[Ham-Computers] To XP or not-XP, that is the question

[Doug Hensley]

Appreciate all the interest and support.
Here's an update.  I googled the issue on another machine and found a suggestion tostart the machine in Recovery Mode (the F8 option) and create .bak versions of aboutfive configuration files in C:\windows\system32\config by moving them to a new directorycalled "my tmp".  Once done, replace those crucial files with versions kept in the "repair"directory.  The machine did come back to life BUT the security features were fouled upas it then would not permit access to files or settings.  So, I reversed the change.
Then, remembering something about REPAIR from my installation 7 years ago, I got theoriginal XP Pro disk out and booted with it.  It gave the the option to REPAIR an existinginstallation.  I went through this official XP repair twice but did not see it working.  So,without thinking (and that is the pivotal issue here), I started a fresh install.  As that wasprogressing through the iterations of SP2 and SP3, I realized that all my motherboardupdates & the like were being obliterated.  What a blunder!  Well, done and I will turnlemon into lemonade here to make up for shooting myself in the foot!
Robert's suggestion of just doing a clean install seems reasonable.  I still have my softwareCD's.  My thought is to order a new hard drive off the internet, a new CR battery for themotherboard, and while waiting for those to arrive, I can download the latest hardwaredriver packs & programs and have them ready.  Once done, the box ought to go another7 years (I hope :-).
It is a shame that XP is so fragile.  I have heard that Windows 7 is being well received but whenever I google an XP issue, I see similar discussions about Windows 7.  Windows8 appears to be getting the same reception as Vista did and Tech Talk sites are all anticipating a better release in Windows 9.  
Someone asked how all this related to ham radio.  All I can say in defense of sharing thisexperience is that it all started when I moved my machine into the ham shack to set it upfor MARS digital mode traffic.  I was tiding up the hard drive files when I made the mistakeof resetting.  
73 to all and thanks again for the feedback,
Doug W5JV/NNN0BXX