Winzip & Winrar are the most popular software's used for handing archive formats like zip, rar, iso, etc!

Both of the above software's obviously are not free so the next best alternative is 7-zip ,which is an open-source Windows-only tool that doesn’t have a very fancy GUI but can do everything that you would want a file compression software to do.

7-Zip performs all the task just like Winrar & Winzip. The program supports 7z, XZ, BZIP2, GZIP, TAR, ZIP, WIM, ARJ, CAB, CHM, CPIO, CramFS, DEB, DMG, FAT, HFS, ISO, LZH, LZMA, MBR, MSI, NSIS, NTFS, RAR, RPM, SquashFS, UDF, VHD, WIM, XAR, Z & other formats too.





If you are looking for an alternative to 7-zip as well, go with PeaZip. This is also a free and open-source zip utility which is available for Windows, Mac and Linux.



In PeaZip, all the features within Winzip , Winrar as well as 7-Zip is available. It also includes password protection in a single click which is also available in 7-Zip.


Both 7-zip and PeaZip have portable versions , you may try them without installation.

Want to run Windows Vista or 7 on your Apple computer? With Bootcamp and OS X Leopard (or Snow Leopard), it's easy. So easy, in fact, that this free video tutorial from CNET can present a complete overview of the process in just over three minutes and a half. For detailed instructions, and to get started running your favorite Windows apps and games on your Mac, watch this handy how-to.

Link T0 The TUT : http://cnettv.cnet.com/2001-1_53-32561.html


Credits: Amal

How to change your IP Address, Can be used for a few reasons IP Banned or being DDoS'ed ect...

First you will want to know what your existing IP is, simply go to www.whatismyip.com and make note of your existing IP.

Method 1: You can try to reset your cable modem or dsl modem. Sometimes this will give you a new IP

Method 2: You can try to reset both your modem and router

Method 3: If you are using Dial Up, simply disconnect and reconnect to the internet 9 out of 10 times you will get a new IP

Method 4: If you are using a router, login to your router and change the MAC ADDRESS for you WAN port to something else, just change 1 character to something different. Then reset your modem, than your once that resets, reset your router

Method 5: If you are not using a router, some ethernet cards with differnet versions of operating systems allow you to change your hardware ID (mac address). You can also try: http://www.klcconsulting.net/Change_MAC_w2k.htm. After you change your Mac Address you will need to reset your modem. If you have digital phone don't forget to take the battery out of the modem when you reset it to get a full reset.

Method 6: Start> Run> Type CMD Press Enter Black Screen will pop up (Command Prompt) type in ipconfig /release put a space between ipconfig and /release Unplug Your Modem Power Cable from your DSL or Cable Modem wait 2 mins then Plug the Power cable back in and type ipconfig /renew make sure you have a space between the ipconfig and the /renew press enter and hopefully it wil change your IP if your on a router you will need to use Method 4.

Method 7: on Windows XP go to start Control Panel, Network and Internet Connections, from Network and Internet Connections look for Network Connections look for your Local Area Connection some people may have a few if you add a network connection anyways right click on which ever Local Area Connection is connected go to Status, click on the Support TAB click on the Details button look for the Physical Address type it out in notepad go back to Local Area Connection right click go to Properties click the Configure button click the Advanced tab look in there for Network Address put a dot in the () for the value box place your Physical Address without the dashes into that box change the last number or letter click OK and this will disconnect from the internet and get you a new IP this will only work if your hooked up with just a DSL or Cable modem you will need to not be using a router or switch.

These are some interesting shortcut keys for Windows 7 which most users are unaware of. I hope this TricksTerminal trick proves to be helpful.

Windows Management Shortcuts

* Win+Home: Clear all but the active window.
* Win+Space: All windows become transparent so you can see through to the desktop.
* Win+Up arrow: Maximize the active window.
* Shift+Win+Up arrow: Maximize the active window vertically.
* Win+Down arrow: Minimize the window/Restore the window if it's maximized.
* Win+Left/Right arrows: Dock the window to each side of the monitor.
* Shift+Win+Left/Right arrows: Move the window to the monitor on the left or right.

