Tip: If possible, print this document before starting Setup. Some steps might require you to shut down the computer, and it will be helpful to have a printed copy of this information.
This document will help you to install Microsoft Windows XP Professional or Windows XP Home Edition. This document also provides answers to other setup-related questions.
Click a link to go directly to that section:
Perform a new installation of Windows XP
Transfer files and settings from another computer
Partition and format a hard drive
Perform other Setup-related tasks
Configure a computer to boot from CD
Find a Microsoft Knowledge Base article
This release of Windows XP includes Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP. If you uninstall this release of Windows XP, SP2 is automatically uninstalled too. Your computer will be running the operating system that it was running before you installed Windows XP, or it will not be running an operating system. You cannot uninstall SP2 only.
Important
There are four important steps you should take before you start Setup:
Doing these four steps before starting Setup can save you time in the long run.
An upgrade report tells you how your hardware and software will work with Windows XP. The upgrade report is a quick and easy program that you can run using the Windows XP CD. Here's how:
You can also find information about your computer's devices (such as printers, scanners, and so on) at the device manufacturer's Web site, in the Windows Catalog, and on the Microsoft Hardware Compatibility List (HCL):
Text version of the HCL (for all operating systems)
(https://winqual.microsoft.com/download/default.asp)
Text version of the HCL (for Windows XP only)
(https://winqual.microsoft.com/download/display.asp?FileName=hcl/WinXPHCLx86.txt)
The Windows Catalog
(http://www.microsoft.com/windows/catalog/)
You can get to all of the above from Windows Hardware and Driver Central (http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/hcl/default.mspx)
What do you do if something is incompatible with Windows XP? You can upgrade either the hardware or software in question, find a similar but compatible program or device, or you can remove the program or device and stop using it. To upgrade, contact the manufacturer. To find compatible programs and devices, check the Windows Catalog (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/catalog/). To remove a program, go to Control Panel and open Add or Remove Programs.
Virus protection software sometimes interferes with Setup, so make sure that you disable it before you begin installing Windows XP. For instructions about how to do this, refer to the documentation for your virus protection software.
After setting up Windows XP, remember to enable the virus protection program. In some cases you will need an updated version of the software, which you might be able to download from the software manufacturer's Web site.
Back up any files that you want to preserve, just in case something goes awry. Depending on how many files you have, you can copy them to a floppy disk, removable drive, or CD, or to a network folder if you have a network. You can copy the files directly or use the Backup Wizard included with most versions of Windows. This wizard is located in the Accessories\System Tools folder on the Start menu.
Note: You cannot restore a backup in Windows XP that you created by using the Msbackup tool in Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Millennium Edition. For more information about this issue, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 305381, "Cannot Restore Backups That You Create in Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Me with the Windows XP NTBackup Tool."
There are basically three different types of Setup: an upgrade, a new installation (also known as a clean installation or a full installation), and a multiboot installation. Hint: we highly recommend the first one!
Upgrade. This is the easiest method of installing Windows XP. We recommend you use this method if you are running a previous version of Windows. When you upgrade, you replace the existing operating system with Windows XP, but your data and most user settings should not be affected. (It's always a good idea to back up your files before starting, just in case.)
You can upgrade from Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows NT Workstation 4 (Service Pack 6), or Windows 2000 Professional.
Note: Windows 2000 can only be upgraded to Windows XP Professional. See Microsoft Knowledge Base article 292607 for supported upgrade paths. Also see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 316941 for an overview of the Windows XP Setup process.
Tip: To find a Microsoft Knowledge Base article, go to Microsoft Help and Support (http://support.microsoft.com), type the article number in the Search the Knowledge Base box, and press ENTER.
New installation. Also known as a full installation or a clean installation, this method requires a little more work than an upgrade. A new installation can install Windows XP on another drive or partition without disturbing an existing installation, or you can choose to wipe out everything on your hard drive so that you "start from scratch." You should definitely back up your files before doing a new installation! As part of a new installation, you can also partition and format your hard drive. It's best to do this as part of Setup, rather than doing it in advance (as you might have done with previous versions of Windows). We'll get to that.
Multiboot installation. The hardest of all three, this method is a variation of the new installation process that lets you run more than one operating system on your computer. For example, you can have both Windows XP and Windows 98 installed. To switch from one to the other, you restart the computer and choose an operating system from a menu that appears when the computer starts. Sounds cool, but don't attempt this unless you are an advanced computer user.
