Langa Letter: XP's No-Reformat, Nondestructive Total-Rebuild Option

[Humpty]

Quote:

 

It's one of those software design decisions that makes you scratch your head and wonder, "What were they thinking?"

 

The "it" in this case is XP's most powerful rebuild/repair option, and yet Microsoft chose to hide it behind seeming dead ends, red herrings, and a recycled interface that makes it hard to find and (at first) somewhat confusing to use.

 

Repair XP Link

 

Haven't had a need for a repair install as I have a clone and images as backups but the article may help someone.

[DjLizard]

THIS is somehow difficult to figure out?

[Humpty]

THIS is somehow difficult to figure out?

 

Maybe not for me or you but there all levels with you being way above me.

[MikeW]

Surely, Windows Repair is pretty basic stuff! Humpty

[Humpty]

Just thought it went beyond using the recovery console which may be of help to someone.

 

Quote from the article:

 

The poorly worded options in Screen Four lead many users astray. The only mention of "Repair" here is "...repair a Windows XP installation using Recovery Console..." but that's not the no-reformat repair/reinstall we're seeking. (The Recovery Console Repair option is useful in its own right for fixing relatively minor problems with the operating system, and we fully explore it in the links listed above.)

 

The repair option we do want--a nondestructive, no-reformat reinstall--is actually hidden beneath the Setup option, "To set up Windows XP now, press ENTER."

 

So hit Enter, just as if you were setting up Windows afresh and from scratch.

[Andavari]

Regardless of how experienced someone is it's impossible to know everything which is why I think the information is very useful, and I only wish I had known about it back in September '05 because it may have saved me a full format and reinstall.

[rridgely]

I saw this on digg maybe a few days back and thought the fact that they thought it was some big secret was pretty dumb. I always thought this was pretty self explanitory but it obviously helped someone.

[Tarun]

THIS is somehow difficult to figure out?

 

I agree. The author of that article is a total idiot. It takes a little exploring to find your options, big deal. Use your brain, it's what separates us from the idiots like the author of that article.

[Humpty]

I agree. The author of that article is a total idiot. It takes a little exploring to find your options, big deal. Use your brain, it's what separates us from the idiots like the author of that article.

 

Geez Tarun,a bit mean saying the author is a total idiot.

 

If it can help just one person or add to their knowledge I would be happy with that.

 

If everyone was as clever as yourself I doubt there would be a need for any help forums.

[Tarun]

Well to me he made fabricated that it was deeply hidden and hard to get to, yet it's not. The option is readily available if people know how to read.

[DjLizard]

I didn't mean it harshly, but he did make it seem kind of like a conspiracy. At any rate, several Microsoft KB articles tell you to do this procedure whenever they've recognized that it can help.

[Humpty]

OK fellas don't shoot the messenger but some extra info about tweaking RC.

 

Quote:

 

"Fred Langa shows how a simple tweak turns XP's low-level Recovery Console into a complete, standalone mini-operating system--in effect, an XP DOS!"

 

Article

[oli]

shame i wasnt given a copy of xp when i got my comp cos this would be useful. out of curiosity if i got say a cough pirate cough copy but used my official key code would that work?

[hazelnut]

oli, that's a no no. You know this forum does not advocate piracy.

[oli]

well my copy is legal i just wasnt given a disc so technically its not piracy