How do you factory reset Windows XP without a disk or other installation media?

I want to factory reset a Windows XP computer, but I don't have any installation media to do the repair installation. How do I reset Windows XP without a CD?

If it is an Acer you press the left Alt + F10 Key.

If it a Dell you press Ctrl + F11.

etc.,

That is how you do it if the manufacturer never included a XP CD when you purchased the computer when new.

That's called factory resetting which is what you asked about.

Hi Charlie,

You don't, at least not without the installation media.

Also, do note that even if you did the installation would be as the system was when new, without updates or any service packs issued after the media was produced. (Updates from MS for XP ended quite some time ago).

What problem are you having that brings you to want to try a "Factory Reset" of XP?

-Richard

Hi Bill, that's interesting.

My last experience with attempting to use the XP supplied Windows update site (link) resulted in the site is no longer active and then being redirected.

Do you have, is there, an updated link (or list of links) to use to be able to update Windows XP from it's initial release state up to and though to the final state of it being still supported? (Amazingly, but really not so amazingly, that could indeed prove to be a popular not only list but topic of discussion/conversation as well, even still today! (XP did Rock), NT continues.

Just spitballin,

-Richard

You may or may not have a manufacturer's recovery partition imaged onto your hard drive to do what you want to do if XP came preinstalled (Acer, Dell, HP, etc.)

And you still can get the updates and Service Packs up until 2014 when support ended for XP.