Just Me wrote:


I think I'd like that but what about window validation - is that a problem?


If you mean 'activation', no it isn't. On the same hardware you can
activate as many times as you like; trouble only arises if you make
quite a lot of different hardware changes. And at that it is a minor
hassle to phone a toll free number

What do you back up? I mean just app data? Email?

Email is data too. A lot of help is given by the Files and Settings
Transfer system - read Gary Woodruff's article at
http://aumha.org/win5/a/fast.htm

But I would *not* be doing this just to tidy the registry. If you have
a lot of programs you have installed and you want to be rid of the lot
so as to make a new start, then yes. But if you have properly
uninstalled ones you do not want there should be little overhead left,
compared with the size of the registry at its smallest, and the effort
is not justified provided the machine works.

If you do decide to: do a reinstall of the system after booting the XP
CD direct. Enter Setup, and after the license agreement take New
Install. When it asks you to confirm where, hit ESC; select and delete
the current partition and make a new RAW one to be formatted at the next
stage

The important point is the delete. Without that it will just go ahead
and make a new install over the top of the old one

You will then need to ensure that the firewall is in action before going
on the net even for a minute and be prepared for reinstalling all
updates. Not trivial. Worth getting the consolidated CD of security
updates (which includes SP1) which is free - order at
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/cd/order.asp

It is getting a bit out of date, but if you also got the downloads for
the following on a broadband , especially
http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb;en-us;835732 (Sasser worm patch)
and the
837009 (OE Cumulative)
832894 (IE Cumulative)
828741 (XP Cumulative)
828028 (ASN 1)
837001 (Jet Engine)

and burned them to CD too, you would be near up to date


--
Alex Nichol MS MVP (Windows Technologies)
Bournemouth, U.K. (remove the D8 bit)