Hi – I’m trying to restore a laptop which has been comprehensively wrecked by
a virus (yt8a.exe – look forward to it). It's a Dell, and isn’t supplied with
an XP or recovery disk as such. Dell expect you to prepare your own recovery
disk, using a utility on the laptop. Unfortunately, I can no longer boot XP,
though I can see all the files on the disk when I attach it to another
computer as a slave, using an adapter.

There’s an i386 directory on the disk – can I make a basic XP CD to restore
her laptop just using that? I know from experience that I can't just use any
old XP CD from another computer with her license key – will using her i386
directory install the correct version to use with her key?

I can’t see any other way of restoring her computer... urgent of course.

Thanks for any help provided.

There are several different i386 folders on a XP instance. You can
identify the source folder if the installation modules are present. They
are WinNT.Exe and WinNT32.Exe.

You can burn the i386 to a CD-R, but your problem is booting to
the XP startup mode. Microsoft makes available a set of Floppy disk
setups that once booted transfer setup to the CD disk.

The various types of installation disks are controlled by a variable in
a file named Setupp.Ini. The Variable PID has a numerical vale that
identifies whether the disk is OEM/Retail, Full or Upgrade media.

What you are attempting isn't impossible, it just takes a lot of prep
work to make sure that everything will work.

"Hogweed" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:C9B6834C-433D-45D4-8BA1-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi - I'm trying to restore a laptop which has been comprehensively wrecked
> by
> a virus (yt8a.exe - look forward to it). It's a Dell, and isn't supplied
> with
> an XP or recovery disk as such. Dell expect you to prepare your own
> recovery
> disk, using a utility on the laptop. Unfortunately, I can no longer boot
> XP,
> though I can see all the files on the disk when I attach it to another
> computer as a slave, using an adapter.
>
> There's an i386 directory on the disk - can I make a basic XP CD to
> restore
> her laptop just using that? I know from experience that I can't just use
> any
> old XP CD from another computer with her license key - will using her i386
> directory install the correct version to use with her key?
>
> I can't see any other way of restoring her computer... urgent of course.
>
> Thanks for any help provided.
>

"Hogweed" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:C9B6834C-433D-45D4-8BA1-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi - I'm trying to restore a laptop which has been comprehensively wrecked
> by
> a virus (yt8a.exe - look forward to it). It's a Dell, and isn't supplied
> with
> an XP or recovery disk as such. Dell expect you to prepare your own
> recovery
> disk, using a utility on the laptop. Unfortunately, I can no longer boot
> XP,
> though I can see all the files on the disk when I attach it to another
> computer as a slave, using an adapter.
>
> There's an i386 directory on the disk - can I make a basic XP CD to
> restore
> her laptop just using that? I know from experience that I can't just use
> any
> old XP CD from another computer with her license key - will using her i386
> directory install the correct version to use with her key?
>
> I can't see any other way of restoring her computer... urgent of course.
>
> Thanks for any help provided.
>

I have never seen a recent Dell laptop without a recovery CD. Are you really
sure yours doesn't have one? Have you consulted the manual that came with
the laptop?

AFAIK, all suppliers of PCs with Windows preloaded are required either to
provide a bootable Windows CD or else a bootable recovery CD. Yours would be
no exception. Make sure to save all important files (including your EMail
files!) prior to attempting a recovery.

Heh – depends on what you mean by “recent�! It’s an Insipiron 2650, I guess
about 5-7 years old now. Of course, she can't find the manual either, but
still has the various disks supplied with it, and none of them is anything
like a recovery disk, nor contains for example an i386 folder.

So I looked on their website, and it gave me this procedure for preparing
your own XP disk:

“The Dell OS Recovery Utility allows the creation of ONE operating system
CD. This means that you can make one Windows® CD for backup purposes.



"Pegasus (MVP)" wrote:

>
> "Hogweed" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:C9B6834C-433D-45D4-8BA1-(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Hi - I'm trying to restore a laptop which has been comprehensively wrecked
> > by
> > a virus (yt8a.exe - look forward to it). It's a Dell, and isn't supplied
> > with
> > an XP or recovery disk as such. Dell expect you to prepare your own
> > recovery
> > disk, using a utility on the laptop. Unfortunately, I can no longer boot
> > XP,
> > though I can see all the files on the disk when I attach it to another
> > computer as a slave, using an adapter.
> >
> > There's an i386 directory on the disk - can I make a basic XP CD to
> > restore
> > her laptop just using that? I know from experience that I can't just use
> > any
> > old XP CD from another computer with her license key - will using her i386
> > directory install the correct version to use with her key?
> >
> > I can't see any other way of restoring her computer... urgent of course.
> >
> > Thanks for any help provided.
> >
>
> I have never seen a recent Dell laptop without a recovery CD. Are you really
> sure yours doesn't have one? Have you consulted the manual that came with
> the laptop?
>
> AFAIK, all suppliers of PCs with Windows preloaded are required either to
> provide a bootable Windows CD or else a bootable recovery CD. Yours would be
> no exception. Make sure to save all important files (including your EMail
> files!) prior to attempting a recovery.
>
>
>

So could I, for example, use some files from any old XP disk, plus her i386
directory, to make a disk which would install OK on her machine using her COA
key? Obviously I’d use Nero or something to make a bootable CD with the files
on it.

