Reinstall with no CD

  • Thread starter Thread starter Charlie
  • Start date Start date
C

Charlie

A friend has a PC with XP Pro. He does not have an installation CD, but we
have the original Product Key on the label.

This box has several severe problems. I am sure it is infected with all
sorts of trash.

Right now Control Panel will not open
My Computer will not open.
I have not been able to get to Safe Mode

Etc. etc.

What I would like to be able to do is use a WIN 98 startup diskette and
reformat the C: drive and then reinstall XP.

But there is no CD. He got this PC as a hand me down from a family member.

I have an XP install CD that is for a different machine.

Is there a way to work this problem?

Charlie
 
If you both have the same version of XP (OEM or Retail), you could make a
copy of the WXP CD for your friend, it would work with his own Product Key.
He could use the CD to format the drive prior to the installation, no need
to use the W98 startup diskette.
 
Charlie said:
A friend has a PC with XP Pro. He does not have an installation CD, but we
have the original Product Key on the label.

This box has several severe problems. I am sure it is infected with all
sorts of trash.

Right now Control Panel will not open
My Computer will not open.
I have not been able to get to Safe Mode

Etc. etc.

What I would like to be able to do is use a WIN 98 startup diskette and
reformat the C: drive and then reinstall XP.

But there is no CD. He got this PC as a hand me down from a family member.

I have an XP install CD that is for a different machine.

Is there a way to work this problem?

Charlie
Click to expand...

Is this an HP/Dell/Gateway, some kind of pre-built box ?
Some of those have a recovery partition, which can be used
to blow away the C: drive and return it to factory condition.
There is a certain key you press, during startup, to bring
up the tool that erases C: and starts over.

If the hard drive was replaced, or if someone was careless
with partitioning software and the like, the recovery
partition could be gone. That is why, the manual would
recommend burning a recovery CD from that partition,
as soon as the computer is purchased. If there is ever
a problem with the recovery partition, then you want
the recovery CD you've burned, as an alternative means of
getting the machine back to the factory state.

Paul
 
Sounds interesting but it does not tell you how to start ASR backup or ASR
restore. How are they done?

Jeff
 
Thank you.

Is this any better than making an image backup using Acronis True Image?

I use acronis and have restored the system several times using these
backups. Is ASR better in some way?

Jeff
 
Thank you.

Is this any better than making an image backup using Acronis True Image?

I use acronis and have restored the system several times using these
backups. Is ASR better in some way?
Click to expand...


No, Acronis True Image is considerably better.
 
I guess it depends on what you understand by better; ASR recovers and
reinstalls the system to like new installed condition, but you would have to
bakup documents and settings separately,.. while an image can restore
everything you had at the moment you created it, including programs,
updates, configurations, even files if you included them in the image... but
if the system was not running properly when you cloned the image, all the
bugs would be included when you restored it.

This article specifies the steps to begin an ASR.
Create an Automated System Recovery set using Backup
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc782027.aspx


----------------------------------------
 
Back
Top