Outlook Express Newsreader for 

viewing and posting to the Microsoft newsgroups. 

1. Open Outlook Express, or if you have Outlook configured, open Outlook 

[see below for enabling news for Outlook 2003]. 

2. From Tools menu, select Accounts. 

3. Click the Add button and select News. 

4. This will launch the Internet Connection Wizard. 

5. Type the name you want to appear in the "From" column in the Display 

field. 

6. Type your email address, this can be any email address, but I suggest 

creating an anonymous email account just for newsgroup posting. 

(As a further warning, never use your real email 

address in the configuration of your newsgroup reader, or 

your signature. Alter the address with something obvious to someone 

with a legitimate reason to reply, but so you will not have your email 

address harvested by spam harvesters. Use a prefix/suffix like no spam 

or bogus, etc. Change the part of the email address after the @ sign. This 

will lessen the possibility email will be sent to a real 

person.) Anonymous email accounts are 

available for free. Hushmail Secure Email is one of many examples 

available. For more examples do a Google search for "anonymous 

email" 

7. Enter msnews.microsoft.com for the NNTP server. Leave my 

newserver requires me to log on unchecked 

8. In the Newsgroup Subscriptions dialog box, type microsoft.public. 

windowsxp. to display all Windows XP newsgroups. Click the 

http://michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm (1 of 3)8/25/2005 11:21:54 PM


newsgroups you're interested in, then click Subscribe. 

9. When you have subscribed to the desired newsgroups, click OK 

10. From OE Tools> Options> Read> Set the number of headers to retrieve 

to 1000. Uncheck the checkbox to download all the messages in 

a newsgroup. (recommended, but takes a considerable 

amount of time. OE Newsreader will give a much higher 

estimate of the posts to download. Estimate is over a million 

headers for the general group, but actual number is around 

90 to 100 thousand.) The XP newsgroups have a very high volume 

and average posts in some groups exceed 1000 posts per day, using the 

default 300 headers to download would give only a fraction of the posts 

and replies to the newsgroups. 

11. From View> Current View select Show All Messages. 

12. From View>Sort By select Sent 

13. Use Help for more tips on configuring OE for newsgroups. 

Additional tips for OE newsreader. After the initial download of the headers, 

you should compact the newsgroups by right clicking on a subscribed 

newsgroup and selecting Properties from the menu, then Compact 

For Outlook 2003, the tool bar must be customized to enable a link to open 

Outlook Newsreader. 

Finally, there are other newsgroup applications and some are more 

specialized to specific newsgroup tasks, but I find the Outlook Express 

newsreader especially well suited for Microsoft peer support newsgroups. For 

downloading files and binaries, I would suggest other newsreaders more 

suited for this task. 

Printable text version. Right click text file and choose print target: oesetup. 

txt 

MICROSOFT PUBLIC NEWSGROUPS 

List of Microsoft Public Newsgroup links compiled courtesy of MS-MVP 

Jim Eshelman. 



Clicking the links will automatically create any necessary account 

configuration in Outlook Express and take you directly to the Microsoft 

newsgroup you have selected — no complicated technical configurations are 

needed! Over 2000+ newsgroups available. 

Microsoft newsgroups rules of conduct. Useful tips on E-mail Addresses and 

Privacy. 

http://www.microsoft.com/communities/conduct/default.mspx 

Alternative Newsreaders 

Netscape NewsBin Pro v4.05 

Agent Xnews 

Gravity 


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Changing a Motherboard or Moving 

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Changing a Motherboard or Moving a Hard Drive with XP Installed 

Revised 4/19/05 to incorporate new procedure based on MS KB824125 

Web 



If you found this web page before attempting t0 move a currently installed 

Windows XP to new hardware. I highly recommend you either create an image 

of the hard drive or make sure you have all important data that can not be 

replaced from other media backed up to XP compatible media before 

proceeding. 

Windows .QIC and CD-R/CDRW's using the packet writing format will 

need to have XP compatible software installed to access the information. * 

Advisory: Changing an OEM XP system motherboard to a non-factory 

replacement motherboard or moving a hard drive with OEM XP 

preinstalled to a non-OEM system is not advised. Besides the possibility of 

being in non-compliance with the OEM EULA, and the practice of OEM's 

electing to provide a set of restore disks or hidden restore folders on the hard 

drive to satisfy Microsoft's restore requirement. The lack of a proper bootable XP 

CD will not allow a repair install to configure XP to the new hardware. 

New OEM restrictions initially affecting the top 20 Direct multinational 

OEM's. 

As of February 28th 2005, all COA keys affixed to the computer case will have 

internet activation disabled. A mandatory phone call will be prompted to 

receive an override key after answering a series of questions which manually 

verify them as legitimate. >>More See 59 and 60>>> and More 

This does not affect unbranded OEM versions purchased with authorized 

hardware through legitimate vendors. Branded OEM versions [I.E. Dell, HP, 

Gateway, etc..] purchased from eBay and other similar vendors will be affected 

and may lose the ability to activate the questionable copies. 

http://michaelstevenstech.com/moving_xp.html (1 of 8)8/25/2005 11:21:57 PM


Since in my opinion the repair install or upgrade run from Windows is 

an absolute necessity when changing a motherboard or moving a hard drive with 

XP installed, I would not attempt booting into the new configuration when the 

option to do a repair install or upgrade run from Windows is not an 

option. If you do make the choice to boot Windows XP without doing the repair 

install or upgrade run from Windows, I once again highly recommend you 

either create an image of the hard drive or make sure you have all important data 

that can not be replaced from other media backed up to XP compatible media. 

Windows .QIC and CD-R/CDRW's using the packet writing format will 

need to have XP compatible software installed to access the information. * 

This article explains: 

1. Preparing for a motherboard change with XP installed. 

2. Changing/Replacing/Upgrading a computer motherboard 

currently running XP. 

3. Moving a hard drive with XP installed to a new computer. 

4. Setting XP to new motherboard and hardware. 

5. Activation 

Preparing for the Change 

1. As with all changes that have the potential of data loss, it is strongly 

recommended to make a backup of all important data that cannot be 

restored from other media. You should either create an image of the hard 

drive using third party imaging software, tape backup, backup to CDRW, 

floppies, or the Files And Settings Transfer Wizard located on the XP 

CD. (F.A.S.T), etc. If you have information located in non-standard 

locations, do not expect the backup device or software applications default 

settings to backup the data. You will need to make custom adjustments to 

the backup settings. 

2. Check the motherboard manufacturers web site for updated drivers and 

any drivers that need to be loaded from a floppy at the beginning of XP 

installation. 

3. Check the motherboard manufacturers web site for BIOS updates for the 

new motherboard. As with all hardware, you should always check for 

updates. Download and Flash the BIOS to the latest version before setting 

up your motherboard with the hard drive setup with XP. BIOS 

The Change of hardware 

http://michaelstevenstech.com/moving_xp.html (2 of 8)8/25/2005 11:21:57 PM 

● Changing the motherboard on a computer currently running 

XP



1. Start Windows and Logon as Administrator. 

2. Insert the XP CD in the CD drive. 

3. Let Autorun start. 

4. Click on Install. 

5. Select the Upgrade [recommended] from the Windows Setup window 

Installation Type list. 

6. Click Next 

7. Follow on screen prompts until computer restarts. 

8. Turn off computer as it restarts. 

9. Remove power cord from computer. 

10. Open Case. 

11. Use either an anti-static wrist band, or make sure you touch bare metal 

before handling or touching a component. 

12. After labeling all cables and other power connectors; remove cables from 

motherboard. 

13. Remove old motherboard and replace with new motherboard. 

14. Attach cables and power connectors by consulting the motherboard user 

manual, and the labels you made when you disconnected them from the 

original mother board. 

15. Reboot and access BIOS 

16. Depending on the BIOS and OEM manufacturer, set date and time 

[very important], hard drive detection, CPU settings [if necessary] and 

boot order. 

❍ You will need to set the CD DRIVE before the Hard Drive in the 

boot order when booting from XP CD to Repair Install. 

❍ For this Upgrade procedure, Ignore "Press a key to boot from CD" 

on restart. 

17. EXIT and say YES to SAVE BIOS settings. 

18. Reboot 

19. Allow upgrade to continue. 

a. Setup installs the HAL [Hardware Abstract Layer] 

b. The IDE controller drivers [Hard Drive] 

c. Other drivers that the new motherboard must have. 

20. Before connecting to the internet, read the Blaster worm warning ! 

● Moving a hard drive with a currently running XP installed to 

another computer. 

● The following applies to currently working XP systems. 

● For moving a hard drive from non-working XP system 

a. follow steps 2-6 then 

b. Option #1 Repair Install. 

The following information works if the hard drive being moved is a single


partition or multiple partitions on a single drive on the computer or if XP is 

installed on another hard drive [other than the primary master partition Disk 0] 

and all hard drives from the system XP is moved; are also moved and cabled 

exactly as the previous computer. 

1. Follow the above steps 1 - 7 before shutting down Windows on the 

computer the hard drive/s are to be removed. 

2. Press Pause/Break as soon as computer reboots. Remove XP CD. 

3. Turn off computer 

4. If multiple hard drives are being swapped, write down and label how they 

were configured. It is very important to preserve the cabling so all drives 

retain the same drive letters. 

5. Remove the hard drive or drives 

6. Install hard drive with XP installed to new computer, making sure to 

duplicate the cabling of computer hard drive/s is moved from. 

7. Power on the computer and access the BIOS by pressing the key 

combination prompted by the BIOS, configure as described in the steps 

#16 & #17 above. 

8. EXIT and SAVE BIOS settings. 

9. Press Pause/Break, Insert XP. 

10. Press Pause/Break again to continue upgrade. 

11. Before connecting to the internet, read the Blaster worm warning ! 

Setting XP to new hardware 

Option #1 Repair Install to SET XP to New Motherboard 

Option #2 IDE replacement and Safe Mode procedure to SET XP to 

New Motherboard. 

