A quick format should be adequate to reinstall Windows. Be certain to have your drivers ready. If you choose to install Windows XP don't install service Pack 3 until you've at least installed all other updates.
SP3 is SP1 & SP2 combined with a few extra's thrown in,i've done a clean install of xp & then used the SP3 downloaded iso i burned to rom,it worked fine,any issues SP3 had are more than likley worked out,that said tho just check the hp site for your model to make sure any other Pre SP3 install fixes are needed,but for the most part you should be ok,if not then it's just another reformat & install,you should be getting good at those
Agreed but there are some reports of newer updates following SP3 failing. I experienced it myself and my XP copies includes XP2 on the install disc. I can't say if this is an across the board issue but since I've seen it twice and heard the same from others I figured it would be a good piece of advice to consider. I'm looking for the cause but I know that if I just roll back SP3 I can install all updates and then reinstall SP3 with no issue. Below is the message I receive (BTW, this was a new install in early July).
So here is the latest, I redid it again I tried putting xp back on it but didnt want to go on the pc it just wouldnt install. So i put vista back on but tried a different version of vista, thought maybe that might do sumthen. No it didnt do anything so the Os is reinstalled again its vista once again but home premimum now and same problems occur. Could it be a possiblity to just say screw it since it looks like this problem is hard to figure out what it is. Just go out and get a print server??
@ sophocles I've had that happen i can't quite remember if it was a restart or cache clean with ccleaner,or after those two open browser & get to win update that way,or i might of downloaded a patch thru one of those links your screeny shows,actually come to think of it it might have been an active x thru one of those links that made it work. @nate Well short of being a hardware issue or an attempt to put 64bit xp onto a 32 bit comp there's no reason for xp to fail,i would assume a 32 bit xp would install on to a 64bit comp,something real screwy going on here Ubuntu has a iso you can burn to rom & run as live cd,there's always that option of running the safe mode part of ubuntu,if it runs fine hit the install icon on desktop & when it asks you later on do you want to download update let it,or buy the recovery disks for that comp from hp as i'm at a loss as to what it can be
well I guess my mom says she doesnt mind if the usb slots dont work, the only thing she cares about is her printer which is usb... however i was thinking about a print server, would that actually work though?? I dont know much about print servers and what they all do I have a slight clue but no alot of knowledge about it.
if correct then it is like a router that has usb connector(s) on it besides net ports so can use 1 printer for all computers.
A print server if it hasn't changed definitions can be just a single computer sharing a single non network printer with more than one PC over a network. I work in an office and the one that we used also connected through USB Nate. I don't know why you can't install XP on that rig? I've done it with several HP's over the last year. I recommended that you do a low level format earlier on and I still believe that it will help. It takes more time to try and fix the unfixable than getting started with a good compatible clean install. Look at ddp's post and you will see the USB mentioned regarding print servers. Do you want to take on another long running hassle? go back to XP and yes it can be done! If that fails then Disable every drive except for your DVDROM and boot from your XP rom only and follow instructions. We're all missing something!
I actually tried that low level format, it still didnt want to install xp I have no idea why not. I just fixed a friends pc today aswell did the same thing im doing with my moms rig and it went smooth as could be. So i have no idea why it actually isnt installing xp. It just sits there on the setup screen and like freezes type of thing. Wont move past that screen at all.
Intersting thread, lot of info, I just think going to vista has created this fellows problem, wish I had the know how to help you.
