Questions about re-installing XP

Windows gurus: what exactly happens when I run a Repair of Windows XP?

I've run into a situation where I've got some serious driver conflicts and issues that are enough to warrant a new install of XP, but I'm wondering if I have to do a complete fresh install, or if a Repair will suffice. So what files get deleted/replaced/renewed in a repair install? And how about the registry... how is that treated in a Repair? I'm just trying to see if it's feasible to avoid a completely fresh install so as to not have to reinstall all my programs.

There is another command you should probably try first to see if it fixes (System File Check). Repair overwrites your current windows and if I remember right, really messes with your installed programs...

"start", "run", then type

SFC /scannow

try that and see if it fixes everything.

Silly question, but can you not restore back to before the drivers were installed? Once you get everything working right, I would suggest getting "Norton Ghost" and create an image of your setup. Then no matter what happens, you can always go back to that point.

System repair will NEVER work for me. I always end up with a complete format/install.

Thanks for the replies guys. Danielkh, I actually do own a license for Norton Ghost for my house pc but wasn't smart enough to put it on my carpc, but you can be sure that after I get this all fixed up I WILL be putting it on there! As far as System Restore goes, I think that if I were to restore back to the date that I'd be sure was pre-driver issues, I may as well just do a clean XP install at that point.

hi fellow nola citizen. you couldnt go into device manager and re-do the drivers for whatever is conflicting?

edit just realized this is a year old