My PC i built 5 years back is now starting to drag it's heals and it has a habit of locking up. It's time to start from scratch i think.
When my last pc was on it's last legs, i chopped everything i wanted to keep onto cd and then copied it to my new pc. I believe my current hardware is still upto the task so i simply plan to do a complete fresh install of XP.
Is it easiest for me to right click my c drive ane copy the entire thing to an external hard drive then format my hd, install a fresh copy of xp then pull any info i want from the external back onto the c drive?

 

That sounds about right to me dude, if you can't be arsed to just backup what you need, copy the lot and sort through later.

May be worth thinkin about splitting (partitioning) your hd, one section for xp then the other for all your files. Next time you want to reinstall xp you just format the partition xp is on.

 

or you could make a perfect install with your browsers and office etc and then make an image in a partition on your hard drive

or before someone else says it buy a mac!

 

Could i bother you to explain that please.
I've got Adobe CS with no cd so would your way enable me to keep that?

 

is it time for windows 7?

just a thought

 

Can't stand it - still learning stuff on XP - and it will cost

 

Your first post was correct.

Copy off what you want / drivers / programs / install data/ files etc.

Format / partition the drive how you want, make partition 1 active and reinstall windows....

Make sure your mobo can boot from CD drive or USB or you,ll have to get an install disk made....(atapi cd drivers etc)

Assuming you can format and boot to a c:> prompt..

change to your cd drive... D: and type install...

away you go


Mart

 

but he would loose Adobe CSand all the programs he does not have the original media or MSI's for

 

Right, i've gone for it. Copied everything i want to keep and have made sure i can re-acquire Photoshop . Just in the middle of the re-install - fingers crossed

 

Just to update. Pc is all wizzy now with everything back as it was, just need to acquire me a copy of PS from somewhere