What is the best way to reinstall Windows XP Pro SP2?

Just one thing before I begin to copy the 40 GB to external drive: On C:, there are also about 20-30 by ESET Smart Security quarantined files (about 15 Trojans). Is there any risk in copying these to the external harddrive?

After I've installed the new internal HDD and all software I would use WipeDrive to completely wipe the 40 GB away from the external HDD. But until then, will the 15 Trojans etc. have any chance of getting out of the quarantine?

If you don't open that folder it should be OK.  But, I would delete that folder before copying.

The problem I had a hard time locating it last time I tried. Same thing now, can't find it. So I should be able to copy everything on C: anyway, and finally wipe everything away when I'm done with the reinstall?

it should be OK, copying the files won't activate them.

I couldn't copy everything from C:. Are there any more folders than Fonts in System-folder that could be worthwhile copying? I got important fonts there for languages such as Chinese, Hindi etc., difficult to find again.

I can't copy the whole Documents and Settings-folder, says it's already being used by another program. Are there any folders there I should copy (I've already copied Start menu-folder and Desktop-folder)?

I installed XP Pro, installed all the drivers and software from manufacturer HP but then I got these two problems:

1. Extremly slow startup, even slower than the old faulty harddrive (even though msconfig startup options are the same).
2. Password for my two external Freecom Toughdrive harddrives (each 250 GB) only worked the first time. Now, they can't be opened on the new installation, the window completely freezes and I have to press the power-off button.

Can it have anything to do with the install of drivers and extra HP software? If so, it's because I installed too much drivers and extra HP software, not too little, because I installed those drivers and softwares that I was in doubt whether they were necessary, just to be safe:

Microsoft UAA Bus Driver for HD Audio
ADI Soundmax Audio Driver for Windows 2000/XP
HDA Modem Installer
HP Integrated module with Bluetooth wireless technology
Broadcom BCM440x 10-100 Ethernet Drivers - Windows XP
TI-PCI 6x12/7x12 Cardbus Driver
Synoptics Touchpad Driver
Video Drivers and utilities
WLAN Driver Installer
Intel Chipset Installation Utility for ICH7

As the situation is now, my old faulty drive works better than the new one. But I get a blue screen each time I power off the old faulty drive.

Isn't there any way to check exactly what drivers and software I installed on the old faulty drive? Then I just do the same on the new drive.

The problem with Password.exe is solved: I remember now that I tried ESET Smart Security version 5 earlier but changed back to version 3 again because it didn't work with Password.exe (couldn't open my external harddrives because of ESET version 5). Now it works again when I installed version 3 of ESET.

But the new installed XP Pro is still extremely slow so I'll do as you suggest garycase: reinstall again.

Some questions before I begin:

1. I deleted all partitions before I installed XP, then created totally foúr partitions and installed XP on the first partition. Should I do the same now during installation?: delete existing partitions, create four partitions (so I later can install Windows 7 and two Linux) and install XP on the first.

2. Do you mean that "unknown" drivers in Device Manager are those that I must install (no other drivers)?

3. If Device Manager doesn't "know" about my network driver and I can not connect to internet, how should I proceed? I think there will be no internet connection wizard available before I use the HP CD, and the China Telecom connection I have require that I use a username and password (PPPoe-connection). So I have to setup the connection before I use the HP CD, but can I do that immediately after XP installation?

I think I have two network drivers, but isn't it this I should install (if it's unknown for Device Manager)?:

Broadcom BCM440x 10-100 Ethernet Drivers - Windows XP.

I have not yet reinstalled, actually the system is very fast now. When I checked Device Manager, there were no unknown devices. Do you think I could skip the reinstall and go ahead now to update everything?

It's really fast even without my VPN, both opening folders and internet.

No, I could see now that when I try to validate my Windows I get "Not Responding".

Yes, it's verified now and the laptop is quick. I get the option to install upgrade to SP3 (33 minutes).

The only thing now is that the bootup is extremely slow, but other than that the whole computer is quick and nice to work on after updating to SP3 and all security updates.

It might have something to do with that I installed 16 keyboards for about 12 languages, and also installed support for non-unicode programs (I checked all possible alternatives, perhaps close to 100).

