Hi Fred.

What are you using to 'clean' Windows? That's an error message I've not encountered before, and I suspect that you may be using an installed program to do the cleanup job rather than the built-in Windows utilities.

In any event, that message is simply telling you that your Windows installation is in a mess and that you may be well advised to format the system and install Windows and your programs again. It is not saying that you need to buy another copy of Windows, simply that you need to use your existing one to start off again fresh and clean.

Your Windows CD can be used as many times as you like to wipe the hard drive clean and install Windows on it. You'll find help with the procedure in the 'Tips and Tweaks' topic that your question was split from.

HI* I was using the furnished Windows XP cd that came with the machine that came 4/2002. I've used it about 2x..The last time is when I tried to wipe the drive clean is when I got the msg. Yeh< I do play around and download a bunch of stuff and then find they don't provide any legimate uninstall program so I know there is a lot of crap on my puter which I can clean out re a re-install. but lately, since I dl Windows sp2 (this took a looong time as I had dial up at the time) I wonder about doing it again. Yes, I do run 1. Zone Alarm Pro 2. Lavasoft, and I did run SpyBot; but recently got annoyed with it as when I went to uninstall it sure enough it was "missing" that file...how shameful of these outfits..I wrote an email to "SpyBot.com" and got a reply from one of their former vendors that they no longer did biz with the for accumulated issues; so pleass don recomment them to others!! Now any advice??

B