Option #1 Repair Install 


1. Do Not BOOT into Windows XP on first boot after Motherboard 

or Hard Drive change! If booting from CD is not an option,


return to BIOS and make sure booting from CD is the first boot 

option. Booting into Windows is only an option when you do a 

direct replacement of the Motherboard, otherwise it is like 

playing Russian Roulette. If you lose, it is fatal! 

2. If your computer does not support booting from the CD, check your OEM 

or Motherboard makers web site for updated BIOS. 

3. Perform a Repair Install by following the step by step below. 

When you see the "Welcome To Setup" screen, you will see the options 

below 

This portion of the Setup program prepares Microsoft 

Windows XP to run on your computer: 

To setup Windows XP now, press ENTER. 

To repair a Windows XP installation using Recovery Console, press R. 

do not choose "To repair a Windows XP installation using the Recovery Console, 

press R", (you Do Not want to load Recovery Console). I repeat, do not choose "To repair 

a Windows XP installation using the Recovery Console, press R". 

To quit Setup without installing Windows XP, press F3. 

Press Enter to start the Windows Setup. 

Accept the License Agreement and Windows will search for existing Windows 

installations. 

Select the XP installation you want to repair from the list and press R to start 

the repair. If Repair is not one of the options, read this Warning!! 

Setup will copy the necessary files to the hard drive and reboot. Do not press 

any key to boot from CD when the message appears. Setup will 

continue as if it were doing a clean install, but your applications and settings will 

remain intact. 

Blaster worm warning: Do not immediately activate over the internet when 

asked, enable the XP firewall before connecting to the internet. You can 

activate after the firewall is enabled. Control Panel - Network Connections. 

Right click the connection you use, Properties, and there is a check box on the 

Advanced page. 

KB 833330 Blaster removal 



What You Should Know About the Sasser Worm and Its Variants 

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS04-011 

Reapply updates or service packs applied since initial Windows XP 

installation. Please note that a Repair Install from the Original install XP CD will 

remove SP1/SP2 and service packs will need to be reapplied. 



An option I highly recommend is creating a Slipstreamed XP CD with SP2. 

Slipstreaming Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2) 

Another Slipstream step by step 

Option #2 Setting XP to new hardware. 

This option should only be used when you have a complete backup of your data 

that can not be restored from other sources. 

The original source of the modified information below came from 

TweakXP.com 

Before you swap out the current motherboard go to device manager and select 

the IDE ATA/ATAPI Controller and select your current storage controller. Right 

click, select update driver and select install from a list or specific location. Click 

don't search I will choose the driver to install and select the standard dual 

channel IDE controller. 

This will prevent the inaccessible boot device blue screen. 

With this method, booting the first time with the new motherboard should be 

done in Safe mode. XP will install the drivers it needs and you can install the 

new motherboard drivers. I would suggest accessing the motherboard web site to 

get the latest drivers and bios updates rather than use the CD media included 

with the MB. The CD is usually a couple of revisions behind the latest updates. 


Activation 

1. What happens when you change a motherboard or move a hard drive


depends on the accumulated changes made within a 120 day period since 

initial activation. As a precaution the windows\system32\WPA.DBL 

and WPA.DBL should be copied to a floppy before doing a repair install. 

For more information see Alex Nichol's article on XP activation. 

2. It also depends on the version of Windows XP intended for the move. 

● Retail versions of XP 

1. Retail versions of XP can be moved from and reinstalled as many times as 

you want as long as it is in compliance with the EULA. The EULA states: 

You may install, use, access, display and run one copy of the Software on a 

single computer, such as a workstation, terminal or other device 

("Workstation Computer") 

● OEM versions of XP 

1. According to the OEM EULA, systems preinstalled with OEM XP 

versions cannot be transferred to another computer. This is defined in 

the OEM EULA. 

2. OEM versions sold with a piece of hardware are tied to the original 

computer it is installed on. From the link [clarification], hardware can 

be upgraded and only the change of mother board will qualify as a nonoriginal 

computer. 

● For clarification: 

Contact 


Microsoft Corporate and Legal Affairs 

Microsoft Corporation 

One Microsoft Way 

Redmond, WA 98052-6399 

USA 

● What information are you required to give? 

1. As long as it is only installed on one computer, nothing needs to be said 

other than it was uninstalled from one computer and installed on another 

or the hardware was upgraded on the same computer. You do not need to 

or have to provide more information. 

● Why was activation added to XP? 

1. The purpose of Activation is to make the general public aware it is a


violation of the Windows XP EULA agreement to install a single licensed 

copy to more than one computer at a time. It was not expected to stop the 

ability to disable or work around the activation. 

2. You can effectively recover from most non-boot situations from the 

information included in this web site. 

● Email replies will be accepted and answered when time allows. 

Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP SHELL 


You accessed it on Thursday, August 25, 2005 At 11:21:55 PM. 


How do I format a NTFS 

Home | MS-MVP | OE Newsreader | Move XP | Restore | Format XP 

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Move mouse over menu below to 

display format options. 

Identify the file system you 

are using: 

XP system disk using any file 

format booting from XP CD: 

Format non-system hard drive 

or partition using XP Disk 

Management: 

XP system disk using NTFS 

with Win98/Me boot disk: 

Format XP installed on a Fat/ 

Fat32 file system using a 

Windows 98/Me Boot Disk : 

MichaelStevensTech 

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Printable text version. format XP 

Non-JavaScript version Format XP 

http://michaelstevenstech.com/format_XP.htm (1 of 2)8/25/2005 11:22:00 PM 

How do I format a NTFS/Fat/Fat32 drive with XP 

installed? 

Web 



If you have a problem and have exhausted all other options [read below] and 

currently have an XP CD (not Restore media supplied by the OEM) and simply 

want to Clean install XP, select the Clean Install link below with a step by step 

guide to Clean install XP. 

If you want information how to format a hard drive with XP installed, see the 

options from the menu on the left for your situation. 

Before formatting a hard drive, make sure you have backed up all the 

important data and anything that cannot be replaced from other sources. 

Need a boot disk? You can get images to create all types from www.bootdisk. 

com. 

Hint: It is usually not necessary to format XP to correct a problem. You 

should first try to find a solution from the Microsoft Knowledge Base, the 

Microsoft newsgroups, manufacturer web sites or if you suspect a virus, get 

the latest virus definitions from your AV manufacturer's web site; you can also 

run one of the many free web format virus scans. 

As a last option before resorting to a format and reinstall, a Repair Install will 

usually fix file corruption problems and leave your applications and setting 

intact. Updates not included on the XP CD used for the repair install will need 

to be reapplied and should be applied before connecting to the internet. 

Updates can be downloaded and burned to CD media prior to the Repair 

Install or clean install. 

The alternative to applying the SP updates after the repair or clean install is to 

slipstream the updates into the XP CD. 

Check for links in the Clean Install link below as they will be the latest updated 

links for slipstreaming.

How do I format a NTFS 

The Repair Install is not a fix for and will not remove a malware or adware 

problem, but it will restore files affected by the malware or adware 

applications after they are removed. 

The links below will help the reconfiguration of your computer. 

Repair Install 

Clean Install 


http://michaelstevenstech.com/format_XP.htm (2 of 2)8/25/2005 11:22:00 PM

How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install 

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Author: Michael Stevens MS-MVP 

Please click on the warnings links before proceeding with the Repair Install. 

● Warning #1 

● Warning #2 

It is extremely important that you backup important data that is not available from other 

media sources. This backup should be located on a separate hard drive, CD, DVD, 

network storage, etc. that will not be affected by the repair install. 

Please check out the warning links before attempting the Repair Install. It is to your 

advantage you follow the suggestions to prevent data loss and especially if you also have 

the capability to boot into XP, perform the steps listed in the Warning #1 , before 

proceeding with the repair install. 

After completing [if Windows is still accessible] the steps listed to prevent data loss in 

warning #1 and you did not remedy the no boot situation, you can use an OEM XP 

Pro or Home, "retail" XP Home or Pro full or upgrade version CD of the same version 

Home or Pro to perform a Repair Install. OEM Restore disks or hidden restore 

folders on the hard drive will not work for the Repair Install. 

A Repair Install will replace the system files with the files on the XP CD used for the 

Repair Install. It will leave your applications and settings intact, but Windows updates 

will need to be reapplied. 

A Repair Install will replace files altered by adware and malware, but will not fix an 

adware, malware problem. 

You can use the In place upgrade option to change a Product Key in the event you 

entered a key that was already activated. The In Place Upgrade also produces the same 

result as the Repair Install. 

http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm (1 of 6)8/25/2005 11:22:03 PM


An option I highly recommend is creating a Slipstreamed XP CD with SP1, SP2, etc.. 

Slipstreaming Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2) Good 

Another Slipstream step by step Better 

AutoStreamer mirror link for AutoStreamer Best!! 

Step by Step on AutoStream 

Alternate options to Change XP Product Key #18 on the FAQ list. 

XP Repair install 

http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm (2 of 6)8/25/2005 11:22:03 PM 

1. Boot the computer using the XP CD. You may need to change the boot order in the 

system BIOS so the CD boots before the hard drive. Check your system 

documentation for steps to access the BIOS and change the boot order. 

2. When you see the "Welcome To Setup" screen, you will see the options below 

This portion of the Setup program prepares Microsoft 

Windows XP to run on your computer: 

To setup Windows XP now, press ENTER. 

To repair a Windows XP installation using Recovery Console, press R. 

To quit Setup without installing Windows XP, press F3. 

3. Press Enter to start the Windows Setup. 

do not choose "To repair a Windows XP installation using the 

Recovery Console, press R", (you Do Not want to load Recovery 

Console). I repeat, do not choose "To repair a Windows XP installation 

using the Recovery Console, press R". 

4. Accept the License Agreement and Windows will search for existing Windows 

installations. 

5. Select the XP installation you want to repair from the list and press R to start the 

repair. If Repair is not one of the options, read this Warning#2! 