Note: Before installing Windows XP, you should disable your virus protection (antivirus) software, and you might want to run the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool to test your computer's random access memory (RAM). To use the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool, follow the instructions on the Windows Memory Diagnostic (http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp) Web site. Be sure to enable your virus protection software after installing Windows XP.
When you upgrade to Windows XP, you install Windows to the same folder where your current version of Windows is located, updating the earlier version. Here's how:
Note: Some of the problems addressed in the troubleshooting section of this document are prevented by getting the updated Setup files.
Do not forget to enable your virus protection software after Setup is finished.
If your computer does not have an operating system currently installed or you have decided to install Windows from scratch, you can perform what is known as a new installation (also known as a clean installation, or a full installation). This process is more complicated and takes longer than an upgrade (about 20 steps as opposed to 9 for an upgrade). To perform an upgrade, refer to the section titled "Upgrade to Windows XP."
Note: Before installing Windows XP, you should disable you virus protection (antivirus) software, and you might want to run the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool to test your computer's random access memory (RAM). To use the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool, follow the instructions on the Windows Memory Diagnostic (http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp) Web site. Be sure to enable your virus protection software after installing Windows XP.
CAUTION: You can choose to delete everything that currently exists on the hard drive during a new installation, so be sure to back up any data you want to keep before you begin (make sure that the backup data is not stored on the drive you are going to delete).
Here's how to perform a new installation of Windows XP:
Note: Make sure the computer can boot from a CD. If it can't, then follow the procedures in the section titled "Configure a computer to boot from CD" or see the "How do I install Windows from the command prompt?" section under "Perform other Setup-related tasks."
Note: Pay close attention here, because it's very easy to miss this message. If your current operating system starts, you'll know that you missed the opportunity to boot from CD. Restart your computer and try again.
Important! If you use a recovery CD from an original equipment manufacturer (also called an OEM), it is possible that the CD will not be accepted. If you delete the partition information or format the drive and the OEM recovery CD is not accepted as valid media, you must use the OEM recovery CD to restore your previous version of Windows. For details about restoring your system using the OEM recovery media, please contact your computer manufacturer.
CAUTION: Deleting a partition will remove all data stored on that partition. Before you continue, make sure you have backed up everything you want to keep.
Note: After the computer restarts, you will again receive the message Press any key to boot from CD but you should ignore it so that you do not interrupt the current installation process.
Important: Be sure to remember the Administrator password. You'll need this password when you want to make changes to your system in the future.
Note: Connecting to a domain is only possible in Windows XP Professional, not in Windows XP Home Edition.
Do not forget to enable your virus protection software after Setup is finished.
Did you ever wish that you could easily transfer your files and settings from an old computer to a new one? The Files and Settings Transfer Wizard available in Windows XP can assist you in doing this. This wizard helps take the pain out of upgrading to a new computer.
Here's how to use this wizard:
On your new computer:
On your old computer:
If you do have a Windows XP CD, insert it into the CD-ROM drive of the computer you want to copy files and settings from and wait for the startup menu to appear. If the menu does not appear automatically, click Start, click Run, and then click Browse. Browse to your CD-ROM drive and then double-click the Setup.exe file. In the Run dialog box, click OK. Click Perform additional tasks, and then click Transfer files and settings.
On this page, you can also select a check box that lets you choose a custom list of files and settings to be transferred. This option is for advanced users.
On your new computer:
That's it! The transferred files and settings should now be on your new computer.
If there are no partitions on your hard drive, you will need to create a partition and format it. Alternatively, it's a good idea to repartition your hard drive if you want to merge several smaller partitions into one large one, or if you want to create several smaller partitions so that you can set up a multiboot configuration.
If you want to partition or format your hard drive, we recommend that you use the disk partitioning and formatting tools that are built into Windows XP Setup. These tools allow you to delete existing partitions and to create one or more new partitions.
IMPORTANT: If you follow these steps on a hard disk that is not empty, all of the data stored on that hard disk will be permanently deleted.
To use the disk partitioning and formatting tools in Windows XP Setup:
Note: To start your computer from the Windows XP CD (or from the Setup boot disk), your computer must be configured to start from the CD/DVD drive (or the floppy disk drive). In some cases, you might have to modify your computer's BIOS settings to do this. For more information, see "Configure a computer to boot from CD."
If you press D to delete an existing partition, you must then press L (or press ENTER, and then press L if it is the System partition) to confirm that you want to delete the partition. Repeat this process for each of the existing partitions that you want to use for the new partition. When all the partitions are deleted, select the resulting unpartitioned space and press C to create a new partition.
