How to Reboot Windows XP to Factory Settings

Contributor

By C.D. Crowder
eHow Contributing Writer

Article Rating: (5 Ratings)

Windows XP

When your Windows XP system starts to lag, it may be time to reboot it to factory settings. A new Windows XP computer runs smoothly, but as you add and remove files and programs, the system becomes bogged down with leftover remnants. The only way to completely clean your system and begin fresh is to restore it to factory settings. You can restore Windows XP and all the original applications in less than two hours. The process is mainly automated.

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Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Windows XP System Restore Disk

Step 1

Back up all files before restoring.
Step 2

Insert the Windows XP System Restore disk and reboot your computer.
Step 3

Boot from the disk by pressing any key when prompted.
Step 4

Press "F8" to agree to the license agreement.
Step 5

Select the drive to install Windows XP on. If you only have one partition, press "Enter." For multiple partitions, select the one Windows XP is currently installed on.
Step 6

Select "Full NTFS Format" and wait for the system to format.
Step 7

Select your time zone, computer name and network settings when prompted.
Step 8

Select the applications to install and restart after the installation.
Step 9

Replace your files after Windows XP is restored to factory settings.