Getting OUT of XP installation!

[Steve]

My XP home edition desktop, at home, was killed by a worm
recently, while I was overseas on business. My wife
attempted to "fix" it by booting from the CD and fixing
the installation. Unfortunately, she chose the wrong CD
(actually chose a XP Pro CD for my work laptop) and by
the time she was done, she was (unintentionally!)
installing XP Pro on my desktop. She attempted to put
the Product Key in when the wizard called for it, but it
comes back telling her it is not valid (I just got home,
read the key and what she put in . . . it's the same).

All I really want to do is get out of the installation
program that she got so deep into thinking she was doing
the right thing. I cannot find a "cancel" box to click,
anywhere. It seems that MS is determined to not allow a
cancellation of such processes . . . maybe they never
make mistakes at MS, but my wife made one and I
desparately need help getting out of it. Thanks! SLM

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

You would have better luck trying to unbake a cake.
You'll need to perform a "clean install" of XP Home.

Clean Install Windows XP
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

[Courtesy of MS-MVP Michael Stevens]

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

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


| My XP home edition desktop, at home, was killed by a worm
| recently, while I was overseas on business. My wife
| attempted to "fix" it by booting from the CD and fixing
| the installation. Unfortunately, she chose the wrong CD
| (actually chose a XP Pro CD for my work laptop) and by
| the time she was done, she was (unintentionally!)
| installing XP Pro on my desktop. She attempted to put
| the Product Key in when the wizard called for it, but it
| comes back telling her it is not valid (I just got home,
| read the key and what she put in . . . it's the same).
|
| All I really want to do is get out of the installation
| program that she got so deep into thinking she was doing
| the right thing. I cannot find a "cancel" box to click,
| anywhere. It seems that MS is determined to not allow a
| cancellation of such processes . . . maybe they never
| make mistakes at MS, but my wife made one and I
| desparately need help getting out of it. Thanks! SLM

 

[Steve]

-----Original Message-----
You would have better luck trying to unbake a cake.
You'll need to perform a "clean install" of XP Home.

Clean Install Windows XP
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

[Courtesy of MS-MVP Michael Stevens]

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

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


| My XP home edition desktop, at home, was killed by a worm
| recently, while I was overseas on business. My wife
| attempted to "fix" it by booting from the CD and fixing
| the installation. Unfortunately, she chose the wrong CD
| (actually chose a XP Pro CD for my work laptop) and by
| the time she was done, she was (unintentionally!)
| installing XP Pro on my desktop. She attempted to put
| the Product Key in when the wizard called for it, but it
| comes back telling her it is not valid (I just got home,
| read the key and what she put in . . . it's the same).
|
| All I really want to do is get out of the installation
| program that she got so deep into thinking she was doing
| the right thing. I cannot find a "cancel" box to click,
| anywhere. It seems that MS is determined to not allow a
| cancellation of such processes . . . maybe they never
| make mistakes at MS, but my wife made one and I
| desparately need help getting out of it. Thanks! SLM
.

 

[Steve]

I can't get out of the XP Pro install program . . . no
matter what I do, it comes back to the screen where it
wants to "continue installing". Surely, MS thought about
this type of problem when they develope a new OS . . . I
simply can't be the only person to whom this has
happened! Thanks, SLM

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Steve;
It is not so much they did not think of it as it is once the
installation has started, the Pro files started to replace the Home
files.
In many cases the files for Home are gone.
Stopping an installation is not a good idea since the computer will
have nothing complete to run.
Carey's analogy of unbaking a cake is very appropriate in this case.

It has happened before, the fix is still a Clean Installation

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/

I can't get out of the XP Pro install program . . . no
matter what I do, it comes back to the screen where it
wants to "continue installing". Surely, MS thought about
this type of problem when they develope a new OS . . . I
simply can't be the only person to whom this has
happened! Thanks, SLM

-----Original Message-----
You would have better luck trying to unbake a cake.
You'll need to perform a "clean install" of XP Home.

Clean Install Windows XP
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

[Courtesy of MS-MVP Michael Stevens]

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

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


| My XP home edition desktop, at home, was killed by a worm
| recently, while I was overseas on business. My wife
| attempted to "fix" it by booting from the CD and fixing
| the installation. Unfortunately, she chose the wrong CD
| (actually chose a XP Pro CD for my work laptop) and by
| the time she was done, she was (unintentionally!)
| installing XP Pro on my desktop. She attempted to put
| the Product Key in when the wizard called for it, but it
| comes back telling her it is not valid (I just got home,
| read the key and what she put in . . . it's the same).
|
| All I really want to do is get out of the installation
| program that she got so deep into thinking she was doing
| the right thing. I cannot find a "cancel" box to click,
| anywhere. It seems that MS is determined to not allow a
| cancellation of such processes . . . maybe they never
| make mistakes at MS, but my wife made one and I
| desparately need help getting out of it. Thanks! SLM
.