So maybe I could use the other files I find on any XP CD, and the Setupp.Ini
file from her machine...?




"R. McCarty" wrote:

> There are several different i386 folders on a XP instance. You can
> identify the source folder if the installation modules are present. They
> are WinNT.Exe and WinNT32.Exe.
>
> You can burn the i386 to a CD-R, but your problem is booting to
> the XP startup mode. Microsoft makes available a set of Floppy disk
> setups that once booted transfer setup to the CD disk.
>
> The various types of installation disks are controlled by a variable in
> a file named Setupp.Ini. The Variable PID has a numerical vale that
> identifies whether the disk is OEM/Retail, Full or Upgrade media.
>
> What you are attempting isn't impossible, it just takes a lot of prep
> work to make sure that everything will work.
>
> "Hogweed" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:C9B6834C-433D-45D4-8BA1-(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Hi - I'm trying to restore a laptop which has been comprehensively wrecked
> > by
> > a virus (yt8a.exe - look forward to it). It's a Dell, and isn't supplied
> > with
> > an XP or recovery disk as such. Dell expect you to prepare your own
> > recovery
> > disk, using a utility on the laptop. Unfortunately, I can no longer boot
> > XP,
> > though I can see all the files on the disk when I attach it to another
> > computer as a slave, using an adapter.
> >
> > There's an i386 directory on the disk - can I make a basic XP CD to
> > restore
> > her laptop just using that? I know from experience that I can't just use
> > any
> > old XP CD from another computer with her license key - will using her i386
> > directory install the correct version to use with her key?
> >
> > I can't see any other way of restoring her computer... urgent of course.
> >
> > Thanks for any help provided.
> >
>
>
>

You can use the Slipstreaming procedure to create a disk. Trying to
post the exact steps/details is beyond the scope of the NG. The way
you describe creating a disk modifying Setupp.Ini may work. You'd
want to create a SP3 disk anyway to avoid SP installs and the high #
of individual Hotfixes.

Sorry I can't provide precise information.

"Hogweed" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:AD4674F6-08AC-4290-9B21-(E-Mail Removed)...
> So could I, for example, use some files from any old XP disk, plus her
> i386
> directory, to make a disk which would install OK on her machine using her
> COA
> key? Obviously I'd use Nero or something to make a bootable CD with the
> files
> on it.
>
> So maybe I could use the other files I find on any XP CD, and the
> Setupp.Ini
> file from her machine...?
>
>
>
>
> "R. McCarty" wrote:
>
>> There are several different i386 folders on a XP instance. You can
>> identify the source folder if the installation modules are present. They
>> are WinNT.Exe and WinNT32.Exe.
>>
>> You can burn the i386 to a CD-R, but your problem is booting to
>> the XP startup mode. Microsoft makes available a set of Floppy disk
>> setups that once booted transfer setup to the CD disk.
>>
>> The various types of installation disks are controlled by a variable in
>> a file named Setupp.Ini. The Variable PID has a numerical vale that
>> identifies whether the disk is OEM/Retail, Full or Upgrade media.
>>
>> What you are attempting isn't impossible, it just takes a lot of prep
>> work to make sure that everything will work.
>>
>> "Hogweed" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:C9B6834C-433D-45D4-8BA1-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> > Hi - I'm trying to restore a laptop which has been comprehensively
>> > wrecked
>> > by
>> > a virus (yt8a.exe - look forward to it). It's a Dell, and isn't
>> > supplied
>> > with
>> > an XP or recovery disk as such. Dell expect you to prepare your own
>> > recovery
>> > disk, using a utility on the laptop. Unfortunately, I can no longer
>> > boot
>> > XP,
>> > though I can see all the files on the disk when I attach it to another
>> > computer as a slave, using an adapter.
>> >
>> > There's an i386 directory on the disk - can I make a basic XP CD to
>> > restore
>> > her laptop just using that? I know from experience that I can't just
>> > use
>> > any
>> > old XP CD from another computer with her license key - will using her
>> > i386
>> > directory install the correct version to use with her key?
>> >
>> > I can't see any other way of restoring her computer... urgent of
>> > course.
>> >
>> > Thanks for any help provided.
>> >
>>
>>
>>

Found a Dell page saying "Dell Customers can now request a set of
backup discs containing the factory-installed operating system as well
as the device drivers and utilities specific to your system".

