Short and to the point. I'm experiencing so many problems I'd like to know
if I can reinstall vista without losing my settings like XP? By the by, I
have almost 30,000 events in the event log. Isn't that a little much?

thanks....

Nick Logan wrote:[color=blue]
> Short and to the point. I'm experiencing so many problems I'd like to know
> if I can reinstall vista without losing my settings like XP? By the by, I
> have almost 30,000 events in the event log. Isn't that a little much?
>
> thanks....[/color]
What is your definition of "settings"?

If you do a clean install (i.e. format the drive), then yes, you would
lose all of your data if you don't back it up first (and your data is
not on a separate physical drive). Sounds like in your case a clean
install might be best (given the very limited information you provided).
Even if you simply re-installed on top of Windows, you would be wise to
backup your data first.

30,000 events? Sure, that sounds like a lot for a PC without any
problems. But since you are experiencing "so many problems", I guess I
would say it's not surprising.

Tim

Thanks Tim for the quick response. By settings I mean registery, etc.

I was just reading a link about SFC. Do you know much about that? Then on
the vista disk there's startup repair or a repair install. Can you tell me
anything about these things?

I don't want to do a clean install. Takes too much time. I did it when I
first installed vista. What can you tell me about setting a dual boot with
vista and XP with vista already installed?

"Tim" wrote:
[color=blue]
> Nick Logan wrote:[color=green]
> > Short and to the point. I'm experiencing so many problems I'd like to know
> > if I can reinstall vista without losing my settings like XP? By the by, I
> > have almost 30,000 events in the event log. Isn't that a little much?
> >
> > thanks....[/color]
> What is your definition of "settings"?
>
> If you do a clean install (i.e. format the drive), then yes, you would
> lose all of your data if you don't back it up first (and your data is
> not on a separate physical drive). Sounds like in your case a clean
> install might be best (given the very limited information you provided).
> Even if you simply re-installed on top of Windows, you would be wise to
> backup your data first.
>
> 30,000 events? Sure, that sounds like a lot for a PC without any
> problems. But since you are experiencing "so many problems", I guess I
> would say it's not surprising.
>
> Tim
>[/color]

Hi Nick--

If I were you here's what I'd try. You always have the option of "wiping
and loading", i.e. using the Vista DVD to format and reinstall. Let's try
the fastest useful things first and see if they do the job:

***SFC as a Remedy***:

SFC or System File Checker is a bit like the spare tire in your car or a
backup battery I suppose. In Vista of course, they have changed it somewhat
and come up with a new name--Redmond stands for name it something different
twice a year and now it's part of WRP or Windows Resource Protection. It
scans protected resources including thousands of files, libraries, critical
folders, and essential registry keys, and it replaces those that are
corrupted with intact ones. It fixes a lot of problems in Windows XP, OE,
Windows Vista, Win Mail, IE6, and on Vista or if it is installed on XP, IE7.
It protects these things from changes by any source including
administrators, by keeping a spare of most of them.


How to Run SFC:

Type "cmd" into the Search box above the Start Button>and when cmd comes up
at the top of the Start menu>right click cmd and click "run as Admin" and
when the cmd prompt comes up at the cmd prompt type "sfc /scannow" no quotes
and let it run. This may fix things quite a bit. It replaces corrupt files
with intact ones, if you're not familiar with it.


If you have a Vista DVD, you can try Startup Repair or a repair install, or
you could try the options at F8 if those don't work.

***Startup Repair from the Vista DVD***

How to Use The Vista DVD to Repair Vista (Startup Repair is misnamed by the
Win RE team and it can be used to fix many Vista components even when you
can boot to Vista):

[url]http://www.windowsvista.windowsreinstall.com/vistaultimate/repairstartup/index.htm[/url]

If you elect to run Startup repair from the Vista DVD (it can fix major
components in Vista--I've verified this many many times; it's good for more
than startup problems, and the Win RE team simply screwed up when they named
it not understanding its full functionality):

Startup Repair will look like this when you put in the Vista DVD:

[url]http://www.vistaclues.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/click-repair-your-computer.png[/url]

You run the startup repair tool this way (and system restore from here is
also sometimes effective):

[url]http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925810/en-us[/url]

How To Run Startup Repair In Vista Ultimate (Multiple Screenshots)
[url]http://www.windowsvista.windowsreinstall.com/vistaultimate/repairstartup/index.htm[/url]

It will automatically take you to this on your screen:

[url]http://www.vistaclues.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/click-repair-your-computer.png[/url]

That will allow you to go to the Vista setup that has a Repair link on
thelower left corner>click it and then you'll see a gray backgrounded list
and I want you to click Startup Repair from it and follow the directions.

