Windows XP Home

[CASSO]

Running windows XP PC crashed and would not reboot. Tried all usual but no luck. Eventually re-installed XP and it booted up ok. Software for DVD and CD copier, norton utilities, ISP etc. are gone. Cant seem to find anywhere on C drive. The software for the printer is still there. Most was preinstalled and I have no discs. Is there anyway to recover lost programs. I guess there was a better way of dealing with the problem in the first place.

[Gameguru]

Its a possibility that the programs are still there and the shortcuts are what's gone. If this is the case, you just need to try the program by going into the install directory and run the exe for that prog. If it works, just create a shortcut and put it in your start menu. If it doesn't work, its probably due to the fact that windows wrote over a file that was needed for that prog to run and after the reinstallation, the original windows file is back. In this situation, you will have to reinstall that program.

I would normally recommend that you reinstall everything that you are having problems with because there could be other issues that you may have since these progs were installed before the reinstallation of windows. Check your add/remove programs box and see if the progs you are having problems with are in there. If they aren't, I believe what I explained earlier in this post will hold true.