How do I reinstall SP3 in XP?

Kernel_Sanders

TakeThis wrote: »

Thanks for the Thanks...
So would you consider a clean install?

From what I've read, reinstalling Windows takes like a whole afternoon and is potentially disastrous for somebody technically challenged (like me!). It's on a PC with no DVD drive, so presumably I'd have to buy an 8GB USB stick to store it. I've had XP for 9 years now, so only two more to go; probably not worth the hassle.

TakeThis

Kernel_Sanders wrote: »

From what I've read, reinstalling Windows takes like a whole afternoon and is potentially disastrous for somebody technically challenged (like me!). It's on a PC with no DVD drive, so presumably I'd have to buy an 8GB USB stick to store it. I've had XP for 9 years now, so only two more to go; probably not worth the hassle.

XP is on CD, less than 600 MB I'm sure it has a CD drive.

But if you don't want to risk it, don't worry.

Personally, I would if there wasn't a lot of data and programs that needed saving.

Kernel_Sanders

TakeThis wrote: »

XP is on CD, less than 600 MB

:eek:What? Mine takes up 5GB!

TakeThis

That is the installed size....the Windows XP Home(or Pro) SP3 disc itself takes up less than 600MB and fits on a single CD.

Kernel_Sanders

TakeThis wrote: »

That is the installed size....

So why did Cybercom/Medion allocate less than 10GB for the C:\ ? (20GB HDD). Is there something here much larger than it should be?

GunJack

no, fully up-to-date XP inc all service packs takes around 8 GB-ish. When XP first came out it only took 3-ish (from my dusty memory )

Kernel_Sanders

TakeThis wrote: »

Make and model? Perhaps consider a clean install with an up to date recovery disc.
That will solve the space problem too.

GunJack wrote: »

no, fully up-to-date XP inc all service packs takes around 8 GB-ish. When XP first came out it only took 3-ish (from my dusty memory )

I bought it installed on this machine in 2002, but have no idea of its size then. It must have been quite slim as it ran on just 256MB of RAM (since upgraded to 1GB). I was thinking of restoring to factory settings then adding the service packs (no paid-for software to lose), but if it's going to come to 8 GB then is there much point?

andy2004

1. do you have a cdrw drive ? and your orginial xp home cd ?
why not copy the xp home cd onto your computer, slipstream sp3 into the xp home and burn a fresh copy.
the format, reinstall, will take up less room than installing xp home + sp3, should take the same amount of space as xp home without the upgrade to sp3 as its already slipstreamed.
drivers should have been supplied on your cd's when you bought it.
You should always back up your C partition to your D drive before reformatting. and pref burn to dvd. depending on size.
as for usb flash drives, they have come down in price. i bought a 32gb for £12.99,
instructions on how to do the slipstreaming.

http://lifehacker.com/386526/slipstream-service-pack-3-into-your-windows-xp-installation-cd

GunJack

what's on the other half of your hdd?? IS it your data, or is it a recovery partition, or just an unused 9.x Gb ?? If it's unused, delete that partition and extend the C: to the whole hdd...

Kernel_Sanders

and E: have just half a gig free each as I have had to move files there from C:
It does have a CD RW Andy and I still have the discs it came with, but I don't see the advantage of doing all you suggest over simply restoring the factory settings.