6. Setup will copy the necessary files to the hard drive and reboot. Do not press 

any key to boot from CD when the message appears. Setup will continue 

as if it were doing a clean install, but your applications and settings will remain 

intact. 

If you get files not found during the copying stage. 

Blaster worm warning: Do not immediately activate over the internet when 

asked, enable the XP firewall before connecting to the internet. You can activate 

after the firewall is enabled. Control Panel - Network Connections. Right click the


connection you use, Properties, and there is a check box on the Advanced page. 

KB 833330 Blaster removal 

What You Should Know About the Sasser Worm and Its Variants 

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS04-011 

7. Reapply updates or service packs applied since initial Windows XP installation. 

Please note that a Repair Install from the Original install XP CD will remove SP1/ 

SP2 and service packs will need to be reapplied. 

Windows XP Service Pack 1 


An option I highly recommend; is creating a Slipstreamed XP CD with SP1, SP2, 

etc. . 

Warning! #1 

Slipstreaming Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2) Good 

Another Slipstream step by step Better 

AutoStreamer mirror link for AutoStreamer Best!! 

Step by Step on AutoStreamer 

Printable Repair Install step by step. repair.txt 

XP Repair Install in PDF format. 

Should you do a repair install; and is it the best choice? 

A Repair Install is not foolproof, and should not be considered the cure-all fix 

for non-boot situations. 

To prevent loss of data or program settings, perform the following before the 

Repair Install. 

Manually delete the Undo_guimode.txt file from the Windows\System32 folder 

before you perform any of the actions that are listed in the "Symptoms" section 

of this article. To do this in Windows XP, type the following command at a 

command prompt: 



del /a /f %windir%\system32\undo_guimode.txt 

1. From the Start menu, click Run. Screenshot Image 

2. In the Run dialog box, in the Open text box, type: cmd. Click OK. 

3. Delete the undo_guimode.txt file. In the C:\Windows\System32\cmd. 

exe dialog box, type: del /a /f c:\windows\system32 

\undo_guimode.txt. Press the ENTER key. Screenshot Image 

KB Q312369 

Check the link below for an option for recovering from a non-boot event. 

Windows XP Crashed? Here's Help 

A salvage mission into the depths of Windows XP, explained by a 

non-geek 

by Charlie White 

Also as a precaution the windows\system32\WPA.DBL and WPA.BAK 

should be copied to a floppy before doing a repair install. For more information 

see Alex Nichol's article on XP activation. 

More articles to help prevent data loss. 

http://cquirke.mvps.org/reinst.htm 

Additional tips to perform before initiating the Repair Install. 

You should complete the basic requirements of backing up all files and folders 

that cannot be restored from other media. This includes passwords, applications 

purchased and downloaded from the internet without CD support, financial 

records and folders, digital images that cannot be replaced............... 

Backup copies of your registry files (in the %systemroot%\Repair folder) are 

also replaced after the in-place upgrade is complete. Copy these registry 

backups to another location before you perform an in-place upgrade/Repair 

Install. You may need to use them after the in-place upgrade is complete. 

It would also be a good idea to run the Files And Settings Transfer wizard F. 

A.S.T located on the XP CD. 

If you made unorthodox registry changes with third party software, there is the 

potential of data loss from a Repair Install. Another consideration of concern 

would be a power failure during the repair install could render your system 

unbootable and result in loss of data. 

The likelihood of you losing the files and folders is probably of minimal risk, but 



you have to expect the worst and make sure you are prepared for recovery. 

If you are sure you have explored all other troubleshooting avenues, then 

proceed with the repair install. 

Warning!! #2 

If the Repair Option is not Available 

What should I do? Most important do not ignore the information 

below! 

If the option to Repair Install is NOT available and you continue with the install; 

you will delete your Windows & Documents and Settings folders. All 

Applications that place keys in the registry will need to be re-installed. 

You should exit setup if the repair option is not available and consider other 

options. I have found if the Repair option is not available, you have a few paths I 

have listed to try before XP requires a Clean install. 

Very important!! 

If you still have the ability to access the Windows XP installation, backup all 

important files not restorable from other sources before attempting any 

recovery console or other trouble shooting attempts. 

Possible Fix by reconfiguring boot.ini using Recovery Console. 

1.Boot with XP CD or 6 floppy boot disk set. 

2. Press R to load the Recovery Console. 

3. Type bootcfg. 

4. This should fix any boot.ini errors causing setup not to see the XP OS 

install. 

5. Try the repair install. 

One more suggestion from MVP Alex Nichol 

"Reboot, this time taking the immediate R option, and if the CD letter is say K: 

give these commands 

copy K:\i386\ntldr C:\ 

copy K:\i386\ntdetect.com C:\ 

(two other files needed - just in case) 

1. Type: attrib -h -r -s C:\boot.ini del C:\boot.ini 



2. Type: BootCfg /Rebuild 

which will get rid of any damaged boot.ini, search the disk for systems and make 

a new one. This might even result in a damaged windows reappearing; but gives 

another chance of getting at the repair" 

Feedback on success or failure of the above fixes would be greatly appreciated. 

Feedback 

Try the link below if the repair option is not available. 

Windows XP Crashed? 

Here's Help. A salvage mission into the depths of Windows XP, explained by a 

non-geek 

by Charlie White 

Related links 

You May Lose Data or Program Settings After Reinstalling, Repairing, or Upgrading 

Windows XP (Q312369) 

System Restore "Restore Points" Are Missing or Deleted (Q301224) 

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP (Q315341) 




Restore XP 

Press the back button after visiting the web site below 

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Restoring XP to its original state is dependent on how XP was installed. 

If XP came Pre-installed from a computer OEM [Original Equipment 

Manufacturer] with the option to: 

http://michaelstevenstech.com/restore.htm (1 of 2)8/25/2005 11:22:05 PM 

● Restore from a recovery procedure you can select from the boot up menu that 

will allow either a selective restore, or a format and restore to shipped state. 

Warning! 

Because some restore procedures completely wipe out the entire hard drive 

and delete added partitions and the data on them. If you only have the option 

to restore to shipped state, make sure you backup your important data, 

contacts, photos, anything that cannot be restored from other media locations 

to a location not on the current hard drive. Do not backup to another partition 

created by third party software on the original hard drive. 

● You can restore by booting from the OEM restore CD disk media included 

with the system. As in the above recovery procedure, it can sometimes allow 

selective restore or format and restore to original shipped state. 

Same Warning applies from above. 

● Some OEM's include along with restore media to restore back to original 

shipped state; a BIOS locked XP CD capable of loading the Recovery Console, 

or doing a Clean install or a Repair Install. 

This CD can also be used to slipstream Service Packs into original XP CD. In 

some instances this may require activation by phone. If phone call activation 

is required tell the activation center you upgraded your computer to the 

service pack with a slipstreamed OEM XP CD supplied by the vendor.


● The OEM vendor is only obligated to provide a means of restoring to original 

shipped state. The OEM has the choice of how to provide this restore 

procedure. 

Consult your documentation shipped with the computer, OEM specific Help 

files from Start> Help and Support or the OEM web site. 

Microsoft does not mandate any specific method; it is decided by the OEM. 

● Some OEM's give instructions on how to burn the XP setup files to a CD. Look 

in the manual included with the computer or in a special OEM Help and 

Support folder. 

Note: Also look for the folders i386 or Options as they will contain the files 

needed to create a bootable XP CD. You can find instructions on creating a 

bootable CD from the files in i386 or options from this web site. 

http://bink.nu/ 

Purchased Retail or OEM with hardware: 

If you purchased the retail or OEM version you will have the option to restore by 

doing a Repair Install or Clean Install 

Michael Stevens MS-MVP 



http://michaelstevenstech.com/restore.htm (2 of 2)8/25/2005 11:22:05 PM

Using the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard 

After visiting the web site below press return 

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http://michaelstevenstech.com/fast.html8/25/2005 11:22:06 PM 

Using the Files And Settings Transfer wizard [F.A.S.T] 

Web 



The Files and Settings Transfer Wizard helps you move your data files 

and personal settings from your old computer to your new one, 

without having to go through much of the same configuration you did 

with your old computer. For example, you can take your personal 

display properties, folder and taskbar options, and Internet browser 

and mail settings from your old computer and place them on the new 

one. The wizard will also move specific files or entire folders, such as 

My Documents, My Pictures, and Favorites. 

Notes 

● To open the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard, click Start, 

point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to 

System Tools, and then click Files and Settings Transfer 

Wizard. 

● For more information, click Related Topics. 

The above is copied from XP Help and Support. 

Revised with SP2 additions: Detailed illustrated article on the use 

of F.A.S.T. by Gary Woodruff, MS-MVP 

More F.A.S.T links: 

List of Programs Whose Settings Are Migrated When You Use the 

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard 304903 

Article by By Sharon Crawford 

This page was last updated on undefined, undefined NaN, NaN At NaN:NaN:NaN AM. 

You accessed it on Thursday, August 25, 2005 At 11:22:06 PM.

