Reinstalling Windows XP without a disc?

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Touring Mars

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I read on a website today that you can reinstall Windows XP using the file WINNT32.EXE in the i386 folder. Does anyone know how to do it and/or if it is a good idea or computer suicide?

I've tried and failed to get rid of a virus that has been giving me alot of grief recently, and so I'm considering reinstalling Windows XP. Since I didn't get a disc with my computer, I borrowed an installation CD from work but it doesn't accept my licence key. I do have a disc of "Drivers and Utilities" for my laptop, and I'm guessing (?!) that I will need this for after a clean reinstall. However, I'm dubious about doing it at all incase I completely kill my laptop.

If it isn't advisable for a non-expert, how much can I expect to pay if I take the laptop to a shop and ask them to do it all for me, or better still, pay for it to be fixed by Fujitsu-Siemens?

n.b. I can get the laptop to work most of the time by disabling the wireless modem while it is booting up. However it now seems that my USB ports are dead, and the computer is crashing as soon as anything is put into the USB port (which is very weird)... luckily I backed up my personal data before the USB problem started...
 
The i386 folder is the image of the CD-ROM of your XP disc, so don't be concerned about it being a danger, as ever though, back stuff up. I hate how manufacturers don't give you the disc, but this isn't an issue as the I386, is your CD-ROM, you could burn it to a disc if you want, though I'm not entirely sure how it would work, whether it would instantly go into set-up,etc. You're on a laptop, so like me, you didn't get the CD with the laptop. Either way, that executable will work.

Don't take it to "experts" they will probably charge you £30/hour for something you can do yourself.

1st step, back up what you can. The I386 as mentioned is your XP disc, it's just not on a disc! Then hit that set-up folder and you should be on your way. Note, I haven't done this myself, but that is how retailers do it with laptops. They deem it easier to not send you an XP disc.

Failing that, and you really don't want to use that file. Find someone who has an XP Pro disc. They are all universal and not license defined, your license will be stuck to the bottom of your laptop.

Can't stress though, back stuff up. In fact, I'd also burn that I386 file to a disc. Then you have a back-up of your XP Pro disc.
 
I've been wondering about this for a while and am getting ready to reinstall my laptop and give it away.

Thanks for the info. guys! I'll try it out.
 
Thanks for the replies 👍 At the moment, my laptop is behaving itself, although I will be doing a reinstall sometime soon. If I go offline for a few weeks, send out a search party :dopey:
 
Back when I worked at a computer store, I used a torrent of a disc that had all the different flavours of Windows XP or 2000. Piracy was not an issue since you still need the activation key from the Certificate of Authenticity once Windows is installed. The only things that are missing from those discs are the extra language packs, but any shiny Windows CD will have them.
 

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