You can also interact with windows by dragging them with the mouse:

* Drag window to the top: Maximize
* Drag window left/right: Dock the window to fill half of the screen.
* Shake window back/forth: Minimize everything but the current window.
* Double-Click Top Window Border (edge).


Taskbar Shortcuts

You can use any of these shortcut combinations to launch the applications in their respective position on the taskbar, or more:

* Win+number (1-9): Starts the application pinned to the taskbar in that position, or switches to that program.
* Shift+Win+number (1-9): Starts a new instance of the application pinned to the taskbar in that position.
* Ctrl+Win+number (1-9): Cycles through open windows for the application pinned to the taskbar is that position.
* Alt+Win+number (1-9): Opens the Jump List for the application pinned to the taskbar.
* Win+T: Focus and scroll through items on the taskbar.
* Win+B: Focuses the System Tray icons


In addition, you can interact with the taskbar using your mouse and a modifier key:

* Shift+Click on a taskbar button: Open a program or quickly open another instance of a program.
* Ctrl+Shift+Click on a taskbar button: Open a program as an administrator.
* Shift+Right-click on a taskbar button: Show the window menu for the program (like XP does).
* Shift+Right-click on a grouped taskbar button: Show the window menu for the group.
* Ctrl+Click on a grouped taskbar button: Cycle through the windows of the group.

Here's a few more interesting hotkeys for you:

* Ctrl+Shift+N: Creates a new folder in Windows Explorer.
* Alt+Up: Goes up a folder level in Windows Explorer.
* Alt+P: Toggles the preview pane in Windows Explorer.
* Shift+Right-Click on a file: Adds Copy as Path, which copies the path of a file to the clipboard.
* Shift+Right-Click on a file: Adds extra hidden items to the Send To menu.
* Shift+Right-Click on a folder: Adds Command Prompt Here, which lets you easily open a command prompt in that folder.
* Win+P: Adjust presentation settings for your display.
* Win+(+/-): Zoom in/out.
* Win+G: Cycle between the Windows Gadgets on your screen.