The gray screen after you click the first link in the above pic will look
like this:

[url]http://www.windowsreinstall.com/winvista/images/repair/staruprepair/Image17.gif[/url]

Click Startup Repair, the link at the top and after it scans>click OK and
let it try to repair Vista. It will tell you if it does, and if it
doesn't, try System Restore from the Recovery Link on the DVD. If these
don't work booting into Safe Mode by tapping the F8 key and using System
Restore from one of the safe modes besides VGA may work. That means you
have the option to try 4 different safe modes to get to system restore, (one
from the Recovery link on the DVD) and sometimes one will work when the
others won't.

You could also try a Repair Install with Vista which is done exactly the
same way as in XP:

***Repair Install Steps*** (can be used for Vista) MVP Doug Knox
[url]http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tips/doug92.mspx[/url]


***Using the F8 Environment***

***Taking Full Advantage of the F8 Options (Windows Advanced Options Menu)
by starting the PC and tapping F8 once per second when the firmware screen
with the pc manufacturer's name shows a few seconds after restarting***:

The F8 options in Vista are the same as XP, and the link for Safe Mode Boot
options is labled XP by MSFT but they are the same for Vista (they haven't
updated to add Vista to the title as they have with several MSKBs that apply
to both).

Again, pressing F8 repeatedly when you seem the firmware screen may be is a
generic way to launch Windows RE on some OEM Vista computers.

You could also:

Think: I have 4 different ways to get back my XP at F8 and try 'em in order.
1) Safe Mode 2) Safe Mode with Cmd to Sys Restore which is simply a cmd
prompt in safe mode 3) Safe Mode with Neworking 4) LKG or Last Known Good
Configuration


Try to F8 to the Windows Adv Options Menu>try 3 safe modes there (I don't
use WGA) and Last Known Good>then I go to Win RE in Vista. That gives you a
choice of Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking,and Safe Mode with Command
Prompt.

These methods are outlined in

A description of the Safe Mode Boot options in Windows XP/and Vista
[url]http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315222/[/url]

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding System Restore from MSFT:

[url]http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/plan/faqsrwxp.mspx[/url]


System Restore can be run from the Win RE recovery environment from the same
link as Startup Repair, and sometimes it will work from one F8 safe mode
location or from the Win Recovery Environment when it won't work from other
locations.


How to start the System Restore tool at a command prompt in Windows XP

[url]http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;304449[/url]

Good luck,

CH


"Nick Logan" <NickLogan@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:A907F8D1-F93D-4F2D-B29A-E0A10409CEB2@microsoft.com...[color=blue]
> Thanks Tim for the quick response. By settings I mean registery, etc.
>
> I was just reading a link about SFC. Do you know much about that? Then
> on
> the vista disk there's startup repair or a repair install. Can you tell
> me
> anything about these things?
>
> I don't want to do a clean install. Takes too much time. I did it when I
> first installed vista. What can you tell me about setting a dual boot
> with
> vista and XP with vista already installed?
>
> "Tim" wrote:
>[color=green]
>> Nick Logan wrote:[color=darkred]
>> > Short and to the point. I'm experiencing so many problems I'd like to
>> > know
>> > if I can reinstall vista without losing my settings like XP? By the
>> > by, I
>> > have almost 30,000 events in the event log. Isn't that a little much?
>> >
>> > thanks....[/color]
>> What is your definition of "settings"?
>>
>> If you do a clean install (i.e. format the drive), then yes, you would
>> lose all of your data if you don't back it up first (and your data is
>> not on a separate physical drive). Sounds like in your case a clean
>> install might be best (given the very limited information you provided).
>> Even if you simply re-installed on top of Windows, you would be wise to
>> backup your data first.
>>
>> 30,000 events? Sure, that sounds like a lot for a PC without any
>> problems. But since you are experiencing "so many problems", I guess I
>> would say it's not surprising.
>>
>> Tim
>>[/color][/color]

Hi Nick,

Depends on the problems. If they are within Vista, then running SFC should
help. If not, then reinstalling isn't going to fix problems caused by third
party
software.

Have you run full malware scans with antivirus and antispyware software from
safe mode yet?

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
[url]http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/[/url]
Windows help - [url]www.rickrogers.org[/url]
My thoughts [url]http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com[/url]

"Nick Logan" <NickLogan@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:C26B67CB-DE06-452C-8B60-9D1914424431@microsoft.com...[color=blue]
> Short and to the point. I'm experiencing so many problems I'd like to
> know
> if I can reinstall vista without losing my settings like XP? By the by, I
> have almost 30,000 events in the event log. Isn't that a little much?
>
> thanks....[/color]