Win 98/Me/2000 to XP Upgrade Issues 

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1. HOW TO: Troubleshoot Windows XP Setup Problems When You Upgrade 

from Windows 98 or Windows Me 

2. Cdplayer.exe Still Present but Does Not Work Correctly After Upgrade from 

Windows 98 or Windows 2000 

3. Computer Stops Responding After Upgrade from Windows 98 or Windows 

Me 

4. Dial-Up Networking Connections Do Not Work After Upgrade to Windows XP 

5. Error Message When You Upgrade to Windows XP: Migisol Caused an Error 

in KERNEL32.DLL 

6. Error Message: Setup Cannot Continue. Please Contact Microsoft Technical 

Support. (Error: 3E6h) 

7. Error Message "Setup Cannot Upgrade..." When You Upgrade to Windows XP 

Professional 

8. Error Message After Upgrade to Windows XP: The Following File Is Missing 

or Corrupted: Windows\System\Vgaoem.fon 

9. Error Message: The System Has Recovered from a Serious Problem 

10. Internet Access Is Restricted After You Upgrade from Windows Me 

11. Missing Data or Program Settings After Upgrade to Windows XP 

12. Missing Data or Program Settings After You Upgrade to Windows XP 

13. Modem Does Not Work After You Upgrade a Hewlett Packard Pavilion 

Computer to Windows XP 

14. "NTLDR Is Missing" Error Message When You Upgrade or Install Windows 

XP Over Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Millennium Edition 

15. Passwords Are Unexpectedly Assigned to User Accounts After You Upgrade 

to Windows XP 

16. Previously Installed SBLive! Accessories Do Not Work After Upgrade from 

Windows Me to Windows XP 

17. Setup Error Appears During an Upgrade from Windows 98 or Windows Me 


18. "Setup Was Unable to Load File" Error Message When You Upgrade to 

Windows XP Home Edition 

19. "Stop 0x0000000A Irql_Not_Less_or_Equal" Error Message During 

Windows XP Upgrade 

20. Upgrade to Windows XP Does Not Retain the Mapping of Two Keys on the 

http://michaelstevenstech.com/xpupgdissues.html (1 of 2)8/25/2005 11:22:08 PM


Gateway Enhanced Keyboard 

21. Windows XP Setup Halts When You Start Installation from Within Windows 

95 

22. Windows XP Setup Stops Responding (Hangs) During the "Preparing 

Installation" Phase 

23. Windows XP Upgrade Advisor Warning About the IrDA Protocol 

24. Audio Devices Listed as Unknown Hardware in Device Manager After 

Upgrade from Windows 98/Me to Windows XP 

25. Uninstall Option Not Available" Error Message When You Upgrade Your 

Computer to Windows XP 

Windows 2000 to XP Known Upgrade Issues 

1. Cdplayer.exe Still Present but Does Not Work Correctly After Upgrade from 

Windows 98 or Windows 2000 

2. Passwords Are Unexpectedly Assigned to User Accounts After You Upgrade 


3. "Setup Unable to Gain Access to Your Existing Boot Configuration File" Error 

Message During Upgrade 

4. Stop Error When You Upgrade from Windows 2000: Bad_Pool_Caller 0xC2 

5. "STOP: 0x1000008E In EMUPIA2K.SYS" Blue-Screen Error Message 

Appears After Upgrade from Windows 2000 

6. "STOP 0x000000ED UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME" Error Message 

During Windows XP Upgrade 

NT 4 to XP Known Upgrade Issues 

1. Windows Upgrade Advisor Quits Abruptly During System Compatibility 

Check and No Report Appears 

2. You Receive a "Windows Setup Cannot Continue Without Service Pack 5 or 

Greater Installed" While Upgrading to Windows XP 

Thanks to LabMice for compiling this list of known MS-KB XP upgrade issues. Please visit the 

LabMice web site. 

More KB setup related articles 



http://michaelstevenstech.com/xpupgdissues.html (2 of 2)8/25/2005 11:22:08 PM

How to access/enter Motherboard BIOS 


Clean Install | XP Repair Install | F.A.S.T. | Access BIOS | Upgrade Issues | ViewKeyXP 

Spell Check | XP FAQ | Computer Links | WinLinks | SW&Tools | Share Ware | 


Access/Enter Motherboard BIOS 

Web 



The information below can be used to access the BIOS from all the major suppliers of BIOS chips 

and the Computer Manufacturers that use them. 

During the initial boot of a computer the BIOS supplier will be displayed. If OEM logo splash 

screen is displayed, press ESC key to see the boot up information. Press the Pause/Break key if text 

displays too fast. 

The major BIOS suppliers are listed below and can be used to search for special BIOS updates not 

supplied by the Computer vendor.* 

For a very comprehensive and visual look at the BIOS, follow the link below from Eric Legge's 

www.pcbuyerbeware.co.uk/ web site. 

The BIOS: the 'Basic Input Output System' Setup Program used in a computer 

Warning: Making changes to BIOS settings can have adverse effects on the way a 

computer performs. Use caution when performing BIOS modifications. 

Bios Suppliers Keyboard Commands 

ALR Advanced Logic Research, Inc. ® 

PC / PCI 

ALR PC non / PCI CTRL+ALT+ESC 

AMD® (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.) 

BIOS 

AMI (American Megatrends, Inc.) BIOS DEL 

Award BIOS CTRL+ALT+ESC 

Award BIOS DEL 

DTK® (Datatech Enterprises Co.) BIOS ESC 

http://michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm (1 of 3)8/25/2005 11:22:11 PM 

F2 

F1


Phoenix BIOS CTRL+ALT+ESC 

Phoenix BIOS CTRL+ALT+S 

Phoenix BIOS CTRL+ALT+INS 

Keyboard Commands 

Acer® F1, F2, CTRL+ALT+ESC 

ARI® CTRL+ALT+ESC, CTRL+ALT+DEL 

AST® CTRL+ALT+ESC, CTRL+ALT+DEL 

Compaq® 8700 F10 

CompUSA® DEL 

Cybermax® ESC 

Dell® 400 F3, F1 

Dell 4400 F12 

Dell Dimension® F2 or DEL 

Dell Inspiron® F2 

Dell Latitude Fn+F1 (while booted) 

Dell Latitude F2 (on boot) 

Dell Optiplex DEL 

Dell Optiplex F2 

Dell Precision F2 

eMachine® DEL 

Gateway® 2000 1440 F1 

Gateway 2000 Solo F2 

HP® (Hewlett-Packard) F1, F2 (Laptop, ESC) 

IBM® F1 

IBM E-pro Laptop F2 

IBM PS/2® CTRL+ALT+INS after CTRL+ALT+DEL 

IBM Thinkpad® (newer) Windows: Programs-Thinkpad CFG. 

Intel® Tangent DEL 

Micron® F1, F2, or DEL 

Packard Bell® F1, F2, Del 

Seanix DEL 

http://michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm (2 of 3)8/25/2005 11:22:11 PM


Sony® VAIO F2 

Sony VAIO F3 

Tiger DEL 

Toshiba® 335 CDS ESC 

Toshiba Protege ESC 

Toshiba Satellite 205 CDS F1 

Toshiba Tecra F1 or ESC 

BIOS FAQ - For frequently asked questions 

on BIOS… 

click here 

Warning: Computer vendor and Mother 

Board manufacturers customize their 

BIOS to the individual specifications of 

the mother board. Care must be taken 

when applying a BIOS update. A BIOS 

update should be applied to the exact 

make; model; version; etc. specified in 

the update description. 

Applying the BIOS update to the wrong 

BIOS chip can render the system 

unbootable and could necessitate a 

Mother Board or BIOS chip 

replacement. 

NOTICE: The information supplied on this web page is 

compiled from published sources publicly available in 

digital and traditional printed media and may be used as 

needed. 

Copying of the web page source code is not permitted 

without consent of the author. 

MichaelStevensTech 

http://michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm (3 of 3)8/25/2005 11:22:11 PM 

Notebook BIOS FAQ – For frequently 

asked questions on Notebook BIOS.... 

click here 

DrDflash Boot Disk For BIOS Flashing - 

No Drivers: Save this file to your hard 

drive, insert a blank floppy in the floppy 

drive and double click the drdflash.exe 

file to create the boot disk. Follow the 

onscreen prompt and after creating the 

boot disk; copy the files for flashing the 

BIOS to the boot disk. 

Not all Motherboard and BIOS 

manufacturers require a bootable floppy 

disk to create the BIOS boot floppy disk. 

Gateway for example specifies a blank 

IBM formatted disk and creates the 

bootable floppy from the downloaded 

BIOS update file. Make sure you check out 

all the available flashing information from 

the vendors web site before flashing the 

BIOS. 

If the direct link above is no longer valid or 

you would like to know more about the 

downloaded file, you can find a wealth of 

information and boot disks for all occasions 

at: Bootdisk.com Due to the high volume 

of traffic to Bootdisk.com, if you can make a 

donation to help with the web hosting, it 

would be much appreciated by the owner of 

the web site. 

I have no affiliation with Bootdisk.com.

Getting spellcheck to work in Outlook Express XP 

Don't have 

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Spell check not working in XP Outlook Express 

Web 



Outlook Express requires a word processing or stand alone spell checking application 

installed before spell checking can be enabled. 

Problem area: Outlook Express Spellchecking is not functional after installing 

an enabling application (i.e. Office, Word, Works, etc.), try the steps below. 

!!!When tweaking your system files and/or registry, always set a new restore 

point before making changes. 

To follow the the steps below, you need to change the default Windows setting for Hidden 

Files and Folders. 

● From the Explorer Menu bar Tools>Folder Options> View Tab or 

● by going to Start> Control Panel> Folder Options> View Tab. 

● Uncheck the boxes that hide files. Click for Example 

1. Open Explorer> Go to [Drive XP is installed]:\|Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft 

Shared\Proof 

2. Delete CSAPI3T1.DLL (If not found continue to next step) 

3. Put in the Windows XP CD 

http://michaelstevenstech.com/spellcheck.htm (1 of 5)8/25/2005 11:22:14 PM


4. Go to Start>Run 

5. In the Open box type msconfig and then click OK 

6. Click on the "Expand File" button located in the bottom right corner of the System 

Configuration Utility 



7. In the "File to Restore" box, type in CSAPI3T1.DLL 

8. In the "Restore From" box type in there "?:\i386 \CSAPI3T1.DL_" without the quotes and 

substituting your cd-rom drive letter in place of the ? 

9. In the "Save file in" box type "[Drive XP is installed]:\Program Files\Common Files 

\Microsoft Shared\Proof" without the quotes 

10. Click on the Expand button 

If you have trouble expanding the file. 

Download it from HERE 



11. Go back to C:\Program File\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Proof 

12. Rename CSAPI3T1.DL_ to CSAPI3T1.DLL (I was told to do in lower case but everything else 

was in upper case-it didn't matter which way I did it still worked) 

13. Go into Outlook Express, open Tools - Options and then go to the Spelling tab. Put a check 

mark in "Always check spelling before sending." 

