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How to undo Windows XP installation

I accidentally installed Windows XP Professional on my Panasonic Toughbook laptop. I thought the CD was for another program I needed to install. My account on the laptop as an administrator disappeared and a new account was made. I did a system restore to go back to my old account but it did not work. When I use the computer on safe mode I can go back and find my old account. I have also tried to unistall but I can not find it on the Add and Remove Programs list.

Before I did this my laptop had Windows XP.

What can I do to undo this? Did I commit a fatal mistake with my computer? Please help!! Thank you.

Did you format or just load the cd.. Sounds like you just ran the cd, which would have just enabled the XP professional features. Did it remove your login accounts, I mean does it look like a fresh install?

Quote:

Originally Posted by semrot

How to undo Windows XP installation

You don't. But based on what you wrote...

Disclaimer: The following may be way off base depending on what you actually did as I can't believe it is possible to "accidently" reinstall Windows, o' well...

If your former account works under safe mode, it will work under normal mode. If the account is not showing up on the Welcome screen because another account is now visible, hit CTRL-ALT-DEL twice and enter your former account. Then very carefully (meaning you know what all the accounts do) delete all the other user accounts if you want only the former administrator account to be visible on the Welcome screen. The following registry key can also make the Administrator account visible if other accounts are present:

Key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserLis t]
Value Name: Administrator (or whatever builtin admin account is renamed)
Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
Value Data: (1 = show Administrator)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smoked

Did you format or just load the cd..? Sounds like you just ran the cd, which would have just enabled the XP professional features. Did it remove your login accounts, I mean does it look like a fresh install?

It ceted another user account and removed my other accounts. I can only see my old account if I start it on safe mode. It also deleted some of my programs. For example my computer is a touch screen and now the touch screen doesn't work.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scleros

You don't. But based on what you wrote...

Disclaimer: The following may be way off base depending on what you actually did as I can't believe it is possible to "accidently" reinstall Windows, o' well...

If your former account works under safe mode, it will work under normal mode. If the account is not showing up on the Welcome screen because another account is now visible, hit CTRL-ALT-DEL twice and enter your former account. Then very carefully (meaning you know what all the accounts do) delete all the other user accounts if you want only the former administrator account to be visible on the Welcome screen. The following registry key can also make the Administrator account visible if other accounts are present:

Key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserLis t]
Value Name: Administrator (or whatever builtin admin account is renamed)
Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
Value Data: (1 = show Administrator)

I tried doing CTRL-ALT-DEL twice and it says that task manager is disabled. Also as you can see I am not that computer saavy, so where od I key in your suggestion?

Quote:

Originally Posted by semrot

I can only see my old account if I start it on safe mode.

What exactly do you mean by "see"; that the account shows up on welcome screen or that all of your files are still in C:\Documents and Settings\[your old account]?

Quote:

Originally Posted by semrot

For example my computer is a touch screen and now the touch screen doesn't work.

There may be a driver that is required to be installed. Frankly, if you did an actual reinstall with the XP CD to a new folder, you're going to have many drivers to install and should probably take the computer into a repair facility and have it rebuilt properly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by semrot

I tried doing CTRL-ALT-DEL twice and it says that task manager is disabled

You're doing C-A-D at the welcome screen from a normal boot? Is this a company computer - access may have been disabled via group policy?