reinstallation of XP
 

My thanks to any who help me. My computer is getting long in the tooth and I think it may be time to do a fresh OS install. System is an Asus P5k-SE with 2Gb, E6300 dual core and 320 Gb HD. There is a DVD writer and graphics card. It was good when bought but now sluggish.
My original installation disc is pre SP1 but all update files are on HD. I would like to know how to do this simply.
Any thoughts? I also have a Vista l/top and a USB ext HD. Much thanks for any help as I dont want to lose anything.

I would buy a second hard disk, if I were you, and clean-install XP onto it while your old disk is removed from the PC.

Then re-attach your old HDD as a slave, copy back all the settings and data and then use the disk for storage. That assumes that you can physically add another HDD internally - the alternative is to buy a USB caddy and put it in that.

Backup critical stuff anyway, just to be sure, to be sure! Use DVD or USB external disk.

SD

Why? What are you trying to fix, and why do you think reinstalling the OS will fix it?

As GtW says, I would start with banging it up to SP3 from your hard drive and then working through to see why it is 'sluggish'. I don't know what a E6300 is but the rest of the spec should be fine. Why re-install?

I would suggest that it would be wise to use this opportunity to go for Windows 7.
You are eligible to install the upgrade version with an XP licence, but it would also have to be a fresh install.

If you wish to persist with XP or wish to install Windows 7 the procedure to save your existing stuff is the same.
You can use the the files and settings transfer wizard in XP to save everything to your USB HD, or in Windows 7, use the Windows easy Transfer utility.

Then do a fresh install and restore the files and settings.

This is the simplest way.
Of course Saabs alternative is good but slightly more involved.

The Mobo is a budget version, and does run slow, but will support up to 8Gb of Ram. Try another stick to take it to 3Gb. Delete all .tmp files, delete all temp Internet Exlorer files. Defrag the HD. Stop all rubbish running at start up (my way, not necessarily everyone's way) by running MSCONFIG from the Start/Run/msconfig, and untick all the rubbish that starts on boot. Google is your friend to confirm or deny.

As has been stated, you should be running XP SP3 (if not, why not?)

Backup all the files you would miss, if they suddenly disappeared, to the external HD. Then burn to a R/W DVD, then make a second copy to place somewhere else... just in case. Backup emails/contacts/etc...

Variations on a theme for those with a different view:)

One word of warning: if you buy an upgrade copy of Windows 7, and then try to install it to a new or wiped hard drive, it will refuse to activate. It needs to see an XP (or any qualifying earlier operating system) on the hard drive when it starts to install.

Earlier Windows upgrade install routines would accept being shown the previous install disk. Windows 7 won't. I know this because I found out the hard way when helping a friend to upgrade.

Keef, not quite...
 

Fully install Windows 7 from the upgrade disc The Restore Store

The article explains how.

This also explains how but cuts straight to how to do it without all the preamble.

In essence you have to edit the registry, re-arm the activation and then activate. It worked fine for me - I installed W7 onto a new HDD with the old one with XP on out of the PC. It also let me go from XP-32 to W7-64. :)

How To: Use Your Windows 7 Upgrade Disk On a Fresh PC - Page 2 | Maximum PC

Thanks all for the help
 

I want to re-install as the machine seems to take an eternity to reach a usable state, compared with with how it was on arrival it is like very thick treacle. That is probably my fault but I keep reading that a reinstall should be carried out every few years: it is now about 10 years.

I will go with SD's suggestion, I don't need W7 on this machine yet, maybe on l/top first to get rid of Vista.

Much thanks for all help offered.