14. Feedback from sources that have tried the fix suggest you may need to reboot the computer 

to complete the fix. 

15. Test by creating a new e-mail message sent to yourself, and spel sume wirds incorrektly. 8-) 

I would like to thank RC for the basic text of this article. Chris and Ron for suggestions 

If the above procedure doesn't fix the problem, check the links below for alternate fixes. 

Ron Bogart 

Tech-Pro 

Kelly's Korner 

MS KB q224176 

http://michaelstevenstech.com/spellcheck.htm (4 of 5)8/25/2005 11:22:14 PM 

Major Geeks 

Eric Miller's User Tips 

MS KB Q178238 

WD97: Spelling, Grammar Not Available : KB 257643




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Retrieve your XP Product Key [CD Key] 

Web 

http://michaelstevenstech.com/ViewKeyXP.htm (1 of 2)8/25/2005 11:22:16 PM 



Important information you must read to determine the validity of 

the key retrieved by the key finder utilities and system resource 

utilities. 

If your system came pre-installed with XP, the Product Key that any 

key finder or system resources utility retrieves most likely will be 

the generic Key the OEM uses to install and not the Product Key you 

need to reinstall. If you successfully reinstalled XP since the initial 

setup, the Product Key will be the valid Product Key supplied with 

the computer. If XP was not reinstalled the retrieved Product Key 

will be the generic Product Key used by the OEM and will return an 

invalid message when used to reinstall from the OEM disk. The 

correct Product Key will be the one from the sticker on the outside 

of the case. The Product key is not hard coded [i.e. does not have a 

singular unique identity] to the Windows XP CD or any other 

version of Windows installation disk media. 

If the above does not apply continue to the information and key retrieval 

resources listed below. 

The utility "ViewkeyXP" showcased by the web page title no longer works with 

XP SP 2 and has been removed, but there are multiple key retrieval options 

that will accomplish the same thing. You can apply the same instructions to the 

key retrieval tool links below. This also includes the system resource links, but 

you will need to access the information from the system resource utilities 

tabbed folders. 

After you download the utility file below, you can simply select open and then 

click on the file to view your encrypted Product Key. If you would like to save 

the file to your hard drive, select save and designate the location. You will 

need to remember the location, I avoid saving downloaded applications to a 

My Documents folder and create a folder named download where I direct my 

downloads to download sub folders. This protects the files from accidental loss 

if the system must be reinstalled and not repair installed.


Download ViewKeyXP 

ViewKeyXP no longer works on SP2, use this link to Keyfinder.zip 

To view your key from Internet Explorer; click this link [Keyfinder] and 

select open from the file download options. To save to disk; choose save. If 

using Netscape, in the save window, right click with mouse pointer over 

keyfinder.exe and select open from the menu. 

Other resources to view your XP Product Key. 

View Product Key XP 

RockXP: Retrieve, change, Product Keys and more. 

Everest: from Lavalys The successor to AIDA32. 

AIDA32: Still available, but no longer updated. 

Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder 

http://michaelstevenstech.com/ViewKeyXP.htm (2 of 2)8/25/2005 11:22:16 PM 

Belarc Advisor Free Personal PC Audit (version 6.1f). 


you accessed it on Thursday, August 25, 2005 At 11:22:15 PM.

XP Tools 

MS Windows XP Compatible Software Tools 

*A collection of Windows XP compatible software. 

Some freeware, some shareware and some software you must purchase to use. *Adware, Spyware and Scumware free 

at the time of listing. 

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Application Mover 2.6 

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DeepBurner 

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MoveOnBoot 

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3Com : Communications giant that merged with U.S. Robotics. 

Abit : Motherboard manufacturer. 

Acer : Computers and hardware. 

Adobe Systems : Tech help, drivers, etc. 

Acronis : Partitioning, boot management, privacy, data migration, and 

other system software. 

Adaptec : Adaptec Home Page, SCSI cards, Ethernet etc. 

Ahead Software : CD recording software, Nero CD burning application. 

Aida32 : Diagnostic utility 

Allaire : Cold Fusion, Homesite, Spectra and more. 

AMD : Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. 

Anawave Software Inc. : Home of Gravity News reader and more. 

AOPEN : Motherboard manufacturer. 

Apple : Apple home page 

Artisoft : Modem sharing software 

Asus : Asus Mainboard Home page. Specifications, descriptions, etc. 

ATI Technologies : leader in the design and manufacture of innovative 

visual processor solutions. 

Aztech : Aztech Labs WWW site. 

AZZA Board : AZZA motherboard, product descriptions, bios updates, 

availability, etc. 

Be: OS 

Boca Research: Modems 

Borland : Online 

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BulletProof Corp : Makers of JDesignerPro the Java Intranet Application 

Development System 

Canon Computer Systems : Driver updates and support. 

CeQuadrat : Cd Recording software company acquired (7/8/99) by 

Adaptec. 

Compaq : Compaq Online 

Conner Peripherals : Hard drive information and drivers update files etc. 

Corel : Corel Home Page. Draw, Word Perfect, etc.. 

Creative Labs : Soundblaster AWE 16 &32 upgrades &tech support 

Deerfield.com : "Deerfield.com is dedicated to providing Internet users 

around the world with cutting edge Internet software products and services 

that Leverage Internet Connectivity." Products include Wingate, FTP-servu 

and others. 

Dell Computer Systems : Dell Computer home page 

Diamond Multimedia : Video driver upgrades and other Diamond 

product info. 

Digital Equipment Corp. : Digital Home page. Product descriptions and 

technical information. 

D-Link : Networking hardware. 

Dspeed Network : Dspeed Networks is an ISP (Internet Service Provider) 

on the cutting edge, specializing in DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) service. 

ECS : EliteGroup, manufactures of motherboards, VGA cards, desktop and 

notebook computers. 

Electroson : The Electroson has been merged with Gear. Creators of Gear 

Software for CD-R recording. 

Electronics Arts Online : Electronic Arts (EA) is a independent 

interactive entertainment software company. 

E-Machines : E-Machines home page. 

Epson : Epson.........Best known for their printers. 

FIC : First International Computer Co, Mainboard, Notebook and Network 

computers. 

Fore Front Software : Makers of Web Whacker, Web Printer, and more. 

Fort'e,inc. : Agent and Free Agent news readers....Best of the news 

readers... 

Fujitsu : Fujitsu home page, Product and technical information, driver 

updates, etc........ 



Gateway 2000 : Gateway 2000 Home page 

Ghost.com : from Binary Research 

Gibson Research Corporation : GRC is the home of Spinrite 5 and the 

ShieldsUp security checking web site 

Gigabyte : Motherboards 

Hayes : Hayes Modems Home Page. 

Hewlett-Packard : Product support for the wide range of Hewlett Packard 

products. 

Hitachi : Hitachi homepage. 

HI-VAL : Hi-Val, Inc.Multimedia Solutions. CD-R etc. 

Homesite : The Best HTML editor out there. 

IBM : IBM Web Site for their product line 

id Software : Quake and Doom Creators 

InContex :Web site analyzer and InContex Spider 

Intel Corporation : Info on their new products and specs. 

Intuit : Intuit Home Page the makers of Quicken financial software. 

Technical support and updates can be found here. 

Iomega : ZIP, DITTO, JAZ, all you need to know about their systems. 

Upgrades 

ITServ Inc : ITServ is a leading developer of Internet communications 

software and hardware applications. 

JVC : The JVC Information Products Company of America 

KDS : Korea Data Systems KDS is the top manufacturer of monitors and 

multimedia PCs in Korea. You can get the latest .inf file for Windows 

9X.................. 

Kingston Technology : Kingston Technology is the world's largest 

manufacturer of memory products for servers, workstations, desktops, 

notebooks, and other electronic devices and also manufactures a wide range 

of Storage, Networking, Processor upgrade and other peripheral products.. 

Lexmark : Lexmark Home Page. Technical information and drivers for the 

Lexmark line of printers. 

Linksys : Linksys networking peripherals. 

Litestep : LiteStep is a Windows 95/98/NT shell replacement that 

resembles an X-Windows window manager. 

Logitech : Mouse, Scanning devices, Trackballs, Joysticks, driver updates, 

product info................... 



Lotus : Lotus Home Page. Information and support for Notes and the rest 

of their extensive line of software. Very nice and informative. 

Lucent: Lucent Systems Technology K-Flex 56K modem chips 

Macromedia : Shockwave, Flash, Dreamweaver, cutting edge technology. 

McAfee Home Page : Virus Tools 

Matrox : Video Accelerator boards 

Maxtor : Maxtor's online Internet resource center. Maxtor is one of the 

world's premier manufacturers of hard disk drives for personal computers. 

Micron : Micron Electronics Home page. 

Microsoft Corporation : Where do you want to go today? Well you have 

to go here. 

Microtek : Scanners 

NDC : National Datacomm Corp. 

NEC : NEC home page 

Netgear : Networking products. 

Netscape : Netscape web browser 

Novell Inc.: Home Page takes you to information about the companies 

products and services. 

NTi : NewTech Infosystems is a premier developer of CD-Recordable 

software. 

Nusoft : Image, OCR software. 

nVIDIA : Video Processing Solutions 

Old Computers.com : Database for old computers. 

Oracle : Oracle Home Page 

O&O Software : Recovery software 

Packard Bell : Packard Bell Home Page. Lot's of information here. 

Padus : "Creators of DiscJuggler, professional-quality CD duplication 

software for the Windows 95/98 and NT operating systems." 

Palm : Palm PDA and Palm OS. 

Panasonic : Panasonic Systems division of Matsushita Electric Industrial 

Co, LTD. CD drivers, etc. 

Pegasus : Accounting and business software. 

Philips : Philips Magnavox Consumer Products 

Plextor : CD-ROM/CDRW 



PowerQuest Corporation : Makers of Partition Magic, Drive Image, etc. 

