“Do you know how to fix Widows XP?” a friend recently asked. She was calling me on the phone desperate. She was right in the middle of doing something important when her computer starting acting up. She was getting error messages and she hadn’t a clue of what to do. Unfortunately for her, she made the mistake of trying to reinstall her Windows XP program.

First, she couldn’t find her disks. When she finally found them she put them in before she backed up her system information. Poof! Just like that it was all gone, everything–her programs, files, photos, and that very important business paper she was working on.

I didn’t have the heart to tell her, but she did all of that for nothing. There are much more easier ways she could of done it. The trick is that you have to know how to fix Windows XP. It doesn’t take a scientist to do it but you do have to be diligent about system updates and patient when performing scans. If such a scenario has happened to you, don’t panic. There are some excellent repair software which you can use to repair windows without having to reinstall windows. Such an all-in-one repair kit is Spotmau. You can find a spotmau powersuite 2010 review here.

My friend didn’t know what updates are so she never allowed them to be put on her computer. Always allow updates from Microsoft.  These updates install protection against the latest viruses, debug programming errors, and help repair minor problems.

My friend wasn’t bother about sending error reports. She thought it was a waste of time. I used to think that same thing. Until one day my computer completely shut down. The (very expensive) technician that came to my house was quick to inform me that error reports send crucial information to the technical team at Microsoft. They use these reports to figure out what updates are needed. Many minor problems can be solved by simply sending error reports and allowing updates.

Unfortunately for my friend she didn’t do these things. Instead she ignored the problems until they became huge problems. Now she was stuck not knowing how to fix Windows XP.

She was about to call a technician when I suggested that instead, she should try downloading a software package.  I brought one after I got tired of giving my hard earned money to a computer repairman. The package I downloaded has everything: scans to look for computer problems and viruses, a performance report, and then it repairs the problems before they turn into huge problems.

Know how to fix Windows XP before you attempt to reinstall Windows. I wish that I had given this advice to my friend before she had lost so much.

You are right in the middle of something important, maybe you are typing a school report or paying bills online, and then you get an error message. What do you do? Don’t freak out and don’t call an expensive repair technician. Many problems can be dealt with by the user or using an online repair service. You don’t have to be a high tech geek to be able to fix Windows XP. Most problems are simple and can be corrected with minimal time and effort.

Microsoft has a guided program that checks for hard disk drive errors. These errors are extremely dangerous because they can cause your computer to crash. The program is free and easy to use. You just download the program and follow the step by step directions.

Windows XP service packs provide on-line updates to your computer.  These updates keep your Windows XP current and error free. This is an excellent way to fix Windows XP before more serious problems arise.

If you get an error report it is always best to send it to Microsoft. The people at Microsoft keep track of error reports so that they can find problems and fix them quickly. An error report consists of the date and time of the error, what the error was, what programs you have installed on your computer, and what programs were running when the error occurred.  Microsoft technicians analyze the error reports to determine the problem. Then they go about finding a solution. Once a solution is found, your computer will be sent an update to solve the problem. Always allow updates to be uploaded to your computer. Updates are secure and come directly from either Microsoft or your computer’s manufacturer.

If you still have problems there are many websites offering service products that may help you. Many sites offer free scans.  While scans are free most will want you to buy a complete package to fix any errors which are found during the scan.  Security programs, problem scans, and computer repair programs are usually packaged neatly in one bundle. While they may seem costly, they are usually cheaper than repair shops and home service technicians.  An example of an excellent online repair service for Windows XP is Reimage. You can find a Reimage Review here.

With computers being such a necessity for today’s busy lifestyles, it is important to keep them running at top efficiency.  This is why I suggest buying a packaged bundle when you need to fix Windows XP.