Source: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Keyboard-shortcuts

Here are some useful RUN Commands in Windows

Accessibility Controls - access.cpl

Add Hardware Wizard - hdwwiz.cpl

Add/Remove Programs - appwiz.cpl

Administrative Tools - control admintools

Automatic Updates - wuaucpl.cpl

Bluetooth Transfer Wizard - fsquirt

Calculator - calc

Certificate Manager - certmgr.msc

Character Map - charmap

Check Disk Utility - chkdsk

Clipboard Viewer - clipbrd

Command Prompt - cmd

Component Services - dcomcnfg

Computer Management - compmgmt.msc

Date and Time Properties - timedate.cpl

DDE Shares - ddeshare

Device Manager - devmgmt.msc

Direct X Control Panel (If Installed)* - directx.cpl

Direct X Troubleshooter - dxdiag

Disk Cleanup Utility - cleanmgr

Disk Defragment - dfrg.msc

Disk Management - diskmgmt.msc

Disk Partition Manager - diskpart

Display Properties - control desktop

Display Properties - desk.cpl

Display Properties (w/Appearance Tab Preselected) - control color

Dr. Watson System Troubleshooting Utility - drwtsn32

Driver Verifier Utility - verifier

Event Viewer - eventvwr.msc

File Signature Verification Tool - sigverif

Findfast - findfast.cpl

Folders Properties - control folders

Fonts - control fonts

Fonts Folder - fonts

Free Cell Card Game - freecell

Game Controllers - joy.cpl

Group Policy Editor (XP Prof) - gpedit.msc

Hearts Card Game - mshearts

Iexpress Wizard - iexpress

Indexing Service - ciadv.msc

Internet Properties - inetcpl.cpl

IP Configuration (Display Connection Configuration) - ipconfig /all

IP Configuration (Display DNS Cache Contents) - ipconfig /displaydns

IP Configuration (Delete DNS Cache Contents) - ipconfig /flushdns

IP Configuration (Release All Connections) - ipconfig /release

IP Configuration (Renew All Connections) - ipconfig /renew

IP Configuration (Refreshes DHCP & Re - Registers DNS) - ipconfig /registerdns

IP Configuration (Display DHCP Class ID) - ipconfig /showclassid

IP Configuration (Modifies DHCP Class ID) - ipconfig /setclassid

Java Control Panel (If Installed) - jpicpl32.cpl

Java Control Panel (If Installed) - javaws

Keyboard Properties - control keyboard

Local Security Settings - secpol.msc

Local Users and Groups - lusrmgr.msc

Logs You Out Of Windows - logoff

Microsoft Chat - winchat

Minesweeper Game - winmine

Mouse Properties - control mouse

Mouse Properties - main.cpl

Network Connections - control netconnections

Network Connections - ncpa.cpl

Network Setup Wizard - netsetup.cpl

Notepad - notepad

Nview Desktop Manager (If Installed) - nvtuicpl.cpl

Object Packager - packager

ODBC Data Source Administrator - odbccp32.cpl

On Screen Keyboard - osk

Opens AC3 Filter (If Installed) - ac3filter.cpl

Password Properties - password.cpl

Performance Monitor - perfmon.msc

Performance Monitor - perfmon

Phone and Modem Options - telephon.cpl

Power Configuration - powercfg.cpl

Printers and Faxes - control printers

Printers Folder - printers

Private Character Editor - eudcedit

Quicktime (If Installed) - QuickTime.cpl

Regional Settings - intl.cpl

Registry Editor - regedit

Registry Editor - regedit32

Remote Desktop - mstsc

Removable Storage - ntmsmgr.msc

Removable Storage Operator Requests - ntmsoprq.msc

Resultant Set of Policy (XP Prof) - rsop.msc

Scanners and Cameras - sticpl.cpl

Scheduled Tasks - control schedtasks

Security Center - wscui.cpl

Services - services.msc

Shared Folders - fsmgmt.msc

Shuts Down Windows - shutdown

Sounds and Audio - mmsys.cpl

Spider Solitare Card Game - spider

SQL Client Configuration - cliconfg

System Configuration Editor - sysedit

System Configuration Utility - msconfig

System File Checker Utility (Scan Immediately) - sfc /scannow

System File Checker Utility (Scan Once At Next Boot) - sfc /scanonce

System File Checker Utility (Scan On Every Boot) - sfc /scanboot

System File Checker Utility (Return to Default Setting) - sfc /revert

System File Checker Utility (Purge File Cache) - sfc /purgecache

System File Checker Utility (Set Cache Size to size x) - sfc /cachesize=x

System Properties - sysdm.cpl

Task Manager - taskmgr

Telnet Client - telnet

User Account Management - nusrmgr.cpl

Utility Manager - utilman

Windows Firewall - firewall.cpl

Windows Magnifier - magnify

Windows Management Infrastructure - wmimgmt.msc

Windows System Security Tool - syskey

Windows Update Launches - wupdmgr

Windows XP Tour Wizard - tourstart

Wordpad - write

One of the most popular email services is Windows Live Hotmail. Its popularity is increasing day by day as it has got many features. One of such great features is support for keyboard shortcuts. Here’s a list of 22 keyboard shortcuts for Windows Live Hotmail,

Delete	Delete a message	Ctrl+N	Create a new message
Ctrl+Shift+O	Open message	Ctrl+Enter	Send message
Ctrl+R	Reply to a message	Ctrl+Shift+P	Print a message
Ctrl+Shift+F	Forward a message	Ctrl+S	Save message as draft
Ctrl+Shift+J	Mark message as junk	Ctrl+Q	Mark message as read
Ctrl+U	Mark message as unread	Ctrl+Shift+V	Move to folder
Ctrl+.	Open next message	Ctrl+,	Open previous message
Esc	Close message	/	Search messages
F7	Spell check	S then A	Select all
S then N	Deselect all	F then S	Go to Sent folder
F then I	Go to inbox	F then D	Go to Drafts folder

If you are leaving your computer for a while and do not wish to turn it off, but want to assure that no-one else can use the computer while you are away, locking the desktop is the best option.