Note: If you want to create a partition where one or more partitions already exist, you must first delete the existing partition or partitions and then create the new partition.
For most configurations, NTFS is a good choice for security and flexibility. If you plan to install a multiboot configuration and access data on the drive using older operating systems such as Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Millennium Edition, however, select FAT.
When you format a volume, files are removed from the volume and the hard disk is scanned for bad sectors. The majority of the time required to format a volume is devoted to scanning the disk. If you choose the Quick format option, files are removed from the partition, but the disk is not scanned for bad sectors. You should only use this option if your hard disk has been previously formatted and you are sure that your hard disk is not damaged.
Note: During Windows XP Setup, the option to leave the current file system intact is not available if the selected partition is a new partition. For partitions up to 2 gigabytes (GB) in size, Setup uses the FAT (also known as FAT16) file system. For partitions greater than 2 GB but less than 32 GB, Setup uses the FAT32 file system. For partitions greater than 32 GB, Setup uses NTFS.
Note: If you deleted and created a new System partition but you are installing Windows XP on another partition, you will be prompted to select a file system for both the System and Boot partitions at this point.
If your computer will not boot from a CD, you can still use the Windows XP Setup floppy disks to start Setup. During Setup, you will be prompted to insert the Windows XP CD. For more information, see "Create boot disks."
Otherwise, you can use a Windows 98 or Windows Millennium Edition Startup disk to start the computer, and then run Winnt.exe from the i386 folder of your Windows XP CD.
If you do not have Smartdrv.exe, file copying will take much longer but it can still be done successfully. Verify that the following entries exist in the following files on your startup disk; add the entries if they do not already exist:
In Autoexec.bat, add this line:
smartdrv.exe
In Config.sys, add this line:
device=himem.sys
Note: For information about modifying the Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 232558.
D:
cd \i386
winnt
When Setup begins, follow the prompts on your screen.
If you have more than one operating system installed, you can select the operating system that you want to use as the default:
Warning: The boot options file (Boot.ini) controls the number and order of operating systems on your computer. To manually edit this file, click Edit on the Startup and Recovery tab. Use caution when modifying the boot options file. Doing so incorrectly might make your computer unusable. For more information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 289022.
If you need to uninstall Windows XP and return to the operating system from which you originally upgraded, follow these instructions.
Note: If you performed a new installation instead of upgrading, you cannot uninstall Windows XP. In this case, you need to perform a new installation of your previous operating system.
Important: If Uninstall Windows XP is not in the list of installed programs, you must manually reinstall the original operating system. If this is the case, be sure to back up all of your critical data before you proceed.
If you have upgraded to Windows XP from Windows 98 or Windows Millennium Edition, it might be possible to manually uninstall Windows XP if the Undo folder is still available. For more information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 312569.
Follow the instructions above for uninstalling Windows XP. Then, use the Windows XP CD to install Windows XP on the new computer.
For more information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 303661 and read the topic about activation failures when moving Windows XP to another computer.
If you are prompted to activate your installation of Windows XP, defer activation until you have completed planned upgrades or changes to your computer's fixed hardware and related device drivers. Otherwise, you may need to reactivate after making such changes. Fixed hardware/drivers include the first instance of devices such as video, network (excluding modems), SCSI, hard drives, CD-ROM/DVD, and system memory. USB or other removable devices (such as cameras and printers) do not affect activation.
If you uninstall Windows XP from one computer (Computer A) and then install it on a second computer (Computer B), the following can occur:
For more information about troubleshooting activation problems, see Microsoft Knowledge Base articles 293764, 293764, 312295, 314935, and 318702.
Did you run into problems during Setup? Unfortunately, it does sometimes happen. Some problems can be solved by using the information in this section.
Important: If you have virus protection software installed on your computer, disable it. Virus protection software can cause problems during setup. Be sure to enable your virus protection software after installing Windows XP.
You can use the following troubleshooting steps if you have problems when you are upgrading to Windows XP from Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, or Windows Millennium Edition.
If you encounter problems while running Setup, exit Setup and run the Upgrade Advisor from the Windows XP CD. Here's how:
Upgrade Advisor will check for hardware and software incompatibilities. These are often the cause of Setup problems. Remove or uninstall the incompatible hardware or software, and then run Setup again.
If Upgrade Advisor does not find the problem, you can also clean boot your computer and run Setup again. Clean-boot troubleshooting is simply a way of removing variables that could cause problems.
