Windows XP Service Pack 2 install ABENDS

[no_name]

I tried to install XP Service Pack 2 on my laptop. The installation
abends with the error message:

Windows XP Service Pack 2 cannot install.
The product key used to install Micrisoft Windows may not be valid.

I'm pretty sure this is because the the pre-installed OS appears to be
XP Professional, while the product key label on the bottom is for
Windows XP Home. It's a valid product key according to Microsoft's "How
to tell" website, it's just not the product actually installed.

This is a refurbished IBM Thinkpad R31. I'm pretty sure it was wiped
during refurb & a generic copy of XP installed. By whom I haven't a clue.

The vendor is useless. Good prices, but support for a 1-1/2 year old
$750 laptop is just not there.

So what I'm looking for is some answers for my options.

If I buy a retail XP Pro w/SP2 (full product), can I install it without
wiping the hard drive? I don't care about saving the existing OS, but
I've got 20 Gigs worth of my own files & programs on there I'd rather
not screw up.

A couple of the programs are simply no longer available, and I don't
have disks for them, but I still use them regularly.

Will the built in backup tool recognize a USB hard-drive as a backup
device? What backup options should I choose? And will the programs and
data restore after the OS is updated?

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Purchase a conventional "Full Version" of
Windows XP Professional and perform a
"Repair Install".

How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| I tried to install XP Service Pack 2 on my laptop. The installation
| abends with the error message:
|
| Windows XP Service Pack 2 cannot install.
| The product key used to install Micrisoft Windows may not be valid.
|
| I'm pretty sure this is because the the pre-installed OS appears to be
| XP Professional, while the product key label on the bottom is for
| Windows XP Home. It's a valid product key according to Microsoft's "How
| to tell" website, it's just not the product actually installed.
|
| This is a refurbished IBM Thinkpad R31. I'm pretty sure it was wiped
| during refurb & a generic copy of XP installed. By whom I haven't a clue.
|
| The vendor is useless. Good prices, but support for a 1-1/2 year old
| $750 laptop is just not there.
|
| So what I'm looking for is some answers for my options.
|
| If I buy a retail XP Pro w/SP2 (full product), can I install it without
| wiping the hard drive? I don't care about saving the existing OS, but
| I've got 20 Gigs worth of my own files & programs on there I'd rather
| not screw up.
|
| A couple of the programs are simply no longer available, and I don't
| have disks for them, but I still use them regularly.
|
| Will the built in backup tool recognize a USB hard-drive as a backup
| device? What backup options should I choose? And will the programs and
| data restore after the OS is updated?

 

[Steve N.]

I tried to install XP Service Pack 2 on my laptop. The installation
abends with the error message:

Windows XP Service Pack 2 cannot install.
The product key used to install Micrisoft Windows may not be valid.

I'm pretty sure this is because the the pre-installed OS appears to be
XP Professional, while the product key label on the bottom is for
Windows XP Home. It's a valid product key according to Microsoft's "How
to tell" website, it's just not the product actually installed.

There are tools to determine the PID used to install the OS, Everest
Home is one:

http://www.lavalys.com

Then you can determine that status of the key used.

This is a refurbished IBM Thinkpad R31. I'm pretty sure it was wiped
during refurb & a generic copy of XP installed. By whom I haven't a clue.

The vendor is useless. Good prices, but support for a 1-1/2 year old
$750 laptop is just not there.

So what I'm looking for is some answers for my options.

If I buy a retail XP Pro w/SP2 (full product), can I install it without
wiping the hard drive? I don't care about saving the existing OS, but
I've got 20 Gigs worth of my own files & programs on there I'd rather
not screw up.

You can do a repair install:

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

A couple of the programs are simply no longer available, and I don't
have disks for them, but I still use them regularly.

Will the built in backup tool recognize a USB hard-drive as a backup
device?

Yes, it should.

What backup options should I choose?

Full backup.

And will the programs and
data restore after the OS is updated?

If you perform a successful repair install a restore from backup should
not be necessary.

Steve N.

 

[no_name]

There are tools to determine the PID used to install the OS, Everest
Home is one:

http://www.lavalys.com

Then you can determine that status of the key used.

It just occurred to me, could this also tell me whether the version
actually installed is an OEM or retail version?

If it turns out not to be OEM, I might be able to get by with the
upgrade version.