I turned off auto-play with Powertoys for Windows XP/Tweak UI and removed Messenger. But it's still very slow bootup.

By the way, is that enough to turn off auto-play with Powertoys for Windows XP? I vaguely remember something about I had to change it at two places.

I still haven't done the software and hardware updates, perhaps the bootup will be faster after that.

Is there any way to check what's going on during boot-up, exactly what programs that are run? When I check msconfig I have minimum programs running during boot-up (same as on my old harddisk). I turned off autoplay so the external harddisks shouldn't be checked during boot now.

Perhaps I can live with the slow booting. When using Windows, after I've installed more programs, do you think it will have any impact on CPU and general performance that I selected all these alternatives for non-unicode support?

There is a new problem now because I changed Set program access and defaults from Internet Explorer to Mozilla Firefox. So when I try to update from Control Panel I don't get to the update page because of Mozilla Firefox:

http://www.update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/thanks.aspx?ln=sv&&thankspage=5

I get redirected to this welcome page immediately, no time to copy and paste the first web address.

I think I'll reinstall because it's not working very well. For example, sometimes I can't go to this website:

http://www.dict.org/w/databases/start

And startup is very slow. Probably I'll reinstall, update immediately after reinstall and finally install HP-drivers and software. If I don't choose all those alternatives for non-unicode program support, can I add that later if needed?

After installation, I started the Accessibility Wizard (just to see what it was, I was curious), but stopped after a few steps (screen resolution changed etc.) and chose to undo changes. But somehow my font is now completely changed (think it's bigger than before, and not at sharp as before, more faded style). How should I get back my old font?

I have updated all security updates and installed all drivers and software from HP-CD but not updated the SP3 yet.

The icons in my taskbar are too big now, and resolution on them is more blurred. And in the web browser there is another font being used after I had opened the Accessibility Wizard (although I chose to undo changes). Is there any way to change back to default for font and resolution and icons in taskbar?

I got the icons back to normal size after right-clicking on Desktop/Appearance/ and selecting Normal size for font.

I think the browser font is normal now but I'm not sure, perhaps it's more faint.

hermesalpha: With all due respect, how many questions are you going to piggy back onto this thread? Whilst I understand you are having still having issues we are now miles away from the initial question.
Please Accept an answer, close the initial question and ask fresh questions for your new problems.

The thing is that from minute to minute new problems come up, even after completely fresh install, completely unpredictable, I have reinstalled two or three times now, I don't know what to do because my best customer waits for me to send a translation job, and I just start over and over again reinstalling in vain: immediately after reinstalling I start to get problem, internet connection works perfect for fifteen minutes, then can't connect, freshly installed SDL trados works perfect immediately afer installing and activating, ten minutes later get error messages I've never received before and I can't open it, etc.  
 
So I have to reinstall a fourth time, if I do it because I have tried everything so far, but it doesn't work, nothing works!

I have asked for a moder to step in on this thread.

I have just made another posting, I begin to think it's something with my hardware. No, it's my new harddrive I do all these installs on, and this time I just installed according to the default settings (no 16 keyboards or extra support for non-unicode etc.). I made no extra things, but there are small issues all the time even immediately after fresh install.

Some (what I think) are indications of faulty hardware (things that happen now immediately on my freshly installed XP Pro):

1. Windows delay for a few seconds on the screen when opening new windows on top, so fragments of these "old" windows are displayed with the new windows just opened.

2. When clicking a tab in the browser to get to another window window freezes and takes some seconds before this new window gets displayed.

3. Scroll bar can't use for a few seconds because CPU runs up to 100 %

This time when I did a fresh install I only installed the drivers from Device Manager by right-clicking each of the yellow question mark and choosing Update driver. So then all the yellow question marks in Device Manager disappeared after SP3 was installed. So no, not all drivers from HP CD-ROM was installed.

Everything is about delays and slowness and CPU that doesn't stand anything (downloading a single file takes ages and CPU runs up to 100 %).

Some webpages are difficult to access from time to time, especially Windows Update and http://mail.live.com/default.aspx

Check the IDE/ATAPI controller details as I suggested above and post them here.