Now part of Symantec 

Procom : Storage devices CD-R CD-ROM 

Psion : Psion palmtop computers 

Qualcomm : Qualcomm's Eudora Place email at it's best. 

Quantum Corporation : Hard drive setup info. 

Raxco : Disk utilities 

Redhat : "Red Hat Software is a computer software development company 

that sells products and provides services related to Linux, a freely available 

UN*X-like operating system." 

Relisys : Current Relisys product lines consist of flatbed scanners, 

monitors, and Unix & Windows terminals. 

Rockwell : 

Roxio : Adaptec's software division, now the home of Easy CD Creator, 

ETC. 

Samsung : Samsung Home page. 

SanDisk : SanDisk is the world's leading supplier of flash data storage 

products in consumer, OEM and industrial markets. 

SANtools : Software for configuring, monitoring and tuning your disk 

subsystems. 

Sausage Software : Software from the Hot Dog people. 

Seagate : Hard drive information and setup info. Jumper settings etc. 

Silicon Graphics : High end UNIX based graphics systems 

Shuttle : Shuttle main boards home page. 

SiS : Silicon Integrated Systems Corporation (SiS). 

Smith Micro Software : Quick Link Fax Voice Mail 

Sun Microsystems : Java Stuff. You can get the Java Files here. 

SOHOware : Small Office Home Office networking. 

Sonic : CD & DVD burning software, now the parent company of Roxio. 

Sony : Everything to do with Sony 

SOYO : SOYO motherboards, Barebone systems, and other peripherals. 

Starfish Software : Starfish Software is the home of Sidekick PIM, 

Dashboard, and other software applications. 

StarTech : Specializing at manufacturing hard-to-find parts. 

SuSE : One of the better Linux distributions. 



Symantec : Tech support for Norton Utilities, Navigator, Anti virus, 

WinFax Pro and the rest of their extensive line of apps. 

Sysinternals : The Systems Internals Web site provides you advanced 

utilities, technical information and source code related to Windows 95 and 

Windows NT internals that you won't find anywhere else. 

Tekram : "Product lines, ranging from engineering-oriented products to 

value-added oriented ones, include Main boards, Storage Controllers, 

Network Peripherals, and Multimedia." 

Terabyte : Hard drive management software and boot manager to 

partition and multi boot your computer. 

TGTsoft : StyleXP 

Toshiba : Toshiba Home page. Drivers, Tech, and product info. 

Turtle Beach-Voyetra : Audio hardware and Software solutions. 

Tyan : Tyan is a leading manufacturer of Motherboards. 

UMAX : Umax Scanners 

US Robotics/3Com: Tech support, Product information 

V-Com : System Commander, PowerDesk, Fix-It Utilities, etc.......... 

Veritas : Home and Data protection. Backup software. 

ViewSonic : Monitors, projectors, Pocket PC. 

Visioneer : Imaging hardware. 

Voyetra-Turtle Beach : Audio hardware and Software solutions. 

VXI Corporation : VXI Corporation manufactures the world's highest 

quality and broadest range of voice recognition headsets. 

Wacom : Wacom Graphics Tablets 

Wang Technologies : 

Western Digital Corporation : Hard drive setup and support files. 

Jumper settings and installation info. 

Whitepine : CU-seeME 

Wingate : "WinGate, the award winning proxy server and firewall software 

package, allows an entire network to share a single Internet connection." A 

product of Deerfield.com. 

WinZip : Windows GUI Zip utility. 

Wolfram Software : Mathematica 

World Wide Web Consortium : W3C Web standard for HTML 

Zenith Data Systems : 

Zoom : Zoom Telephonics 










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Windows Resources 

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Web 



Practically Networked 

Pocket PC Passions 

Sam Spade 

Scanner-Drivers.Com 

Paul Thurrott's SuperSite 

TechWeb 

Tomcat 

TroubleShooters.com 

Windows for Devices 

Windows Hardware 

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WinPlanet 

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Web Michael Stevens Tech 

Andretti-Green Racing 

Arnie the Farmer Beswick 

Autoextremist.com 

AutoWeb Interactive 

Whit Bazemore Racing 

Bill Elliot 

ChampCar 

Chevrolet Motorsports 

Competition Plus 

Daily F1 

DealerNet 

ESPN 

F1.Racing-Live.com 

f1.on.net 

GM Goodwrench 

John Force Racing 

Johnson & Johnson Racing 

Ford 

Formula One.Com 

Frank Hawley Racing Schools 

Havoline Racing 

Hendricks Racing 

Hot Rod 

IHRA 

IRL 

Robby Gordon 

Jim Hall Karting School 

Kalitta Racing 

Kenny Bernstein 

Linksheaven 

Mark Martin 

Matco 

Jeff Gordon 

Mobil One Racing 

MRN Radio 

NASCAR Online 

NHRA Online 

Drag Race Central 

Danica Patrick 

Penske Racing 

RacingSchools.com 

Race City 

Ricky Rudd 

RKsport 

Roy Hill Drag Racing School 

Roush Racing 

Route 66 

Angelle Sampey 

Tony Schumacher 

SlotNet 

Snap-on Tools 

Speed Channel 

SPEED Inc 

Speednet 

The Sporting News 

Target Chip Ganassi Racing 

The Drivers Room 

Texas Motor Speedway 

Valvoline Racing 

Wind Tunnel

Zines on the Web 

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Magazines on the Internet 

Anchor Desk: Anchor Desk from ZDNet.. 

Byte: Computer 

Cosmopolitan: Women's Fashion, Love and Romance advice. 

DesignerCity: fashion 

The Detroit News: Online newspaper 

ELLE: Women's Fashion 

ELLE: (French) Women's Fashion 

ELLE: (German) Women's Fashion 

ELLE: (Japanese) Women's Fashion 

Epicurious: food 

Epicurious Travel: food travel 

Esquire: UK 

FAD Magazine 

Fashion UK 

Flare Online 

Forbes: The online version of the financial and lifestyle magazine founded by the late 

Malcolm Forbes..... 

GQ On-line: Men's Fashion 

Harper's Bazaar: Women's Fashion 

Hot Wired: Wired Magazine Online 

Hypermode: Domaine name for sale 

IL by ELLE: (French) 

International Male: Men's Fashion 

Marie Claire:Women's Fashion 

Out.com 

Paper Magazine: Fashion 

PC Computing: Computer 

PC World Online: Computer 

Peluquerias Hair Styles 

People: People Magazine online 

PHOTO: (French) 

Popular Mechanics 

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Zines on the Web 

Popular Science 

Premiere: Entertainment 

Radio Control Car Action: Radio control car racing magazine 

Salon: State of the Art Editorial E-Zine 

Slate 

Tatler 

Third Age: The Web for grownups 

Time Magazine Daily: News 

Time Out net 

Urban Desires 

VIBEonline 

Wildpark: (German) 

Women.com: fashion 

Women's Wear Daily: fashion 

Women's Wire 

WORD 

YOU Magazine 

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MS KB Articles Relating to Setup 

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Web 




Microsoft Knowledge Base articles dealing with setup issues 

in Windows XP 

161703 : "Stop: 0x0000001E" Error Message During Setup 

216251 : How to Specify a Specific or Third: Party HAL During Windows Setup 

217073 : Windows Setup Hangs When "Setup Is Starting Windows" Screen Appears 

220845 : Adding Third: Party or Updated Driver During Windows Setup 

222939 : Windows Setup Does Not Prompt for Installation Folder 

225125 : Limited OEM Driver Support with F6 During Windows Setup 

238955 : How to Use Cmdlines.txt File During Sysprep.exe Setup Wizard 

242380 : How to Use a Command Prompt During GUI: Mode Setup 

249694 : How to Move a Windows Installation to Different Hardware



255220 : "NTLDR Is Missing" Error Message When You Upgrade or Install Over Windows 

95 or Windows 98 

257954 : Random Files May Not Be Copied During Text: Mode Setup 

278104 : "This Program Cannot Be Run in DOS Mode" Running Windows XP Setup 

279250 : Truncated Folders May Not Migrate When Upgrade from 95/98 to XP 

281652 : Error Message "Setup Was Unable to Build the List of Files to Be Copied" During 

a Windows XP Unattended Installation 

281653 : Setup Appears to Stop Responding at the Registering Components Screen During 

an Unattended Installation 

282008 : Partitions Created by Using PartitionMagic 5.0 Appear Inactive in Windows XP 

Setup 

282296 : Setup from the 16Bit Winnt.exe File Continues in an Endless Loop 

283079 : No Mouse or Keyboard Response During Sysprep Mini: Setup 

283236 : Cannot Install Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Home Edition to 

Separate Folders 

283240 : Quitting Text: Mode Setup Does Not Restart the Computer



283260 : Setup Requires Format of Initial Partition If You Install to a Subsequent Partition 

on a Hard Disk 

283332 : Setup Stops Responding Upon Restart After You Install Windows XP to a 

Partition on an IA64 Computer 

283421 : Error Message About Partition Appears When You Install Windows XP to a 

Dynamic Volume 

287546 : "Missing Files" Error Message During Setup When Deploying Windows XP 

Images 

289657 : Out of Box Experience (OOBE) Does Not Run After Setup Completes 

290109 : Error Message: Unable to Log You on Because of an Account Restriction 

291997 : How to activate Windows XP using an Unattend.txt file 

293281 : Unpartitioned Space Remains When Creating a Partition During Setup 

293834 : User Accounts That You Create During Setup Are Administrator Account Types 

295116 : A Description of the Windows XP Setup Function Keys 

295322 : Checking If Hardware or Software Is Compatible with Windows XP 

296673 : Windows Services for UNIX 2.0 Setup Does Not Work on Windows XP



296814 : Setup Stops Responding (Hangs) During File Copy 

296858 : Error Message: Windows XP Requires a Hard Drive Volume with at Least 318 

Megabytes of Free Space 

297185 : "STOP 0x000000ED UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME" Error Message 

297837 : The CD:ROM Drive May Not Be Accessible During Setup on Computers That 

Have DirectCD Installed 

297924 : "Setup Unable to Gain Access to Your Existing Boot Configuration File" Error 

Message During Upgrade 

298800 : PPPoE Clients from Third: Party Vendors May Not Operate Properly 

299340 : How to Force a HAL During Windows XP Setup 

301262 : Confusing Message About Pressing ESC to Restart Your Computer During 

Windows XP Setup 

301340 : During Setup You Are Unable to Format a Partition with a File Allocation Table 

Format 

301933 : Error Message: Setup Was Unable to Build the List of Files to Be Copied. The 

System Cannot Find the Path... 

