Help!!!!

[Guest]

I have Xp with SP2 - I need to repair XP - but my Files are located on my
hard drive as I have a laptop with XP pre -installed. I really don't want to
start again as I have loads of software I don't want to lose. MIcrosoft won't
help as I didn't purchase software from them and My laptop provider won't
help without charging because I'm out of warranty, could anyone please help?

 

[Kerry Brown]

I have Xp with SP2 - I need to repair XP - but my Files are located on my
hard drive as I have a laptop with XP pre -installed. I really don't want
to
start again as I have loads of software I don't want to lose. MIcrosoft
won't
help as I didn't purchase software from them and My laptop provider won't
help without charging because I'm out of warranty, could anyone please
help?

Martin

If you can locate a CD with the same version of XP as the one on your laptop
you may be able to use that CD and your product ID key to do a repair
install. It doesn't have to be from the same manufacturer but it does have
to be an OEM version the same i.e. Home or Professional. If you have
installed SP2 you would need a CD slipstreamed with SP2. Note: if it doesn't
work you may be worse off than you are now. If it won't accept your key you
won't be able to activate Windows. You will have 30 days to save your data
and restore the pre-installed setup. Trying this is a last resort option.

Kerry

 

[Mike Hall \(MS-MVP\)]

Kerry

In the case of a laptop, it is vitally important to use the correct CD.. you
can't just use any OEM CD as long as it is the same version of XP.. specific
drivers for the make and model of laptop will not be present and could well
render the unit completely useless.. in many cases, OEM CDs are tied to a
specific manufacturer configuration..

--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/user

 

[Mike Hall \(MS-MVP\)]

Martin

Re. 'loads of software I don't want to lose'.. presumably you have some way
of installing them again.. if downloaded from the internet, they would be in
zip files, yes?.. or you have original installation material?.. documents et
al generated by you can be easily saved to CD, as can zip files..

How much does the vendor want for helping?.. what is it worth to save 'loads
of software'?..

 

[Kerry Brown]

Kerry

In the case of a laptop, it is vitally important to use the correct CD..
you can't just use any OEM CD as long as it is the same version of XP..
specific drivers for the make and model of laptop will not be present and
could well render the unit completely useless.. in many cases, OEM CDs are
tied to a specific manufacturer configuration..

Notice I said this was a last resort option. I have successfully done this
with laptops and I have also had it fail. It has never failed
catastrophically for me. I have always been able to make it work well enough
that I could download the needed drivers and get it working properly.
Although I have seen many OEM "restore" CD's tied to the BIOS or
motherboard, I haven't seen an OEM Windows "install" CD tied to a particular
BIOS or motherboard. I'm sure they exist but I've never come across one so
they must be relatively rare.

Kerry