By pressing WINDOWSKEY+L, you password protect your system just as if you had logged out or restarted the computer. The advantage is that any programs or processes that were running when you locked the desktop will stay open and running in the background, ready for you to resume work or play.


If you like my post, do comment ;)

To change the name of the Recycle Bin desktop icon,

• Click Start then goto Run, write type Regedit and press Enter. It opens Registry Editor. Now in Registry Editor go to:
• HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/CLSID/{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}
• Now Open the ShellFolder folder
• Change the Attributes data value from 40 01 00 20 to 50 01 00 20. Once completed change the CallForAttributes dword value to 0x00000000 (double-click and change value data to 0).
• You must change both of these values to get the rename to appear.

Now go to your Desktop & Change your Recycle Bin to anyname you want :-)



If you like this Post, Please Comment ;)

Here's a neat trick to CHANGE the Administrator Password in 10 seconds
Requirements:
U must be already logged on to Admin Account

Go to Start -> Run -> Type cmd & Hit Enter
Command Prompt window opens
Type

net user administrator urnewpassword

Press Enter to Change the password...!!

Change administrator to the name of currently logged in Username who is administrator
Change urnewpassword to the password u want like opensesame...

Have Fun...!

If have forgotten your user account password then try the method listed below to get inside your pc!

Start system and when you see Windows Welcome screen / Login screen, press Ctrl + Alt + Dlt keys twice and it'll show Classic Login box. Now type "Administrator" (without quotes) in Username and leave Password field blank. Now press Enter and you should be able to log in Windows.

Now you can reset your account password from "Control Panel -> User Accounts".

Same thing can be done using Safe Mode. In Safe Mode Windows will show this in-built Administrator account in Login screen.

Works in Windows Xp!

this might work .. maynot work also! :P

Open notepad and Copy paste this:

lol=msgbox ("Warning a virus has been detected on your PC. Press YES to format your hard disk now or press NO to format your hard disk after system reboot",20,"Warning")

Then save it as Virus.VBS


By Opening it , d Following message with appear!

"A virus has been detected it's working. Press yes or no to close the window and put it in the startup folder of the victim's account"

You can scare ur friend like dat ;))



Note: This does not harm your computer as it does not contain virus.

The Yes and no button does not do anything except closing the window. And you can edit the virus in the sentence: Warning a virus has detected on your PC to any kind of virus eg.Trojan Horse like this lol=msgbox ("Warning a Trojan horse has been detected on your PC. Press YES to format your hard disk now or press NO to format format your hard disk after system reboot",20,"Warning")

Enjoy Scaring your friends! ;))

You can turn of Error Reporting from your Windows XP ..

When a system error occurs in XP, a little dialog box appears asking if you want to report the error to Microsoft. Click the message box to make it disappear. You don't have to report the error if you don't want to and on today's "Call for Help" Leo shows you how to turn off the feature if you find it distracting.

To disable error reporting, follow these directions:
1. Right-click My Computer and choose Properties.
2. Click the Advanced tab on your System Properties dialog box.
3. Click the Error Reporting button on the Advanced tab.
4. Place a checkmark next to "Disable error reporting."
5. Leave the other radio button unchecked next to the text labeled, "But notify me when critical errors occur."
6. Click OK.

And you are done.. the Error reporting wont BUG you anymore!
Its an old tricks for Xp Users.. Still posted it as its a part of windows! :-D

Shortcut keys are keystrokes that provide a quick way to perform an action. Using shortcut keys you can access the functions of an application quite easily and quickly. In Windows Media Player too, you can use the combination of different keyboard keys to accomplish routine task. The use of these keys increases your working speed and even saves time as you don’t need your mouse to select menus and button options.

