Repair Your Windows Installation

When you're reinstalling Windows because you think your system needs a quick refresh, a repair installation is worth considering. The whole process takes less than an hour, and basically installs a fresh copy of Windows over the top of your existing version so that your programs, settings and data all remain intact.

There are two ways to perform a repair install. If your copy of Windows was preloaded on your PC by its manufacturer, follow its instructions for a system recovery, choosing 'Non-destructive' when prompted. This process might involve recovery discs, but in most cases can be done by rebooting and before Windows loads, pressing a key when prompted to access recovery options.

Not all manufacturers provide a non-destructive option - if the only options you can see involve partitioning, formatting or wiping your existing installation, you'll have to jump to the next section of this guide and perform a full-blown reinstall instead.

If you installed Windows from an installation disc, then the process is a little more complicated. If you've installed any Service Packs since Windows was first installed, then these will need to be removed because the installation disc will detect that you have a 'newer' version of Windows and refuse to install over the top of it.

If you find that you're unable to remove the Service Pack or boot into Windows at all, then you'll need to perform a full reinstall instead - turn the page for details of how to get started.

Perform the installation
The guide opposite reveals how to perform a repair installation in Windows 7 and Windows Vista. Windows XP users do things differently: start by rebooting with the Windows XP CD inserted. Press any key when prompted - if you get a message about Windows not being able to recognise your drive, you'll need SATA drivers on a floppy disk (check the manufacturer's site for a make-disk utility). Then restart the process, pressing [F2] when you're prompted to load the drivers. When the Welcome screen appears, don't press the [R] key. Instead, press [Enter] to set up Windows as directed. Press [F8] and Windows will scan for your existing installation Make sure it's selected and then press [R] to repair it.

Windows XP will now delete all system files and copy replacements from the installation disc. Setup will initialise and save your configuration, then reboot.

Ignore any requests to boot from a CD. When you're prompted for your language settings click 'Customize'. Set both options to 'English (United Kingdom)', then switch to the Advanced tab and do the same. Click 'OK > Details'.

If it's present, select 'English (United Kingdom) - United Kingdom from the menu, or click 'Add' to pick it from the list. Once done, pick the 'US' entry and click 'Remove' followed by Apply', then click 'OK' twice to confirm your selection.

Click 'Next', then enter your product key - you should find this on the case of your installation disc - and click 'Next'. Once complete, Windows XP will restart - click 'Next' at the first screen, decide whether or not to register and click 'Next' again, followed by 'Finish'.

Post repair steps
Once the repair process is complete, you should find yourself back at your desktop. Your programs, files and user settings should be intact, although some things, such as System Restore points, will be lost. Some programs may also stop working - try installing the program over the top of itself to resolve these lingering problems.

All that's left to do now is to bring your system back up to date. Open Windows Update to check for and install updates - you may have to repeat the process a few times, rebooting Windows when prompted, until it finally tells you everything is current.

A repair install can resolve many frustrating stability issues, but if the problems continue it's time to perform a complete reinstallation. Read on how to repair your PC in 30 minutes.