302686 : Differences Between a Quick Format and Format During Windows XP Setup



303160 : "Uninstall Option Not Available" ErrMsg Upgrading to Windows XP 

303466 : Master Boot Record Disks Cannot Be Converted to GPT by Means of an 

Unattended Setup 

303488 : Dial:Up Networking Connections Do Not Work After Upgrade to Windows XP 

303607 : Bluetooth Wireless Device No Longer Functions After Upgrade to Windows XP 

305681 : Computer Turns Off During Text:Mode Setup If it Is Too Hot 

305746 : Windows XP Setup Halts When You Start Installation from Within Windows 95 

305883 : Windows Upgrade Advisor Quits Abruptly During System Compatibility Check 

and No Report Appears 

306478 : Troubleshooting America Online in Windows XP 

307048 : Cannot See Screen on Remote Computer After TS Setup 

307099 : STOP 7b Error Occurs When You Press F6 to Load Drivers During Unattended 

Windows XP Setup 

307107 : Blue Screen During Startup on Computer with Sidewinder Gamepad 

307153 : Errors Upgrading from Windows Me or Windows 98 to Windows XP



307316 : Volume License Product ID Is Revealed During the Sysprep.exe Mini:Setup 

Wizard 

307848 : HOW TO: Start Windows XP Setup from MS-DOS 

308233 : How to Start Windows XP Uninstallation from a Command Prompt 

308368 : Windows XP Upgrade Advisor Warning About the IrDA Protocol 

309283 : HAL Options After Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 Setup 

309800 : Serial Mouse Is Not Detected During Windows XP Setup 

310064 : HOW TO: Troubleshoot Windows XP Setup Problems When You Upgrade from 

Windows 98 or Windows Me 

310527 : Stop Error When You Upgrade from Windows 2000: Bad_Pool_Caller 0xC2 

310637 : Troubleshooting Invalid CD Key Error Message During Windows XP Setup 

310760 : Windows XP Does Not Respond at "Setup Is Starting Windows XP" Message 

310994 : Obtaining Windows XP Setup Boot Disks 

311220 : Description of the Dynamic Update Feature in Windows XP Setup



311345 : Long Delay with No Prompt After You Click Finish 

311442 : Error Message: Error = 3E6H. Setup Cannot Continue. Please Contact Microsoft 

Technical Support 

311446 : You Cannot Start Programs (.exe Files) When Your Computer Is Infected with the 

SirCam Virus 

311562 : "An Unexpected Error (768) Occurred at Line 5118@ind:Xp\Client\Boot\Setup 

\Setup.c" Error Message During Windows XP Setup 

311755 : "The File 'Asms' on Windows XP Professional CD:ROM Is Needed" Error 

Message When You Install Windows XP 

311775 : You Receive a "Windows Setup Cannot Continue Without Service Pack 5 or 

Greater Installed" While Upgrading to Windows XP 

312369 : You May Lose Data or Program Settings After Reinstalling, Repairing, or 

Upgrading Windows XP 

312569 : How to Manually Start the Uninstall Process to Remove Windows XP 

312942 : Missing Data or Program Settings After Upgrade to Windows XP 

313041 : Setup Error Appears During an Upgrade from Windows 98 or Windows Me to 

Windows XP 

314052 : How to Manually Remove Windows XP and Restore Windows 95, Windows 98, 

or Windows Millennium



314451 : "STOP 0x0000001E" Error Message During Windows Setup 

314479 : How to Add OEM Plug and Play Drivers to Windows XP 

314503 : Computer Stops Responding with a Black Screen When You Start Windows 

314859 : Limited OEM Driver Support Is Available with F6 During Windows XP Setup 

314931 : Missing Data or Program Settings After You Upgrade to Windows XP 

315242 : How to Designate the Original Folder Name for a Reinstallation of Windows XP 

315323 : Windows XP Setup Stops Responding (Hangs) During the "Preparing 

Installation" Phase 

315324 : "Setup Was Unable to Load File" Error Message When You Upgrade to Windows 

XP Home Edition 

315325 : You Cannot Print Documents After Upgrade to Windows XP 

315332 : "Fatal Error. An Error Has Been Encountered That Has Prevented Setup from 

Continuing" Error Message During Windows XP Setup 

315334 : "D:\i386\win9xupg\w95upg.dll" Error Message When You Attempt to Upgrade 


315335 : "STOP 0x0000008e" Error Message During Windows XP Setup



315341 : How to Perform an In:Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP 

315532 : "Fatal Error. An Error Has Been Encountered That Has Prevented Setup from 

Continuing" Error Message During Windows XP Setup 

315679 : Problems with Drive Overlay Programs in Windows XP 

316134 : You Cannot Log On to Windows XP After Running the Out:of:Box Experience 

316400 : "An Unexpected Error Has Occurred (536821760)" Error Message When You Try 

to Install Windows XP 

316404 : "Error Reading CD:ROM" Error Message When You Upgrade to Windows XP 

316417 : "Setup Cannot Upgrade Some Settings" Error Message When You Reinstall 


316425 : Error Message: Setup Cannot Set the Required Windows XP Configuration 

Information 

316502 : Error Message When You Upgrade to Windows XP: Migisol Caused an Error in 

KERNEL32.DLL 

316505 : Windows XP Does Not Recognize All Available Disk Space 

316639 : HOW TO: Prepare to Upgrade Windows 98 or Windows Millennium Edition to 

Windows XP



318026 : Passwords Are Unexpectedly Assigned to User Accounts After You Upgrade to 


318031 : Black Screen on Startup After You Upgrade to Windows XP Professional 

319424 : Error Message "Setup Cannot Upgrade..." When You Upgrade to Windows XP 

Professional 

320252 : Error Message: Windows Could Not Start Because the Following File Is Missing 

or Corrupt... 

320553 : CD:ROM Drive or DVD:ROM Drive Missing After You Install Windows XP 

324103 : HOW TO: Troubleshoot "Stop 0x0000007B" Errors in Windows XP 

326673 : Error Message: Setup Cannot Find the End: User License Agreement 

326676 : "Error Loading Operating System" Error Message When You Restart Your 

Computer During Setup 

326904 : Error Message: The Product Key Used to Install Windows Is Invalid 

329261 : "Service Pack 1 Setup Canceled" Error Message When You Install Windows XP 

SP1 

330134 : STOP: 0x0000006B "Process1_ Initialization_Failed" Error Message When You 

Try to Upgrade to Windows



330136 : Windows XP Logs You Off When You Try to Activate the Product 

330175 : Stop 0xc000221 Error Message When You Upgrade to Windows XP 

330182 : "STOP 0x0000007E" Error Message After You Upgrade to Windows XP 

330251 : Upgrade Advisor Reports a Blocking Issue with SecuRemote When You Upgrade 


810605 : You Are Prompted to Type a Password After You Upgrade to Windows XP 

810704 : You Receive a Prompt for the Aliadwdm.sys File When Upgrading Windows XP 

810879 : Older Version of IomegaWare Causes Error Message After You Upgrade to 


811150 : Setup Repeatedly Stops and Restarts 

811152 : "Unsupported Device" in Device Manager After You Install Windows XP on Your 

Dell Dimension 8100 Computer 

811260 : Prompted to Insert Your Windows XP CD:ROM During Setup When the CD:ROM 

Is in the CD:ROM Drive 

811267 : Setup Stops Responding or Displays an Unrecoverable Error Message 

811276 : Setup Stops Responding or Displays an Unrecoverable Error Message



811428 : Event ID 7011 Messages and Computer Stops Responding After You Install 

Windows XP by Using the Sysprep Utility 

812204 : Windows XP Setup Reverts to the Welcome Screen When You Enter the Product 

Key 

812247 : Windows XP Setup Cannot Continue 

812580 : Error Message: Ntkrnlmp.exe Could Not Be Loaded Error Code 7 

818171 : "An Error Has Been Encountered That Prevents Setup from Continuing" Error 

Message When Sysprep Mini Wizard Runs 

822124 : "An Error Occurred Copying File Cdrom.sys" Error Message During Windows XP 

Upgrade 

822796 : Error: "Setup Was Unable To Verify Drive" 

822801 : "Setupapi.dll File Appears to be Corrupt" Error Message When You Try to 

Upgrade to Windows XP 

822967 : Windows XP Setup Stops Responding During the "Collecting Information" 

Portion of Setup 

823303 : "Failed To Install Product Catalog" Error Message When You Install Windows XP 

873169 : "When you install Windows XP Service Pack 2, the USB 2.0 drivers do not appear 

to update" 


you accessed it on Thursday, August 25, 2005 At 11:22:52 PM.


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1. What are the minimum requirements to install XP? 

2. How do I format a NTFS, Fat/Fat32 drive with XP installed? 

3. How do I remove XP and install Win9X/Me? 

4. How do I install from DOS using a Win 98/Me startup disk? 

5. How do I get around the 32 GB limit XP imposes for Fat 32 hard drives? 

6. How do I "deactivate", move to another computer or sell a previously activated XP? 

7. Windows XP additional license pricing 

8. Selling/Transferring License Ownership 

9. Can I install IIS on the Home version of XP? 

10. Backup on the Home edition of XP is not installed by default.


11. After upgrading to XP you get the message cannot find the file \\.\DRI_KBFiltr when booting 

HP laptop. 

