XP Pro Refresh Install

VeNT · 2 Mar 2009 at 19:11

my windows xp keeps BSOD when it goes to load the login screen so I thought I'd do a refresh install but when I go though the options in the windows XP installer it just goes straight to the select partition screen (rather than the select existing installation screen).
I'm not sure how the installer checks to see if there are existing installs. does anyone know what I should check? the Boot.ini seems ok.

VeNT · 2 Mar 2009 at 20:07

since when? I've done refresh installs of XP before.
some people call them repair installs. it just replaces the system files, no the registry or your user files etc.

VeNT · 2 Mar 2009 at 20:22

can't boot into safemode. can't get into safe mode command prompt.
recovery option in disk install won't take my password (99.99% sure it's right).

VeNT · 2 Mar 2009 at 22:07

yeah, know what it should be but it's not playing ball

any way to change it?
during the install process it has at the bottom a message "detecting previous windows installations" any idea how it know when ones there? anything I could fake?

VeNT · 3 Mar 2009 at 09:19

whats the registry hive file? if it's a file I can check it's there.

VeNT · 3 Mar 2009 at 11:39

what would have to be broken? it shut down normally but it flashes the BSOD and reboots as soon as it exits the windows XP with the scrolling bar bit when starting up.
if I can recover this it would be brilliant. but I could just reinstall it all and backup everything quite easily.