Aborting Repair Install

[Tuner]

I boneheadedly started a repair install on an XP-Pro box with an XP-Home CD.
When it came time to enter the license code, the XP-Pro license number was
not accepted (obviously). That's when I read the sticker more closely.

Now, there does not appear to be a way to "start over" with the repair
install using the correct CD. Rebooting just takes me back the middle of
the install.

I can get into recovery console, but not safe mode.

I've tried renaming the boot.ini file, then running a bootcfg /rebuild, but
no dice. Attempting to boot just takes me to a black screen with a movable
mouse cursor.

The data is all there and I can easily back that up by hooking the drive to
another computer, but I'd like to avoid formatting, installing fresh &
reinstalling all of the apps if I can.

Is there any way to start over here?

Thanks!

Tuner

 

[Poprivet]

I boneheadedly started a repair install on an XP-Pro box with an
XP-Home CD. When it came time to enter the license code, the XP-Pro
license number was not accepted (obviously). That's when I read the
sticker more closely.
Now, there does not appear to be a way to "start over" with the repair
install using the correct CD. Rebooting just takes me back the
middle of the install.

I can get into recovery console, but not safe mode.

I've tried renaming the boot.ini file, then running a bootcfg
/rebuild, but no dice. Attempting to boot just takes me to a black
screen with a movable mouse cursor.

The data is all there and I can easily back that up by hooking the
drive to another computer, but I'd like to avoid formatting,
installing fresh & reinstalling all of the apps if I can.

Is there any way to start over here?

Thanks!

Tuner

There seems to be a rash of that happening here lately. I'm afraid you're
stuck. About all you can do is let the initialized repair complete itself
and then go on from there. Repeat the process, but be sure to use the right
CD this time <g>.

Besides, I'm sure you've backed up appropriately, right? So rebuilding
won't really lose that much, right? I hope. If you don't have backups,
prehaps now is the time to think more about the process and how to implement
it.

HTH
Pop`

 

[Tuner]

Thanks, Pop.

I could not get the original repair install to continue (I probably
shouldn't have run the bootcfg /rebuild), so I ended up backing up the data,
and doing a fresh install. Live & learn. Next time, I'll RTFS.

Thx,

Tuner