The form does request your service tag and order number. If you have
these, check out

https://support.dell.com/support/top.../backupcd_form

Steve


On Mon, 27 Oct 2008 04:36:01 -0700, Hogweed
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Hi – I’m trying to restore a laptop which has been comprehensively wrecked by
>a virus (yt8a.exe – look forward to it). It's a Dell, and isn’t supplied with
>an XP or recovery disk as such. Dell expect you to prepare your own recovery
>disk, using a utility on the laptop. Unfortunately, I can no longer boot XP,
>though I can see all the files on the disk when I attach it to another
>computer as a slave, using an adapter.
>
>There’s an i386 directory on the disk – can I make a basic XP CD to restore
>her laptop just using that? I know from experience that I can't just use any
>old XP CD from another computer with her license key – will using her i386
>directory install the correct version to use with her key?
>
>I can’t see any other way of restoring her computer... urgent of course.
>
>Thanks for any help provided.

Thanks Steve – just trying to find if there's an equivalent page on the UK
site, but it appears to be down today... trouble is, as so often with IT,
being without her PC for the few days that’d take to organise is very bad, so
I've got to persevere in he meantime. But I’ll certainly try and take
advantage of that if I can get to the UK site.

"Steve" wrote:

> Found a Dell page saying "Dell Customers can now request a set of
> backup discs containing the factory-installed operating system as well
> as the device drivers and utilities specific to your system".
>
> The form does request your service tag and order number. If you have
> these, check out
>
> https://support.dell.com/support/top.../backupcd_form
>
> Steve
>
>
> On Mon, 27 Oct 2008 04:36:01 -0700, Hogweed
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
> >Hi – I’m trying to restore a laptop which has been comprehensively wrecked by
> >a virus (yt8a.exe – look forward to it). It's a Dell, and isn’t supplied with
> >an XP or recovery disk as such. Dell expect you to prepare your own recovery
> >disk, using a utility on the laptop. Unfortunately, I can no longer boot XP,
> >though I can see all the files on the disk when I attach it to another
> >computer as a slave, using an adapter.
> >
> >There’s an i386 directory on the disk – can I make a basic XP CD to restore
> >her laptop just using that? I know from experience that I can't just use any
> >old XP CD from another computer with her license key – will using her i386
> >directory install the correct version to use with her key?
> >
> >I can’t see any other way of restoring her computer... urgent of course.
> >
> >Thanks for any help provided.
>
>

On Mon, 27 Oct 2008 04:36:01 -0700, Hogweed
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Hi – I’m trying to restore a laptop which has been comprehensively wrecked by
>a virus (yt8a.exe – look forward to it). It's a Dell, and isn’t supplied with
>an XP or recovery disk as such. Dell expect you to prepare your own recovery
>disk, using a utility on the laptop. Unfortunately, I can no longer boot XP,
>though I can see all the files on the disk when I attach it to another
>computer as a slave, using an adapter.
>
>There’s an i386 directory on the disk – can I make a basic XP CD to restore
>her laptop just using that? I know from experience that I can't just use any
>old XP CD from another computer with her license key – will using her i386
>directory install the correct version to use with her key?
>
>I can’t see any other way of restoring her computer... urgent of course.
>
>Thanks for any help provided.

When you bootup see if there is a blue band across the top of the
sreen , if there is try pressing ctrl + enter . Will take you to the
recovery partition .

Your instructions are here -

http://www.howtohaven.com/system/cre...etupdisk.shtml

Later, Ray Parrish

Hogweed wrote:
> Hi – I’m trying to restore a laptop which has been comprehensively wrecked by
> a virus (yt8a.exe – look forward to it). It's a Dell, and isn’t supplied with
> an XP or recovery disk as such. Dell expect you to prepare your own recovery
> disk, using a utility on the laptop. Unfortunately, I can no longer boot XP,
> though I can see all the files on the disk when I attach it to another
> computer as a slave, using an adapter.
>
> There’s an i386 directory on the disk – can I make a basic XP CD to restore
> her laptop just using that? I know from experience that I can't just use any
> old XP CD from another computer with her license key – will using her i386
> directory install the correct version to use with her key?
>
> I can’t see any other way of restoring her computer... urgent of course.
>
> Thanks for any help provided.
>

--
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Trouble shooting and Fixing Windows
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