Shortcut keys Action

1. Video Playback

ALT+1 --> Adjust zoom to 50 percent
ALT+2 --> Adjust zoom to 100 percent
ALT+3 --> Adjust zoom to 200 percent
ALT+ENTER --> Display the video in full mode

2. Accessing the menus

ALT+F --> Go to media player File Menu
ALT+T --> Go to media player Tools Menu
ALT+V --> Go to media player View Menu
ALT+P --> Go to media player Play Menu
ALT+F4 --> Use to close media player

3. Switching between display mode

CTRL+1 --> Display media player in full mode
CTRL+2 --> Display media player in skin mode

4. Player controls

ENTER or SPACEBAR --> Use to play an item
CTRL+B --> Use to play the previous item in media player
CTRL+F --> to play the next item in media player
CTRL+E --> Use to Eject CD or DVD from CD or DVD drive
CTRL+P --> Use to Play or Pause the item in media player
CTRL+T --> Use to Repeat the items in media player
CTRL+SHIFT+B --> Use to Rewind a file in media player
CTRL+SHIFT+F --> Use to Fast Forward a file in media player
CTRL+SHIFT+S --> Use to play items slower than a normal speed
CTRL+SHIFT+ G --> Use to play items faster than a normal speed
CTRL+SHIFT+ N --> Use to play items at normal speed in media player
F8 --> Use to mute the volume in media player
F9 --> Use to decrease the volume in media player
F10 --> Use to increase the volume in media player

It'll be a little difficult to make it work the first time.. but it'll be a lot easier afterwards! ;)

Microsoft's new operating system, Windows 7, offers significant improvement over Vista. But if you want to get the very best performance possible, you should make a few system tweaks to eliminate resource-hogging programs and features.

In this guide, I'll show you a few good ways to boost your PC's performance without upgrading your hardware.

First, one warning: A quick internet search will lead you to treasure troves of advice for making the most of your OS, but beware - many of those suggestions are fool's gold, myths inherited from Vista and XP optimisation guides that could actually do more harm than good for your Windows 7 system's performance.
The tweaks and suggestions I offer here won't transform your rusty old junker into a screaming new Porsche, but they will help you squeeze some extra speed and space out of your native Windows 7 installation.


Is my PC Windows 7 compatible?
If you intend to perform additional modifications to Windows 7 beyond the options I describe here, be sure to run a quick search for ‘Windows 7 performance myths'.

Don't be fooled by the more outlandish tweaking claims and tutorials you'll find on the internet. Investigate the changes you intend to make to your system before you do anything, or you might find yourself in an undesirable (or even irreparable) situation.

Speed up a fresh Windows 7 upgrade
When you reach the first, fresh desktop after completing a successful Windows 7 installation, you might be stunned to find your components in perfect working order.

For the most part Windows 7 is quite good about setting up drivers for networking, video, input devices, and other elements - good, that is, but not great.

To maximise your PC's performance, first hunt down and install Windows 7 drivers for all of the critical components attached to your system.
Motherboard drivers are the most important consideration, especially if your system's video and sound are integrated onto the system board.
If those components aren't integrated in your PC, add drivers for your video card and sound card to the list, followed by your input devices and any additional parts you've attached to your system in some capacity (including, but not limited to, a Wi-Fi card, any PCI-based devices, and printers).
If you're not sure what components you have, grab the free program DriverMax and use it to scan your system for components and for potential driver updates.

Can't find Windows 7 drivers for a product? Try using Windows Vista drivers instead.

If you run into trouble, try right-clicking on the executable file and left-clicking Troubleshoot Compatibility. Run through the wizard and select the option that refers to the program's running fine in an earlier version of Windows but not in Windows 7.

Select Windows Vista as the subsequent operating system, click Next through the offered prompts, and then run the installation executable again.
Finally, though it might sound odd, don't use the Windows Updater to install drivers for your machine - Microsoft is notorious for releasing old and/or incompatible drivers through this service.

Windows 7 may be faster than Vista but these tweaks will speed up the OS even further without the need to upgrade your hardware.

Optimise your storage
If you installed Windows 7 as an upgrade from Windows Vista, you'll find a folder labeled C:\Windows.old. This folder, as you might expect, holds the full contents of your old Windows Vista system. It's huge, and it's a waste of space.

