How To Repair Windows Xp Without Disc

Download Article

This wikiHow teaches you how to reinstall Windows XP if yous don't have the installation CD. To do so, you will need your Windows XP product key.

i
Back upwards your files . Since you'll exist reinstalling the operating system, at that place'due south a good chance that you lot'll lose your saved files in the process. Creating a backup file will ensure that you tin restore the files at any time.
- After backing upwards your files, yous'll need to motility the fill-in file to an external location (eastward.grand., a disc or a flash drive).
2
Observe your product key. The product key is a 25-graphic symbol code. It's ordinarily located on a sticker that's on the bottom of the figurer (laptops), the dorsum of the CPU tower (desktops), or inside of the Windows XP box.
- If y'all can't notice your product key sticker, you tin endeavour using ProduKey to retrieve your figurer'southward product key.
Advertisement
3

Click Start . It'due south a green push in the lesser-left corner of the screen.
iv

Click My Reckoner . This monitor-shaped pick is in the upper-right side of the Start window. Doing then will open the My Calculator binder.
five
Enable viewing for subconscious files and folders. To do so:^[1]
- Click the Tools tab in the top-left side of the window.
- Click Folder Options... in the drop-down carte.
- Click the View tab.
- Check the "Show hidden files and folders" circle.
- Click Apply, then click OK
half dozen
Double-click Local Disk . It'due south beneath the "Hard Disk Drives" heading in the middle of the My Reckoner binder.
- If there are multiple Local Disk options, make sure that you double-click the (C:) bulldoze.
7

Double-click the Windows folder. This volition open the Windows folder.
8

Double-click the i386 folder. You may have to gyre downwards to find this option.
ix

Find the "winnt32.exe" file and double-click it. Doing so will launch the Windows XP setup procedure.
10

Wait for the setup window to appear. Depending on how fast your computer is and which programs were open when you double-clicked winnt32.exe, this may have several minutes. Once the setup window appears, you may go along with reinstalling Windows XP.

Advertizement

ane

Press ↵ Enter on the blue screen. This volition initiate the setup.^[2]
ii

Printing the "I agree" primal. At the bottom of the screen, you'll see a key (east.thousand., F8 ) to the left of the phrase "I agree"; press this key to agree to Microsoft'due south terms of use and continue the reinstallation.
3

Press the "Don't Repair" primal. Y'all'll see this listed at the bottom of the screen. The "Don't Repair" cardinal is usually Esc .
four

Delete your electric current XP installation. Select the NTFS difficult drive pick using the arrow keys, then press the "Delete" cardinal (unremarkably D ) that'south listed at the bottom of the screen.
5

Printing ↵ Enter when prompted. This volition betoken to Windows that you lot want to delete the selected installation.
6

Press L when prompted. Doing so erases the difficult bulldoze and returns yous to the installation menu.
seven

Select Unpartitioned space and press ↵ Enter . This volition select your computer's difficult drive as the installation signal.
eight
Format your computer'due south hard drive. Select Format the partition using the NTFS file system and press ↵ Enter . Doing and then volition set up the hard drive for a Windows installation. This process will take several minutes to an 60 minutes depending on your hard bulldoze's size.
- You can select the Quick option here as well, though your hard drive might exist improperly formatted if you do so.
9

Look for your computer to restart. Later on the figurer finishes formatting, it will restart into the user options setup window. Make sure that you lot don't press any keys until you arrive at the user options setup window.

Advertising

ane
Click Next . It'south in the bottom-right corner of the window.
- You can also click Customize... to the right of the Regional and Language Options section to select a different region and/or language.
2
Enter your name, so click Next . Your name goes in the "Proper noun" text field.
- You tin can as well add a business name in the "System" section.
three

Enter your production key, then click Adjacent . Type the 25-grapheme key that you lot retrieved earlier into the "Product Key" boxes.
iv
Add a password, then click Next . Type your preferred password into the "Ambassador password" and "Confirm countersign" text fields at the bottom of the window.
- Yous can besides alter your computer's name in the text field at the tiptop of the window.
5

Set a appointment and time zone, then click Next . Click the "Date" drib-downwards box, select the current appointment, and then repeat with the "Fourth dimension" and "Time Zone" boxes.
half-dozen

Bank check the "Typical Settings" box, then click Next . This volition cause Windows XP to install using default settings.
7

Check the "No" box. It'south at the top of the window. If your computer is function of a workgroup, you'll instead bank check the "Yep" box and enter your workgroup'due south address in the text box.
viii

Click Adjacent . This volition complete the installation setup process, at which signal Windows XP will resume installing. You may have to await for 30 minutes or so before the installation finishes.

Advertisement

Add New Question

Question

How do I find product key/serial number in the registry?

It might be on a sticker on the bottom of your laptop (if that's what you're using).
Question

Tin can I go back to Windows XP after installing Ubuntu without discs?

Unless you continue a backup copy of your i386 folder, you can't. Ubuntu allows y'all to dual-boot your estimator, which keeps both XP and Ubuntu.
Question

I found an old XP computer. I want to factory reset information technology. How tin I do that without knowing the admin password?

Endeavor to reintall the OS completely. Insert a official CD or dowload and make 1. So just install Windows normally.

Show more answers

Closing any unnecessary open programs earlier initiating the reinstallation will speed up the installation.

Advert

If y'all installed custom components (e.yard., RAM) in your calculator, the components might not piece of work when you reinstall Windows XP. Y'all tin fix this by updating them with the right drivers, which can usually be establish on a component manufacturer'due south production page online.