Important: Look closely at the General tab to make sure that the check boxes under Selective startup are clear. Proceed to the next step if none of the check boxes are selected. If you see a disabled or gray check box, your computer is not truly clean-booted and you might need assistance from the manufacturer of the program that is affecting Msconfig.
For more information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 267288.
For information about performing a clean boot for troubleshooting purposes in Windows 98, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 192926.
Suppose Setup stops when copying files, and you see a message like this:
Setup cannot copy the file <file_name>. Press X to retry, Y to abort.
Here are some possible causes and solutions for this problem:
Note: To disable a device in Windows 95, right-click My Computer, click Properties, open Device Manager, and then clear Original Configuration (Current). In Windows 98 and Windows Millennium Edition, select the Disable in this hardware profile check box in Device Manager.
If required, re-enable the device after upgrading to Windows XP. For more information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 283658.
Note: If you experience problems during installation, you can use the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool to test your computer's random access memory (RAM). This tool helps determine whether installation problems are caused by failing hardware, such as RAM or the memory system of the motherboard. To use the tool, follow the instructions on the Windows Memory Diagnostic (http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp) Web site.
For information about several more technical issues that might be causing the problem, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 310064: How to Troubleshoot Windows XP Problems During Installation.
If you can rule out all of the causes listed above, and you continue to receive the error message, copy the i386 folder from the CD drive to your local hard disk, and then try to run Setup from your hard disk. Here's how:
If you don't have Smartdrv.exe, file copying will take much longer but it can still be done successfully. Verify that the following entries exist in the following files on your startup disk; add the entries if they do not already exist:
In Autoexec.bat, add this line:
smartdrv.exe
In Config.sys, add this line:
device=himem.sys
Note: For information about modifying the Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 232558.
D:
cd \i386
winnt
When Setup begins, follow the prompts on your screen.
Note: There is no option to boot to a command prompt on the initial startup menu in Windows Millennium Edition. However, you can boot to a startup floppy disk and then type C: and press ENTER to access the hard drive, as long as the startup disk uses the same file system as the hard disk.
When you try to upgrade to Windows XP, your computer might stop responding (hang) and a black screen might be displayed. This is usually caused by hardware or software that is incompatible with Windows XP.
Note: Before beginning Setup, you should compare your system's hardware to the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL). You can also find information about each of your computer's devices (such as printers, scanners, and so on) at the device manufacturer's Web site, in the Windows Catalog:
Text version of the HCL (for all operating systems)
(https://winqual.microsoft.com/download/default.asp)
Text version of the HCL (for Windows XP only)
(https://winqual.microsoft.com/download/display.asp?FileName=hcl/WinXPHCLx86.txt)
The Windows Catalog
(http://www.microsoft.com/windows/catalog/)
You can get to all of the above from Windows Hardware and Driver Central (http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/hcl/default.mspx)
If your computer stops responding and displays a black screen during Setup, follow these steps:
Warning: Do not attempt to flash the BIOS unless you are an advanced user. Doing this incorrectly can make your computer unusable.
If you receive one of the following error messages during Setup, refer to the appropriate Microsoft Knowledge Base article:
311562: 'An Unexpected Error (768) Occurred at Line 5118@ind:Xp\Client\Boot\Setup\Setup.c' Error Message During Windows XP Setup
311564: 'Stop 0x0000000A Irql_Not_Less_or_Equal' Error Message During Windows XP Upgrade
311442: Error Message: Setup Cannot Continue. Please Contact Microsoft Technical Support. (Error: 3E6h)
Note: If you experience problems during installation, you can use the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool to test your computer's random access memory (RAM). This tool helps determine whether installation problems are caused by failing hardware, such as RAM or the memory system of the motherboard. To use the tool, follow the instructions on the Windows Memory Diagnostic (http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp) Web site.
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| A program or a device doesn't work after upgrading to Windows XP. | First, try reinstalling the program or device. If that doesn't solve the problem, check with the manufacturer for a newer version of the software or hardware that is designed to work with Windows XP. If this is an older program, search Windows Help and Support for the word "compatibility" to see instructions for running the Program Compatibility Wizard. |
| Message: Incomplete file copy | Refer to the file copy troubleshooting section in Microsoft Knowledge Base article 310064. |
| Message: NTLDR is missing | If you choose to update files at the beginning of Setup, this will be fixed automatically. See Microsoft Knowledge Base article 322069. For troubleshooting this error, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 314057. |
| Message: Error 127 or error code fffffdf0 in catroot2 folder | Rename the Windows\System\Catroot2 folder and run Setup again. See Microsoft Knowledge Base article 307153. This has been fixed in Dynamic Update 1.3. Run Setup again and download the updated Setup files when prompted. |
| Message: "File not found: ASMS" | For troubleshooting tips, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 311755. |
| Setup hangs during "finalizing settings" phase. | This error is usually caused by virus protection software. Cancel Setup, disable your virus protection software, and then start Setup again. (Or, if you choose to update files at the beginning of Setup, this will be fixed automatically.) |
A boot disk is a floppy disk or set of disks that lets you start the computer without using Windows. It can be useful to have this when doing certain types of troubleshooting and when performing a new installation of Windows.