Scroll through the folders for any files that you want to save in your new Windows 7 OS, and then delete the entire folder from your drive. Space saved.

If your PC has multiple hard drives, you can boost performance by moving the location of the system's paging file from the drive containing the C:\ partition to a separate hard drive.

To do that, open Control Panel and choose System. From there, click Advanced System Settings. Select the Advanced tab, and then click the Settings button under the Performance category. On the new window that pops up, choose the Advanced tab.

Finally, click Change. Uncheck the box labeled Automatically manage paging file size for all drives. Select C: from the Drive box and switch it to the No paging file option. Next, select a different hard drive and choose System managed size. Click OK and restart your computer.

Pushing your performance
To create a faster Windows 7 experience, start by modifying the amount of time that mouse-over boxes and clicked menus take to appear. Click on the Windows Start button and type regedit into the 'Search programs and files' box.

Welcome to the Windows 7 Registry - don't touch or modify anything without good reason. Left-click on the expandable arrow next to HKEY_CURRENT_USER. Expand the Control Panel folder, and then click directly on Desktop in the hierarchy. In the right pane, look for and double-click MenuShowDelay.

Change the value from 400 to any lesser number that's one or greater; this figure represents the milliseconds of delay between your click and a menu's display. Restart the computer to apply the changes immediately, or continue to the next tweak.

See the folder labeled Mouse (below Desktop). Click that, and then search for and select the MouseHoverTime Registry key. Just as before, change this value to any lesser number that's one or greater. Close the Registry Editor, restart the computer, and you'll have faster mouseovers.

If you're willing to sacrifice looks for speed, you can modify the visual settings of the Windows 7 interface to emphasise performance over presentation.
Go back to the System section of Control Panel and click on Advanced System Settings again. On the System Properties window that appears, choose the Advanced tab and then click on the Settings box underneath the Performance category.

The Performance Options window will pop up. There, you'll see a list of checked boxes that correspond to all of the window dressing in the operating system.

If you don't mind transforming your OS into a clone of Windows 2000, click the button that tells Windows to adjust its visual settings for best performance. It's a harsh step to take, though - if you'd prefer a piecemeal approach, uncheck only the boxes that relate to Windows Aero (such as Aero peek and transparent glass). You'll retain a semblance of a pretty desktop while still improving performance a teeny bit.

Conserve resources
Once you've installed a fair amount of programs on your PC - your ‘core base' of apps, as it were - you'll want to check that your system doesn't have any unwanted applications running in the background that could otherwise impede the machine's general performance.

These programs launch themselves during the operating system's startup process, and are often designed to help you load their corresponding applications faster. The problem is that they run every time, regardless of whether you intend to use the application during a given session.
Click Start and type msconfig into the 'Search programs and files' field. Press Enter. In the System Configuration window that appears, select the Startup tab. Move your mouse between the headers of the Manufacturer and Command columns, and shrink the Manufacturer column down; the Command column is the one you care about.

A number of the startup applications that launch on your machine sit in the background, consuming resources.

For example, take iTunes: If you've installed this application, you'll find iTunes and QuickTime listings in the Startup tab. Both iTunesHelper.exe and QTTask.exe are unnecessary additions to your system - the former launches when you start iTunes anyway, and the latter places a QuickTime icon in the corner of your system for easy program launching. Uncheck them both.

As for the other programs on your list, try running a quick web search of each application's executable-file name to find out if the program is worth keeping or removing. Once you've checked the programs you want to launch at startup and unchecked the programs you don't, click OK.

In addition to startup programs, you'll find services on your PC; Microsoft recommends trimming both to squeeze the most performance out of your system. For the services, click Start, type services.msc into the search field, and press Enter.

Up pops the Services window, a list of options and executables that's even more confusing than the startup window.

You can't identify which services to turn off (and which to leave on) without taking a close look at how each one affects your system's overall performance.

