How to Reinstall Windows XP Professional on an HP Compaq

Many computer users find themselves having to reinstall Windows XP Professional. The reasons vary, but the two most common are hard-drive crashes and virus removal. Reinstalling XP Professional on an HP Compaq is as easy as following the prompts in the installation wizard. Often, reinstalling or formatting your computer can be the only way to repair problems after a virus. Users can save money by reinstalling their operating system themselves in the comfort of their own home.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Quick-restore disk or XP Professional operating system disk

1. Back up all information on your computer before performing the reinstallation. You can use an external hard drive to copy documents, photos and music.

2. Insert the restore or operating system disk into the disk drive and restart your computer.

3. Press any key when the "Press Any Key to Boot From Disk" message appears. If this message doesn't appear, you may need to press F12 when the computer starts to display the boot menu. Select "CD-ROM" from the boot menu.

4. Allow the initial system scans to run and press F8 to agree to the license agreement.

5. Choose the partition on which to reinstall XP Professional. Unless you have a special setup, choose C.

6. Choose the type of format. For the best results, choose Full Format for NTFS partitions.

7. Allow the drive to format and the reinstallation disk to run. You will be asked to choose your time zone, computer name and some network settings. These screens will appear about 30 minutes after you begin the reinstallation for a 100 GB hard drive.

Tips & Warnings

• Read all wizard instructions carefully. These instructions will tell you which keys to push and how to proceed to the next step.
• Use the disk that came with your computer to reinstall Windows XP Professional. This will guarantee the product key matches your computer.

Resources

• Microsoft Article on Reinstalling XP Professional
• Information on Reinstalling with Service Packs