big stupid mistake

[GS]

late last night, I need to repair a WXP Pro PC which has some drive letter
fouled up after addition of hard drives and installation of XP 64 on another
partiton..

thinking it would be quiker and clean to repair with a CD that has SP 2
integrated, I started that repair. Now I realized too late, that is an OEM
CD! I left the PC at the prompt for product ID as I don't have that product
code.

Waht can I do at this point so I can use the proper CD and still apply
repair or ?update? with the original CD so I can enter the proper Product ID

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Is the correct CD retail?
The OEM installation will not accept a retail key.
Insert the correct CD, reboot and restart the Repair Installation.

 

[GS]

No, the correct CD is action pack.. So If I insert the correct action pack
CD, will I be able to start repair like you said and still keep the existing
programs, settings prior to repair?

The most critical setting is the Outlook Express access to private
newsgroup. although I had record of the most recent server ID and passwords
on the server and Outlook, I did not keep a paper copy. that is usually
safe until recent unfortunate rare events of server corruption and this PC
troubles.


I had seen one incident of lost prior program settings and SID... during
retry. however, I can not tell how the repair process was started.

 

[databaseben]

repair fixes those corrupted system files pertaining only to the windows
program. Everything else is left in tact and operational.....

 

[GS]

great. thx

repair fixes those corrupted system files pertaining only to the windows
program. Everything else is left in tact and operational.....

 

[GS]

ooops, the original CD could not handle the security setup ending up in
fatal error:


IIS security and something about could not set up the catalog.


(Please pardon my typo, I tried the best I can to proof read, but my OE that
I am using is on a guest PC that does not have office nor word. the spellng
is presently greyed out)

 

[GS]

I tried again and again. On second time, I was able to get past Unknow...
not found UAP35.sys ( I pressed ignore/cancel, could not remember which).
Eventually repair finished and I boot into the XP Pro, hard drive letters
are now in the right order and the system is referencing c:\program files

what a relieve.



Thanks, DataBaseBen.

BTW for those want to know, XPPro with XP64, is capable of booting into XP
Pro on the first logical drive of extended partiion. However I won't count
on it as it is agaisnt the general rule of using primary partition for OS,
esp for OS prior to XP.

 

[databaseben]

glad to help...

but i would do a little research into those hurdles encountered by your
repair. They could be an issue that is causing your windows not to run like
a roles royce, but a clunker from cuba....