My copy of Windows XP Home Edition completely broke down and won't run any more (even in Safe Mode) so I have to reinstall it.
The problem is that I have over 100GB of files that I'd like to keep. I hear re-installing will erase my files, and I want to avoid that (without having to go out and spend $200+ to have a professional move it somewhere else).
I have no idea what to do or how to back up such a huge amount of data without having any access to my desktop.
I tried following the instructions here on Microsoft's site:
Help and Support
It sounded like it was exactly what I was looking for, but the option people keep telling me to use DOES NOT EXIST in the options menu that I am seeing.
The Microsoft instructions I'm trying to follow are:
Method 2: Reinstall Windows XP by starting your computer from the Windows XP CD
To reinstall Windows XP by starting your computer from the Windows XP CD, follow these steps: 1. Insert the Windows XP CD into your computer's CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, and then restart your computer.
2. When the "Press any key to boot from CD" message appears on the screen, press a key to start your computer from the Windows XP CD.
Note Your computer must be configured to start from the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive. For more information about how to configure your computer to start from the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, see your computer's documentation or contact your computer manufacturer.
3. You receive the following message on the Welcome to Setup screen that appears:
This portion of the Setup program prepares Microsoft Windows XP to run on your computer:
To setup Windows XP now, press ENTER.
To repair a Windows XP installation using Recovery Console, press R.
To quit Setup without installing Windows XP, press F3.
Press ENTER to set up Windows XP.
4. On the Windows XP Licensing Agreement screen, press F8 to agree to the license agreement.
5. Make sure that your current installation of Windows XP is selected in the box, and then press R to repair Windows XP.
6. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to reinstall Windows XP. After you repair Windows XP, you may have to reactivate your copy of Windows XP.
Everything goes smoothly until I get to step 5. There is no box that lets me select Windows XP and no option to press R.
The only screen I get says:
The following list shows the existing partitions and unpartitioned space on this computer.
Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to select an item in the list.
To set up Windows XP on the selected item, perss ENTER.
To create a partition in the unpartitioned space, press C.
To delete the selected partition, press D.
This is not what I want, since these options will lead to my My Documents folder being erased and Windows XP being re-installed instead of repaired...
So where the heck did my "repair" option go? Please help!
Thanks!
