Q&A for How to Reinstall Windows XP Without the CD

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How do I find product key/serial number in the registry?

Community Answer

It might be on a sticker on the bottom of your laptop (if that's what you're using).

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Can I go back to Windows XP after installing Ubuntu without discs?

Community Answer

Unless you keep a backup copy of your i386 folder, you can't. Ubuntu allows you to dual-boot your computer, which keeps both XP and Ubuntu.

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I found an old XP computer. I want to factory reset it. How can I do that without knowing the admin password?

Community Answer

Try to reintall the OS completely. Insert a official CD or dowload and make one. Then just install Windows normally.

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Question

What can I do if my computer won't boot up, shows Windows, then shuts down and tries to start up again, then loops?

Community Answer

Repeatedly hit F8 (on your keyboard) during boot up, than select system repair. If you can't, contact your system manufacturer for a repair CD. Or, if you have to product code, download from the Microsoft website. You might also consider getting a new PC or OS, as Windows XP is quite old.

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Question

How do I format Windows XP?

Community Answer

Boot into the Windows XP installation, get to the partitions, then format the drive. Just make sure you backed up all files.

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Can an old computer with only 512 MB of RAM download Windows 7 without problems?

Community Answer

No; the minimum amount of RAM to run Windows 7 is 1 GB. If you want to upgrade, you could consider Windows Vista; while it's outdated and no longer supported by Microsoft, its minimum RAM requirements are 512 MB RAM. However, at the minimum RAM, Vista will be quite laggy. You might want to consider upgrading your RAM to its maximum amount, which should be quite inexpensive on an older machine; if the processor is at least 1 GHz, you could then run Windows 7.

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There is no "i386" folder on my WinXP PC, nor is there a "winnt32.exe" file. What to do in that case?

Community Answer

It may be in a hidden file. Search for winnt in My Computer. If you see an icon that looks like a computer next to something that says "winnt", that is the .exe file. Double click on that icon and walk through the steps. You can also do a system restore to restore the computer to an earlier point and then search for "winnt".

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