12. How do I access Safe Mode? 

13. How do I find the XP version info and EULA? 

14. I need to contact Microsoft to replace a CD, Lost Product key, License 

15. I have multiple PC's can I download XP SP1 to install across a network or burn to CD? 

16. What does SP1 for XP fix? 

17. I have an OEM version of XP, what makes it cheaper than the retail versions? 

18. I need to change my XP Product Key 

19. Remove a Dual Boot 


20. I have two installations of XP on the same partition....... 

21. Recovery Console SP2 revision 

22. How Do I Edit The Boot Menu 

23. How do I change Registered Owner Name? 

24. How do I tell if I have the 32 or 64 bit version of Windows XP? 

25. How to Uninstall Windows XP and Revert to a Previous Operating System 

26. How do I turn off Windows Automatic Updates? 

27. Do I need Service Pack 1 installed before applying Service Pack 2



28. My Browser Has Been Hijacked. 

29. Setup cannot continue because.....newer...version. 

30. Can I burn an ISO image with XP native burning software? 

31. Does Windows XP have a spellchecker for Outlook Express or Wordpad? 

32. How do you Remove Windows 98 uninstall files? 

33. How do I setup a hard drive larger than 137 gig? 

34. How do I activate after the 30 day grace period? 

35. How do I verify faulty device drivers? 

36. SP2 Blocking Tool Expires April 12th 2005, does it affect me? 

37. How to tell if XP is activated. 

38. How to Remove Windows XP Uninstallation Files. 



Michael Stevens MS-MVP


Copyright © 2005 MichaelStevensTech. All rights reserved. 





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Delete NON-DOS partition 

Home 

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Use a Windows 98/Me startup disk to delete a non-dos partition. 

Check Dr. D's for specialized boot disks. 

1. Boot from Startup Disk. 

2. Load FDISK by typing "fdisk.exe" at the "A" prompt without the quotes. 

3. Say yes to large disk support ...........? [Y] ENTER 

4. Enter choice #3 to "Delete partition or Logical Dos Drive" Press ESC to return 

to FDISK options 

5. Enter #4 to "Delete Non-DOS Partition". Select the Non-DOS partition by 

typing the number and then ENTER. Press ESC to return to FDISK options. 

Note you cannot delete a NON-DOS partition located inside an Extended 

partition. You can use the DOS utility called delpart from a DOS boot up. 

6. Reboot with startup disk and load FDISK. 

7. Say yes to Large disk support as above. 

8. Enter choice #1 Press ESC to return to FDISK options 

9. When asked if you want to use the maximum size for the partition and make it 

active, type Y if you want to use the whole drive, or N if you want to set a 

maximum size for the partition. 

10. After accepting the max size or setting the size, reboot. 

11. To install another OS; reboot: Type format X: at the A: prompt; where X is 

the drive/partition letter designation. 

12. Insert your Win 98/Me CD. 

13. Reboot from boot disk with CD-Rom support. 

14. Type sys c: 

15. Type X: for CD drive location where X is the CD drive location. 

16. Type setup.exe 

17. Follow setup prompts 

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http://michaelstevenstech.com/clean.txt 

Steps to Clean Install XP 

If the above instructions for configuring your system to boot from CD 

or you have acquired the necessary boot floppy/floppies; you can now 

boot the computer and follow the on screen prompts. Have your Product Key 

available, typical install is around 30 minutes. If setup seems to hang, 

wait at least 10 minutes + before restarting system. You should experience 

momentary screen blackouts. 

1. Power on the computer. Press the Pause/Break key as soon as you see 

text on the screen. [If you currently are running in an OS of any flavor, 

insert XP CD and restart computer. Skip to #3 if system is configured 

to boot from CD.] 

2. Insert XP CD into CD drive. Press ENTER to resume booting from the XP CD. 

(BIOS must support booting from CD and boot order must be set so CD 

boots before hard drive. If computer does not support booting from CD 

go to 2a for floppy install). 

2a. Floppy install: Boot from Win98/Me/Special XP install floppy 

disk with smartdrv.exe added to the boot disk; or the Win XP set 

of 6 floppy disks. 

3. Look for message "booting from CD" usually located at the bottom of 

the screen. If you have a factory splash screen, press ESC to unload 

it. 

3a. Floppy install: From the A Prompt; A:\type: smartdrv.exe. then 

press ENTER. If you are using the XP boot floppy setup disks skip 

to step #5. 

4. Press any Key when you see the prompt to "Press Any Key" 

4a. Floppy install: CD to the location of the CD-ROM drive with the 

XP setup files; CD to the i386 folder where you will type: winnt.exe 

to start setup. 

5. Setup will start copying files, if you need to install any third 

- party or RAID drivers press F6 at this time. the copying of files 

can take awhile. 

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6. Next you will get the option to repair or enter setup, choose to 

enter setup. Press ENTER. To see images full size, place mouse cursor 

over image and click/double click or press the left button and open. 

7. Press F8 if you agree to the license. 

8. Setup will scan for previous Windows installations 

9. If you are using the upgrade version of XP on a computer without 

any version of Windows currently installed, this is where you will 

replace the XP CD with your qualifying CD, XP setup will scan the 

qualifying CD and instruct you to replace it with the XP CD to continue 

XP setup; otherwise, you will not see this screen. Clean install 

qualifying media can be any of the following Win NT3.51, 4.0, 2000, 

Win 95, 98, Me. 

10. Choose the location to install. 

10a If this is a clean hard drive, you can choose to create a 

partition in the un-partitioned space. At this point, you can allow 

Setup to use all the space or set a size for the partition. 

10b If the hard drive or partition has a previous installation of 

XP you want to remove, choose to delete the partition by pressing 

"D". You will then be prompted to create a new partition in the 

empty space. This will remove all data from the delete space. 

10c If you intend to use multiple partitions, or dual boot, this is 

where you specify the size of the boot partition and or setup 

location for XP. If you are planning to dual boot XP, I would 

create a small 100 meg DOS partition for the first primary partition, 

then an 8 to 10 gig partition for XP. You can partition and format 

the remaining space after XP is setup from Disk Manager. If you do not 

intend to dual boot, you can either use all the un-partitioned space, 

or create an 8 to 10 gig partition for XP and leave the rest free to 

partition later. 

Note: If a fat32 partition larger than 32 gigabyte is desired, the 

hard drive or partition will need to be created before running XP 

setup. XP will not create a fat 32 partition larger than 32 gig, but 

will support one previously created. 

11. Choose the file system from this screen. If dual booting and you 



created the small 100 meg partition, make it a fat partition. NTFS is 

configured at the optimal file size during the initial setup. See this 

link for more on NTFS 

12. If you have more that one partition or hard drive on your system, 

make sure you are formatting the correct partition/drive. 

13. This is where you reinsert the XP Pro Upgrade CD. 

14. Press ENTER to continue. 

14. Setup will show a progress box and reboot when copying files is 

complete. 

15. When you see the "Press any Key to Reboot" do not Press any Key. 

If CD boots anyway, remove CD and reboot. 

16. From this point, you will follow the on screen prompts. 

17. If you live outside the US, you will probably need to modify the 

default settings. 

18. Personalize your XP Enter your Name and Organization. 

19. Enter the Product Key. The Key is located on the back of the CD folder 

in the Retail versions, and on a holographic label with the OEM 

versions purchased with a piece of hardware. Write this key down and 

secure it in a safe place in case the original is misplaced destroyed 

through natural causes or stupidity. 8-) 

20. Choose a name for the computer, this should be a unique name for 

the computer, especially if it is to be connected to a network. In Pro, 

you are given the option of creating a password or leaving it blank. 

21. Set your Time Zone and Time and Date. 

22. Setup will scan for network. 

23. If detected you will have the choice to choose a typical 

configuration or custom. Choose typical if you are unsure. 

24. For home you will choose your workgroup, if a network is already 

established and you intend to connect to it, use the existing 



workgroup name, otherwise, I suggest using the default. 

25. For Pro, the same goes for Pro as suggested for Home, but you will 

have the choice to join a Domain, if you do not have a Domain or do 

not know leave blank. 

26. Setup will continue and reboot when completed ignore the "Press 

Any Key". 

27. The loading XP window will now display after reboot. 

Note: All XP SP2 versions now show the same XP loading screen. Home 

or Pro are no longer listed. 

28. You will see a change display settings, say yes, and accept the 

setting if you can see the screen after accepting. 

29. You will see a welcome screen, press next and unfortunately you 

have to wait for the dialog to finish. 

30. Set up you internet or network connection. 

31. This is the Activate, Register screen. You must activate within 

30 days of installing XP, but you do not ever have to register, 

Registration is completely optional and if you do not register, no 

personal information will be transmitted during activation. If you 

register, then activation will transmit that information along with 

the activation. The first Activation is usually done over the internet 

if the computer is connected to the internet, otherwise, it can be 

accomplished by copying the alphanumeric string from the activation 

screen and make a phone call to the on screen supplied phone number. 

The activation center will then give you a slightly longer number to 

input into for activation. I suggest you do not activate immediately 

in case you need to make hard ware changes, or install to a different 

system within the thirty days, and you will be reminded on boot up 

until you do. 

Blaster worm warning: Do not immediately activate over the internet 

when asked, enable the XP firewall before connecting to the internet. 

You can activate after the firewall is enabled. 

Control Panel - Network Connections. Right click the connection you 

use, Properties, and there is a check box on the Advanced page. 



32. Setup users screen. Set at least one user for yourself or the person 

that will be using the computer. 

33. Thank You 

34. Logon to XP and apply Service Pack and Critical updates from Windows 

Update before installing any software or hardware. 

35. Install your anti-virus software. 

36. Install all applications and setup your email. 

37. Restore from Files and Settings transfer after reinstalling all 

applications. 

Last updated 4/23/05 Michael Stevens MS-MVP

XP Clean Install - Michael Stevens Tech

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