recovery

[dmb1]

Hello, I have a Fujitsu Siemens Amilo laptop which has been playing up for some time since I tried to install SP2. I have decided that the best option will be to start again but I don't know how to. I have tried the recovery CD which says I shouldnt put another opertaing system on the existing partition which already has XP on it so now I am lost. Is there anyway I can just reset the laptop to when I first got it? I would use system restore but due to problems with SP2 all restore points prior to a few months ago have been lost.

I am a real novice at this so would value any help.......

 

[bcastner]

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=875350

 

[dmb1]

thanks for this. however it looks like SP2 has gone from the system and it isn't in the add/remove programs list which it initially was when it was briefly installed. What I want is to basically take my laptop to the time I purchased it and start all over. Any hints?

 

[bcastner]

I have tried the recovery CD which says I shouldnt put another opertaing system on the existing partition..."

You need to clean the existing installation first.
I do not know what shape or form your recovery CD takes, this is OEM specific.

From the Web:

What does the Product Recovery CD do?
The product recovery CD is a simple way to re-load your operating system should you ever need to do this. There is also a full version of Windows XP contained on this disk, should you ever need to access Windows XP files that have not been pre-installed on your system.

What does the Drivers and Utilities CD do?
The drivers and utilities CD should be used if you ever decide to format your computer and reload all of your software – this disk contains all of the necessary drivers for your computer. In addition to this, it also contains your Anti-virus software and Online Manuals.

My guess is you use the 'Drivers and Utilties CD' prior to using the Recovery CD.