Thankfully, someone has been doing that exact task since Windows XP: Charles Sparks, under the alias Black Viper, has listed every single permutation of Windows 7's servicesacross all of its versions, along with a 'safe' and ‘tweaked' list of which services you should modify and how you should set their parameters.

To follow his advice, just double-click on any listed service. You need concern yourself only with the 'Startup type' listing in the screen that appears next. By switching among the Automatic, Manual, and Disabled modes, depending on his recommendations, you'll be able to control exactly how services launch - if at all - during the Windows startup process and during your general use of the operating system. Every little bit helps.

Maintain top performance
If you want to keep your system fast, be sure to clear out your C:\Windows\Temp folder on occasion. Do it as soon as you boot into the OS, or even through Safe Mode, to ensure that you wipe every last unused file from your drive.

In the same vein, don't use Windows 7's uninstall function or a program's default uninstall executable to remove the application from your drive. Instead, use the free Revo Uninstaller utility; this awesome application removes programs using their default uninstall routines, but it also goes one step further by scanning your system and Registry to clean away any and all traces of the program from your hard drive.

Tweaking the operating system to increase its performance helps you achieve better results with the equipment you have, but the surest way to boost your PC's prowess is to upgrade the hardware. Once you've done that, remember to keep your system free from clutter - what good is a performance boost on a messy system anyhow?

THIS IS NOT FOR BEGINNERS One should know what they are doing..

When xp goes down don't reinstall,use this simple repair method...
Windows XP Repair Guide| Step by Step

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.

But it's worth exploring because this option lets you completely and nondestructively rebuild, repair, or refre$h an existing XP installation while leaving already-installed software alone (no reinstallation needed!).
It also leaves user accounts, names, and passwords untouched and takes only a fraction of the time a full, from-scratch reinstall does.
And unlike a traditional full reinstall, this option doesn't leave you with two copies of XP on your hard drive.
Instead, you end up with just the original installation, but repaired, refre$hed, and ready to go.

When you're facing the prospects of a total reformat/reinstall, stop!
Try the no-reformat reinstall technique i'm about to illustrate, and you just may get your XP setup running again in a fraction of the time and with a fraction of the hassle of a grand wipe-and-restore.

The no-reformat reinstall operation starts with a normal boot from an XP setup CD

Start your PC with the setup CD in a drive, and hit a key when you see the following screen:


Boot from your XP setup CD to gain access to the no-reformat reinstall option.

If instead of booting to the CD your PC boots from the hard drive, you may need to modify your PC's "boot order."
It's easy and only takes a minute to make the change so that the PC will check for a bootable CD before trying to boot from the hard drive.

Once your PC starts to boot from the CD, you'll see something like what's shown in Screen 2:


Let the CD boot proceed normally and automatically through "Setup is inspecting your computer's hardware..." to the "Windows Setup" screen.

After a minute or two, you'll see the "Windows Setup/Setup is starting Windows" screen, shown in Screen Three.
Don't be alarmed:
It's still just the setup process running, and nothing's been changed on your PC yet.



The "Starting Windows" screen is a bit of an overstatement; it's just the setup process getting going.
Windows, as we normally think of it, isn't running yet, and no changes have been made to your PC.

Soon after Screen Three, you'll be presented with the normal "Welcome to Setup" screen, as shown in Screen Four.


The "Welcome to Setup" screen is poorly worded; the "Repair" option we want isn't the one explicitly offered here.
In fact, the repair option we want isn't shown at all.
See the text for full detail.

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.

The next screen, about licensing, gives no reassurances that you're on the right path for a nondestructive repair/reinstall--in fact, it's the same screen you see when you're setting XP up on a virgin hard drive.
But this is only the first of many screens that the Repair option will borrow from a full-blown setup.
Press F8 to accept the licensing terms and to go on.

Next, the XP setup process will show another screen that you may recall from your initial setup of XP. It searches for "a previous version of Microsoft Windows."
In our case, we're not replacing a previous version of Windows, but rather repairing the very same version that's on the setup CD--but that's OK; it's just another poorly worded screen.


