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There are certain circumstances in which it is advisable to re-run the Setup program. Windows may say you need to run Setup in order to restore corrupted files or the Registry. Also, If your system works fine for a long time, then starts to behave strangely, try re-running Setup.
If your system gets a lot of use - creating files, deleting files, installing and removing software and hardware, etc - you should run Scandisk and Disk Defragmenter at least once per month (click Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools). Such regular maintenance will help keep your system stable, but it can't prevent everything.
Windows can become corrupted for many reasons. You may get a virus, files can be accidentally deleted or damaged, a piece of hardware may malfunction and take down the whole system with it, and many so-called uninstall programs do not in fact remove everything associated with that program or device. Over time, your hard disk (and more importantly, the Windows directory) can become cluttered with unnecessary databases, libraries and drivers, and the Registry will be littered with false entries and other horrors. Clutter like that is a bomb waiting to go off.
While re-running Setup will not delete unnecessary files, it will re-write the Registry and thus get rid of references to non-existent hardware and software, and it will re-install all drivers for all devices. In the worst-case scenario, it may be necessary to pretend you are starting with a brand new computer with a blank hard disk. That, however, need only be done as a last resort. Try re-running Setup first.
Back to TopRemember: You will need to know your Windows Registration Number (it's on the book that comes with the CD).
If you installed Windows following the procedures in Tips Part 11-12 this is quite painless: Simply boot from a floppy, switch to drive D:, then to the Win9x directory, and type "setup" (see Tips Part 11).
If you have to run Setup from the Windows CD, you will need a boot floppy that activates the CD drive (see Tips Part 8). With the machine off, insert the boot floppy, and turn it on, then place the Windows CD in the CD-ROM drive (you don't have to wait until it finishes booting). You will need to know which drive letter your CD-ROM is. This can easily be determined by experimenting. When the machine boots from the floppy, you will see the command prompt:
A:\
Type the following, and press Enter (upper or lower case):
D:
If that is your CD-ROM, you should see its light come on, and hear it spin up. Do a quick test: type "dir", and press Enter. Some CDs take a while to spin up, so you may see an error message if you try to access it before it has gotten up to full speed. Wait a few seconds and try again. You will see a listing of the files and directories on the CD. If that is not the right letter, go on to E:, then F:, etc. until you find it. Once you find the CD, type "setup".
From this point, the procedure is basically the same as described in Tips Part 11-12. If you are a complete novice, I would suggest you let Windows do whatever it wants. Just keep clicking "Yes", or "Next", or "OK", etc.
Not to worry...
Now some good news, which you have probably been concerned about: re-running Setup should have no effect on any other files or programs on your hard disk. Everything should be exactly as before: same desktop, same icons, same wallpaper, same Start menu, etc. It may be necessary to do some minor tweaking, like re-arranging icons (or getting rid of a few that weren't there before), or re-establishing your internet connection.
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