Reinstalling Windows XP Pro

[Joe Beaven]

Hi,

I recently had a problem with my computer and bought a lot of new components. I reinstalled Windows and spent a couple of days getting my system back to how I wanted it before it became crippled by a virus which I couldn’t delete.

I backed up my files and attempted to reinstall Windows but it won’t work even though it’s the same Windows XP Pro disc I used a few days ago when the reinstall went fine.

When I try to reinstall now, I format the C drive and the Windows CD copies the setup files, but when it restarts at the end it just goes back to the CD setup screen again instead of continuing with the installation. If I tell it to install again it says that there is already a Windows installation on the hard drive so the files obviously copied OK. I’ve tried installing four times now (formatting again each time) and the same thing has happened.

I’ve tried changing the boot priority after the restart, so that the hard drive is first priority. When I do that I get the Asus motherboard screen as usually then the screen goes black and then the computer restarts and just goes round in circles.

Please can someone tell me how to stop this from happening and reinstall Windows?

Thanks,

Joe

[Joe Beaven]

Hi,

I hadn't deleted the partition before formatting. I didn't realise you needed to, but now it's installed.

The first thing I did when it was installed was install PC-Cillin Internet Security 2006, update it online and scan my D drive to make sure there was nothing bad left on there.

During the scan the computer restarted and when it started up again I got a box saying Windows has recovered from a serious error which was worrying. I went back and scanned the rest of the files the PC-Cillin hadn't got to yet and it scanned them OK and found nothing.

Do you know what could have caused that problem and how I can stop it happening again? It did used to restart before I reinstalled Windows when the system was infected but then I used to get the blue screen first which didn't happen this time.

Thanks,

Joe

[pa1916]

Hi,

I hadn't deleted the partition before formatting. I didn't realise you needed to, but now it's installed.

The first thing I did when it was installed was install PC-Cillin Internet Security 2006, update it online and scan my D drive to make sure there was nothing bad left on there.

During the scan the computer restarted and when it started up again I got a box saying Windows has recovered from a serious error which was worrying. I went back and scanned the rest of the files the PC-Cillin hadn't got to yet and it scanned them OK and found nothing.

Do you know what could have caused that problem and how I can stop it happening again? It did used to restart before I reinstalled Windows when the system was infected but then I used to get the blue screen first which didn't happen this time.

Thanks,

Joe

I see you use Trendmicro PC-CILLIN i used this product last year and someone other than myself got hold of my licence number Trendmicro where unable to do anything about it so i deleted the software and told them i would never use there software again.

[Dencandy]

During the scan the computer restarted and when it started up again I got a box saying Windows has recovered from a serious error which was worrying. I went back and scanned the rest of the files the PC-Cillin hadn't got to yet and it scanned them OK and found nothing.

Do you know what could have caused that problem and how I can stop it happening again? It did used to restart before I reinstalled Windows when the system was infected but then I used to get the blue screen first which didn't happen this time.

Thanks,

Joe

Windows sometimes does this for no apparent reason. If it's running smoothly, what you should do next is make sure the Security Centre is operating properly then download all Windows updates and hotfixes. Next get yourself a decent firewall (like Comodo or Sygate) and have it running in place of the Windows firewall (unless a firewall is already included in the PC-Cillin Internet Security). Another useful tool is McAfee SiteAdvisor. All these have free versions.

Also get some anti-malware utilities like Ad-Aware & Spybot Search & Destroy. Then you can start surfing again.