You can download a program to create the six Windows XP Setup boot floppy disks that contain the files and drivers required to access the CD-ROM drive and begin the Setup process. To do this, go to Obtaining Windows XP Setup Boot Disks (http://support.microsoft.com:80/support/kb/articles/q310/9/94.asp).
However, rather than creating boot disks, we recommend that you boot your computer from the Windows XP CD to start Setup. If your computer is not already able to do this (most newer computers are), refer to the section titled "Configure a computer to boot from CD" for more information. If your computer does not support booting from CD, you can download a file that will help you create boot disks. See the list at the end of this section for download locations.
This program creates the Setup boot disks for Microsoft Windows XP.
To create these disks, you need to provide 6 blank, formatted, high-density disks.
Please specify the floppy drive to copy the images to.
Insert one of these disks into drive <drive letter>:. This disk will become the Windows XP Setup Boot Disk.
Press any key when you are ready.
Some computers might automatically offer the option to boot from CD if they detect a bootable CD in the CD-ROM drive. If so, when you start the computer with a bootable CD in the CD-ROM drive, you'll see the message "Press any key to boot from CD." Otherwise, you can set your computer to boot from CD by using the setup program for your computer's BIOS (basic input/output system). Here's how:
If your computer doesn't give you such a message, try pressing these commonly used keys during startup:
If graphics appear during startup, pressing ESC often makes the graphics disappear so that you can see the correct key for entering BIOS setup.
Some newer laptop computers have a Windows-based utility for configuring the BIOS. If your computer won't boot from a CD, refer to the section titled "Other Setup-related tasks" for information about starting Setup from the command prompt.
You can install more than one operating system on your computer and choose which operating system you want to use every time you start your computer. This is called a dual-boot or multiboot configuration. This section explains how to set up Windows XP as a multiboot system with the following operating systems:
Before creating a multiboot configuration with Windows XP and another operating system, review the following precautions:
Note: You cannot install Windows Millennium Edition over any version of Windows NT, but they can exist together on a single system. It is recommended that you install each to a separate hard disk or partition. If Windows NT is already installed, Windows Millennium Edition Setup will add itself to the Windows NT boot menu to allow you to multiboot between Windows Millennium Edition and Windows NT. For more information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 271240.
A partition is a logical section of a hard disk. Each partition normally has its own file system. For more information about partitions, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 313348.
You might need to reformat and repartition your hard disk if:
Note: If you format a Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, or Windows XP volume with any file system other than NTFS, you will lose all NTFS-specific features. This includes Windows XP features such as file system security, Encrypting File System (EFS) settings, disk quotas, and remote storage. Likewise, Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Millennium Edition do not recognize an NTFS partition; they will identify it as unknown. Therefore, if you format a Windows 98 or Windows Millennium Edition partition as FAT, and a Windows XP partition as NTFS, any files on the NTFS partition will not be available or visible if you try to access them while running Windows 98 or Windows Millennium Edition.
The following table lists the supported file systems for Microsoft operating systems:
| Operating system | Supported file systems |
|---|---|
| FAT | |
| Windows 3.1 | FAT |
| Windows NT | FAT, NTFS |
| Windows 95 | FAT |
| Windows 95 OSR2 | FAT, FAT32 |
| Windows 98 | FAT, FAT32 |
| Windows Millennium Edition | FAT, FAT32 |
| Windows 2000 | FAT, FAT32, NTFS |
| Windows XP (both Professional and Home Edition) | FAT, FAT32, NTFS |
You cannot install two or more of the following in a multiboot configuration: Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Millennium Edition.
These combinations work:
This combination does not work:
You should install Windows XP only after installing
Note: If you install the operating systems in the wrong order, you will need to use the Recovery Console or run Windows XP Setup again to get Windows XP back. For more information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 307654.