Our intent is to repair the same version of Windows as is on the setup CD, but another poorly worded screen makes it seem like you're upgrading a previous version of Windows or installing one anew.
But don't let the bad wording alarm you; we're still on track for a nondestructive reinstall.

Screen Seven finally shows verbiage that's not recycled from the generic XP setup, but is specific to our Repair task.
Setup should find your damaged copy of XP and present it for repair, as shown:


At long last, Setup begins to refer to a Repair option. Here, Setup should have found your damaged XP setup, which you can select and then press R to start the nondestructive repair.

If your damaged copy of XP isn't highlighted in the list box, highlight it now. When it's selected, press R to start the repair process.

The Repair process then selectively deletes system files in the \Windows folder and subfolders and copies undamaged replacement files from the setup CD to their proper locations.



The Repair process then works on the current setup's Registry, leaving much of it intact and rebuilding the rest.


There's no fanfare, but this is one of the nicer parts of the Repair process: Setup retains what it can in the current Registry so that already-installed hardware and software will remain installed.

With the system files freshly copied and the Registry ready for rebuilding, the system needs to reboot.
Remove the CD from the drive so that the PC will boot to the hard drive instead of to the CD.

The first Repair reboot will take longer than normal.
Don't be alarmed. Also, don't be alarmed when Setup resumes.
Once again, it will appear that you're performing a full, from-scratch setup; there's nothing on-screen to indicate that you're repairing an existing version of XP.
But although the setup screens are the same as what you'd see in a full install, it's still a repair process, as will become clearer in a moment.

The first two of the Repair setup screens ask for your language preferences and product key.
Enter these normally.




When Setup resumes, it will appear that you're performing a full, from-scratch setup.
But don't worry--you're still indeed repairing your existing version of XP.

Many of the next few Repair screens will also be familiar.
The "installing devices" screen, for example, is identical to the one you normally see during a full, from-scratch setup.
But Repair is actually retaining much of the current setup's configuration and so will move through these steps faster than in a full setup.


The Repair version of the setup process skips or shortens many steps because it already has the information it needs from the existing setup.
For example, Repair's "installing devices" and the network setup steps are both much faster and require less user input than a new setup does.

The setup screens don't reflect the fact that a Repair proceeds much faster than a normal, full setup. In fact, the time estimates in the setup progress bar will be way off.
You'll be done in far less time than the progress bar predicts.



Just as with "installing devices," the network setup proceeds rapidly because Setup can re-use many of the configuration details from the current installation.
In fact, a Repair setup takes far less time than the installation progress bar indicates.

When this portion of the Repair is done, you'll see a "completing installation" screen:



The "completing installation" screen means most of the heavy lifting is done, and you're just minutes away from finishing the repair operation.

Setup then reboots your PC again, and this reboot will also take longer than usual. This is normal.

With the bulk of the repair work done, your PC needs to reboot once more and will do so automatically.
The reboot will take a bit longer than a standard boot, but this is normal.
After the reboot, you'll be brought to an abbreviated version of the "Welcome To Windows" setup pages.

You'll be asked if you want to register and--depending on how badly hosed the previous installation was--you may or may not be asked to reactivate the copy of Windows.
Next, the setup software handles the final networking details and then offers a "thank you" screen.


In most cases, the system will now reboot for a final time.
The Repair is done. It's a normal boot, bringing you to the normal choices for login.

With a final, fully normal reboot, you're done.
Your copy of XP should be as good as new, but with all your previously installed hardware, software, and user configuration data undamaged!


If all has gone as planned, you'll find all the user accounts and passwords intact, all the hardware devices set up as before, and all the previously installed software still installed and configured.
In fact, if all has gone as planned, the only significant change will be that whatever problem your copy of XP was previously experiencing will now be gone!

You now have a range of repair tools at your disposal, ranging from simple on-the-fly fixes such as Registry cleaning and safe Mode fixes to Recovery Console fixes, and, now, a nondestructive, no-reformat repair/rebuild option.

With this information, you should almost never have to face a dreaded start-over-from-scratch reformat/reinstall of XP!