Major Backup Mistake - Durrrrrrrr - Repair install question - eventually.

[jonah]

I made a bit of a stupid error re-installing a backup image of a
networked PC C Drive. I was testing NIS 2006 on a spare machine for a
few days to see just how horrendous it is as I am bound to come across
all sorts of problems with it fairly shortly as everybody seems to be
getting it "free" with a new PC for Xmas. Knowing how it is a resource
hog and dodgy it is to install / remove I had to put it on a fairly
high end PC instead of my regular test PC, I also needed to test
various FTPs and Servers so I needed a fairly good test bed.

As a matter of interest it was no better than 2005 just had even more
crud jammed into it and the "antispyware" element is hopeless.

Cleverly I did a full image of the C Drive before installation so I
could get NIS out after testing without problems.

Stupidly when I used the image to restore I used the image for my
regular test PC not the machine I was actually restoring. Results of
this were predictably disasterous.

OK stop laughing now.

I got it all running again eventually on the correct image but had to
do some serious tweaking to get it running. It is however and not
suprisingly a bit on the sickly side, network lock ups, crashing,
freezing for long periods and spurious annoyances.

I know I should bin it and re-install XP from scratch but before I
spend 3 days of my time restoring it and swapping machines about to
cover while its off line I want to try a repair install from another
XP Disk?

The original XP Installation for this PC is a XP Home SP1 Upgrade disk
and I cannot do a repair install from it. I need to use a XP SP2 disk
from one of my other PCs to do a repair install then revert to the XP
Home licence key,

Can I do this for an upgrade installation or do have to do it the hard
way?

Anyway it shows how solid XP can be, that machine has been running
solid for about 4 years with never a glitch or a problem despite
serious abuse over the years and only died when I did the equivalent
of smacking it to death with a big hammer.

TIA

Jonah

 

[Mike Fields]

[stuff snipped that sounds like something I would have done ... ]

The original XP Installation for this PC is a XP Home SP1 Upgrade disk
and I cannot do a repair install from it. I need to use a XP SP2 disk
from one of my other PCs to do a repair install then revert to the XP
Home licence key,

Can I do this for an upgrade installation or do have to do it the hard
way?

Anyway it shows how solid XP can be, that machine has been running
solid for about 4 years with never a glitch or a problem despite
serious abuse over the years and only died when I did the equivalent
of smacking it to death with a big hammer.

TIA

Jonah

I believe the answer is that you can only use a disk from the
same "family" (for lack of a better term without my coffee).
You can't combine home and pro for example or an
upgrade and a full install. It is OK to reinstall xppro from
a xp-pro SP2 disk when the initial was a xp-pro with no
service pack as long as they were both full retail for example.
You might want to investigate "slipstreaming" as a way to
create a new version of your upgrade disk with SP2
installed on it. Not sure if that would work, but check out
http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp2_cd.htm
and see if that helps your.

mikey

 

[jonah]

[stuff snipped that sounds like something I would have done ... ]

The original XP Installation for this PC is a XP Home SP1 Upgrade disk
and I cannot do a repair install from it. I need to use a XP SP2 disk
from one of my other PCs to do a repair install then revert to the XP
Home licence key,

Can I do this for an upgrade installation or do have to do it the hard
way?

Anyway it shows how solid XP can be, that machine has been running
solid for about 4 years with never a glitch or a problem despite
serious abuse over the years and only died when I did the equivalent
of smacking it to death with a big hammer.

TIA

Jonah

I believe the answer is that you can only use a disk from the
same "family" (for lack of a better term without my coffee).
You can't combine home and pro for example or an
upgrade and a full install. It is OK to reinstall xppro from
a xp-pro SP2 disk when the initial was a xp-pro with no
service pack as long as they were both full retail for example.
You might want to investigate "slipstreaming" as a way to
create a new version of your upgrade disk with SP2
installed on it. Not sure if that would work, but check out
http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp2_cd.htm
and see if that helps your.

mikey

Yeah ta Mike I thought it would not be as easy as it looks. I never
thought of making a slipstream disk I will try it, if it does not work
I am no worse off anyway. It will be interesting to see if I can get
round the "upgrade disk" problem this way. I have had a virgin copy of
XP Pro SP2 for about a year now so I guess I can always dust it off if
all else fails.

Ta

Jonah

 

[Plato]

I made a bit of a stupid error re-installing a backup image of a
networked PC C Drive. I was testing NIS 2006 on a spare machine for a

Do NOT use NIS if it is creating problems with your life.

 

[Mike Fields]

a

Do NOT use NIS if it is creating problems with your life.

In this case, NIS was NOT the problem -- operator was suffering
from HIFD (Hole In Foot Disease) and blew the restore when
removing NIS from his machine and restoring the machine back
to being useful ... (sounds like something I have done ... )

mikey

 

[jonah]

Do NOT use NIS if it is creating problems with your life.

No shit Plato!

you're missing the point a bit here, I only installed the thing to
have a look at it. Most of my business comes from new PC owners and
small businesses that get Norton installed when they buy a PC then
find the promised "support" is a joke. Mostly newbie mail order
customers buying cheap PC packages on-line and finding windows updates
don't work or something.

I need to check NIS out cos I guarantee 50% of all my calls will be
Norton related foul ups, very busy period coming up soon.

My standard fix is to advise getting rid of it and installing NOD 32
or AVG (for the cheapskates) and ZA or even Agnitum Outpost which I
like myself, however if the customer is determined against advice to
keep the thing I have to fix it and it does help if I don't look
totally baffled.

It certainly does not cause problems with my life I love Norton stuff,
long may they continue to foist it on the masses, I have already got
my 2006 VFR 800 ordered and I will have enough to pay for it by March
when it arrives.



Jonah

 

[jonah]

In this case, NIS was NOT the problem -- operator was suffering
from HIFD (Hole In Foot Disease) and blew the restore when
removing NIS from his machine and restoring the machine back
to being useful ... (sounds like something I have done ... )

mikey

"HIFD"

So that's what you call it? I muttered "oh dearie me" under my breath
a couple of times.

"(sounds like something I have done ... )"

Really? Tell me more.

BTW I appear to have fixed it by un-installing as much as I could then
running every registry fixer / malware scanner known to man after
which I restored the correct image again. Its been fine for 24 hours
now - fingers crossed.



Jonah