Using a multiboot system with both Windows NT 4.0 and Windows XP is not recommended as a long-term solution. The NTFS update in Service Pack 5 (SP5) for Windows NT 4.0 is provided only to help you evaluate and upgrade to Windows XP.
Note: If you intend to install more than one operating system consisting of some combination of Windows NT 4.0 with either Windows 2000 or Windows XP as the only installed operating systems, you must make sure that you have installed Service Pack 5 or higher for Windows NT 4.0. You can download the latest Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack here: Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 6a (http://www.microsoft.com/ntserver/nts/downloads/recommended/SP6/allSP6.asp).
Windows XP automatically upgrades any NTFS partitions that it finds on your system to the version of NTFS that is used in Windows 2000 and Windows XP. However, Windows NT 4.0 requires Service Pack 5 to read and write files on a volume that is formatted with the version of NTFS used in Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
If you have more than one operating system, and you want certain programs or drivers to work on both systems, you must install those items on each system separately. For example, if you want to use Microsoft Word on a computer with both Windows 98 and Windows XP installed, you have to install Microsoft Word two times (once on Windows 98 and once on Windows XP).
You can install the program to the same path for different operating systems, as long as the target location uses a file system both operating systems can read.
Note: Windows 95 or Windows 98 might reconfigure hardware settings the first time you use them, which might cause configuration problems when you start Windows XP.
If you have more than one operating system on your computer, you can set the operating system that you want to use as the default when you start your computer:
Warning: The boot options file (Boot.ini) controls the number and order of operating systems on your computer. To manually edit this file, click Edit on the Startup and Recovery tab. Use caution when modifying the boot options file. Doing so incorrectly might render your computer unusable. For more information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 289022.
These additional troubleshooting ideas might help you resolve your issue without having to call technical support:
iexplore caused an Invalid Page Fault in module kernel32.dll
This error might occur if you install multiple operating systems on a single volume. To resolve this issue, install each operating system on a separate volume.
For more information about multibooting with Windows 2000 and Windows XP, see Multibooting with Windows 2000 and Windows XP (http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/administration/management/mltiboot.asp).
Also, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 205287.
You can repair or recover your system in several different ways. Instructions for each method are below. Try the methods in this order:
If Windows XP will not start, you can restore your system to the Last Known Good configuration – in other words, your most recent settings that worked. Here's how:
The Windows XP Recovery Console allows you to:
Here's how to use the Recovery Console:
When you use the Recovery Console, you will be prompted to enter the Administrator account password. If you enter an incorrect password three times, the Recovery Console will close. If the database that contains user account information for your computer is missing or damaged, you will not be able to use the Recovery Console.
After you enter your password and the Recovery Console starts, type exit to restart the computer. The Recovery Console has some other limitations. For details, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 314058: Description of the Windows XP Recovery Console.
The following section describes how to use the System Restore tool to return your computer to a previous working state. System Restore takes a "snapshot" of critical system files and some program files and stores this information as restore points. You can use these restore points to return Windows XP to a previous state.
Creating a restore point is useful any time you anticipate making changes to your computer that are risky or that might make your computer unstable.
If Windows XP will start, you can use System Restore to set your system back to an earlier, working point. Here's how:
We recommend that you regularly create backups as part of an overall plan for system recovery.
Note: Restoring from backup should be a last resort for system recovery. Use this method only after you have exhausted other options. For example, you should first try starting the computer in Safe Mode and reverting to the Last Known Good configuration. These steps are described earlier in this section.
Automated System Recovery (ASR) is a two-part system; it includes ASR backup and ASR restore. The ASR Wizard, located on the Start menu under Accessories\System Tools\Backup, does the backup portion. The wizard backs up the system state, system services, and all the disks that are associated with the operating system components. ASR also creates a file that contains information about the backup, the disk configurations (including basic and dynamic volumes), and how to perform a restore.
You can access the restore portion by pressing F2 when prompted in the text-mode portion of Setup. ASR reads the disk configurations from the file that it creates. It restores all the disk signatures, volumes, and partitions on the disks that you need to start the computer. ASR will try to restore all the disk configurations, but under some circumstances it might not be able to. ASR then installs a simple installation of Windows and automatically starts a restoration using the backup created by the ASR Wizard.
For more information about system recovery and repair, see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:
To find a Microsoft Knowledge Base article, go to Microsoft Help and Support (http://support.microsoft.com), type the article number in the Search the Knowledge Base box, and then press ENTER.
Visit these Web sites for updates or late-breaking information about Windows XP.
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