Can I install XP over itself and not lose files, folders, settings ect?

[iamnamedryan]

Can I install XP over itself and not lose files, folders, settings ect?
I have rediculously malicious adware/spyware, also could anyone reccomend any really good programs besides Spybot and Adaware, which weren't able to solve my particular problem.

 

[mikesgroovin]

You can perform a repair install but not without having to reinstall most of your software. Have you tried looking into your registry and/or the Startup tab in msconfig? You'll be able to find unwanted applications and services that are starting in the background when your computer starts.

-Mike

 

[Worked4me]

Hey iamnamedryan,
If you do decide to do a repair install here is a link for
instructions. Make sure you have the Product Key before
you do this. Also you will have to activate Windows and
download all the updates from Microsoft when your done.

Good Luck

 

[Worked4me]

Hey iamnamedryan,

Sorry about that not posting the link most be a lack of sleep.
http://www.wintrouble.net/discus/messages/53/5181.html?1076690713

 

[iamnamedryan]

there are some things in the registry that are spyware, but I can't remove them because it says it's being used. Althought I cannot find any unfamiliar running processes under my user name. Virus Scan and Adaware keep finding the registry key, named tiein, and supposedly deleting it but it keeps reappering. Also, spybot or adaware are not able to run automatically at start up before processes begin for some reason. Loading personal settings at startup also takes a pretty long time. I think I may have to repair. Or should I just format? Which seems more appropriate? - Ryan

 

[iamnamedryan]

Fixed. for the most part.

Downloaded and Ran RegScrubXP, great program, completely free. www.majorgeeks.com search for it. then i had to the following to get rid of Software\BTIEIN registry key:

Courtesy of Computer Cops

Just1vet

Cadet

Joined: Jan 14, 2004
Posts: 1
Location: USA
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2004 7:31 pm Post subject:

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Whew, is that a stuborn one or what. OK, here is how to delete that entry. On NT,2000 or XP head into your system32 folder run regedt32.exe.

Find that worthless BTIEIN registry. On XP do a right click and go to permissions. Now the one that I just had my battle with was on an NT4 machine, so what worked with it may not on XP.

Right click on permissions, click Advance and go to ownership. First I would try to take ownership, On NT4 that didn't work but I am hoping XP may be different. After taking ownership try to delete it. If that doesn't work head back into permissions/add and on the NT4 I added "Any Authorized User" to be in control of that registry.

Now once again stressing the point this was NT4 The directory looked something like this
btiein/btiein/taskdata

For some reason I had to delete out that taskdata first (when I clicked on it through the standard regedit it would give me an error message) than I deleted the other 2 without any problem.

I hit this turkey with every tool I could think of, several different reg cleaners, and it was impervious. Spybot would just keep asking to run on reboot but would not nail it and it did not show up on Hijack This.

I did notice everytime I had to boot the system another huntbar.zip file would show up that I deleted and that was with all the known .dll's removed. So something is hiding deep.

I hope someone out there with more brains than me can figure out how they protected this thing. In the permission area there was a "Global Mod" added in the group. I don't know whether or not this was from them or something that came down through our own policy pushdowns.

Hope this helps. Regedit will just laugh at this one.

 

[wansingct]

Just for arguments sake, you can do what we call an "OS overlay" and reinstall the operating system into the same folder, thereby wiping out the registry, desktop, my documents, etc but preserving any data in the file structure not contained within my documents, desktop, etc. The only problem is that you have to reinstall the programs to put the reg. entries back in, but this works when I've had windows repairs just laugh in my face. Just make sure you don't format the drive on the install.

 

[mitch]

You can install XP to itself without deleting any file, but, if you have viruses running, then they will still be there.

 

[Oo DaRk StAr oO]

I always backup and do a fresh install. The computer just feels so nice after a brand new fresh install of windows.