I just swapped my motherboard for my new one, following a guide on a website about being able to swap them around without having to re-install Windows XP. I did everything right, including changing my old IDE driver to the "Standard PCI IDE controller" but when I started up, I got the dreaded "Inaccessible Boot Device" Blue Screen error, even when starting in Safe Mode. So I decided to boot off the XP CD-ROM and run the repair, the first time I have ever done/had to do so. The thing is, this installation has been on this system since March 04 (i've never seen any reason to do a re-install since it's been pretty solid) The repair process looked like the XP installation program, the way it was copying files and so on, and as such has had me wondering - has this repair process replaced all my newer files (such as updates etc) with the older versions from the XP CD-ROM? I'm using the system now, and it appears to be working fine, but I was just wondering if it would have changed it all around, or if the process does not replace newer files?? Thanks for any information!! Alex

As long as you used the 2nd repair option, all you lose are your MS updates. Repairing XP http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_repair_install.htm http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/repair_xp.htm http://support.gateway.com/support/product/Software/WinXP/Installs/750959411.shtml http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=315341 http://www.wown.info/j_helmig/wxprcons.htm http://www.wown.info/j_helmig/wxppasr.htm http://www.theeldergeek.com/repairing_windows_xp.htm Boot off of a clean Windows XP cd, choose Install ( Not > To Repair a Windows XP installation using Recovery Console, press R ) at the first prompt. It will then search for a previous copy of windows. When it finds your copy, it will stop at the next prompt and ask if you want to do a repair. Hit R at this screen. If it does'nt mention a repair > DO NOT continue. It will then copy a lot of files and appear to be doing a reinstall ( But its not. All your programs and data are safe, all you will lose, are your windows updates ) This will allow you to add accounts to the system that will be administrator accounts, it will also fix most problems in XP. You will have to reactivate after the repair, but dont worry it will reactivate cleanly. This should fix your problems.

You will always have less problems reinstalling rather than trying to patch an operating system that was loaded with different components (in Windows world) You can avoid many of these Windows problems with Linux. Linspire eases the transition for new users

Have a clean installation of Windows XP is much better to fix it by using Windows XP CD.

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