roll back procedures

[Licensed to Quill]

I bought a computer with a Spanish installation of XP. I don't speak Spanish
so I installed an English version over it. Curiously, I now have all sorts
of Spanish back-up directories on the computer both as to OS and as to
previously installed software:-

I cant get the CD Writer to work so I need to roll back the installation to
the prior one to try to see what software was installed to write CDs and get
the serial number off it: So I can do a full FDISK and reinstall of the
English version (the English over-installation is none too stable)

What are my chances of uninstalling the English installation and doing a
roll back and if so how do I do this?

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi,

No can do. Versions of WinXP are not uninstallable unless they were an
upgrade to a Win9x system. You should have done a clean installation in the
first place. Check with the original seller of the system for any software
licenses, otherwise you will need to see about obtaining your own.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Win9x
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Win98 Help - www.rickrogers.org

"Licensed to Quill" > wrote in message
...
> I bought a computer with a Spanish installation of XP. I don't speak
Spanish
> so I installed an English version over it. Curiously, I now have all sorts
> of Spanish back-up directories on the computer both as to OS and as to
> previously installed software:-
>
> I cant get the CD Writer to work so I need to roll back the installation
to
> the prior one to try to see what software was installed to write CDs and
get
> the serial number off it: So I can do a full FDISK and reinstall of the
> English version (the English over-installation is none too stable)
>
> What are my chances of uninstalling the English installation and doing a
> roll back and if so how do I do this?
>
>
>
>

[Licensed to Quill]

Rick

I strongly suspected that this was the case and was in fact amazed that
after I told the install process to do a clean fresh install (and reformat
the drive NTFS when it had been FAT32 before), it would wipe out all the
data on the drive.

But now I am wondering what on earth the install has preserved all the old
OS and software files for? There is a folder on my drive called something
like "archivos de programas'' containing all the old software and all the
(for example) Norton Anti Virus files in a Norton sub-folder in it. But I
can't seem to do anything with it by (for example) clicking on any exe files
in that folder. Is there any way of activating or un-archiving these
archived folders/programs?

(and as I mentioned there seems to be the old XP installation in various
subfolders in the WINNT or SYSTEM32 folders which made me think I might be
able to roll back the English installation prior to obtaining all the info
and doing an FDISK install)

FP


"Rick "Nutcase" Rogers" > wrote in message
...
> Hi,
>
> No can do. Versions of WinXP are not uninstallable unless they were an
> upgrade to a Win9x system. You should have done a clean installation in
the
> first place. Check with the original seller of the system for any software
> licenses, otherwise you will need to see about obtaining your own.
>
> --
> Best of Luck,
>
> Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Win9x
> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
> Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone
> www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
> Win98 Help - www.rickrogers.org
>
> "Licensed to Quill" > wrote in message
> ...
> > I bought a computer with a Spanish installation of XP. I don't speak
> Spanish
> > so I installed an English version over it. Curiously, I now have all
sorts
> > of Spanish back-up directories on the computer both as to OS and as to
> > previously installed software:-
> >
> > I cant get the CD Writer to work so I need to roll back the installation
> to
> > the prior one to try to see what software was installed to write CDs and
> get
> > the serial number off it: So I can do a full FDISK and reinstall of
the
> > English version (the English over-installation is none too stable)
> >
> > What are my chances of uninstalling the English installation and doing a
> > roll back and if so how do I do this?
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi,

Sounds rather odd, but it doesn't really change anything. Do you see an
option to uninstall WinXP in Add & Remove (Control Panel)? If not, there is
likely no way to get at those archives. The programs you want should be
reinstalled from thier original installation media.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Win9x
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Win98 Help - www.rickrogers.org

"Licensed to Quill" > wrote in message
...
> Rick
>
> I strongly suspected that this was the case and was in fact amazed that
> after I told the install process to do a clean fresh install (and reformat
> the drive NTFS when it had been FAT32 before), it would wipe out all the
> data on the drive.
>
> But now I am wondering what on earth the install has preserved all the old
> OS and software files for? There is a folder on my drive called something
> like "archivos de programas'' containing all the old software and all the
> (for example) Norton Anti Virus files in a Norton sub-folder in it. But I
> can't seem to do anything with it by (for example) clicking on any exe
files
> in that folder. Is there any way of activating or un-archiving these
> archived folders/programs?
>
> (and as I mentioned there seems to be the old XP installation in various
> subfolders in the WINNT or SYSTEM32 folders which made me think I might be
> able to roll back the English installation prior to obtaining all the info
> and doing an FDISK install)
>
> FP
>
>
> "Rick "Nutcase" Rogers" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Hi,
> >
> > No can do. Versions of WinXP are not uninstallable unless they were an
> > upgrade to a Win9x system. You should have done a clean installation in
> the
> > first place. Check with the original seller of the system for any
software
> > licenses, otherwise you will need to see about obtaining your own.
> >
> > --
> > Best of Luck,
> >
> > Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Win9x
> > http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
> > Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone
> > www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
> > Win98 Help - www.rickrogers.org
> >
> > "Licensed to Quill" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > > I bought a computer with a Spanish installation of XP. I don't speak
> > Spanish
> > > so I installed an English version over it. Curiously, I now have all
> sorts
> > > of Spanish back-up directories on the computer both as to OS and as to
> > > previously installed software:-
> > >
> > > I cant get the CD Writer to work so I need to roll back the
installation
> > to
> > > the prior one to try to see what software was installed to write CDs
and
> > get
> > > the serial number off it: So I can do a full FDISK and reinstall of
> the
> > > English version (the English over-installation is none too stable)
> > >
> > > What are my chances of uninstalling the English installation and doing
a
> > > roll back and if so how do I do this?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>