Repair Install

[JohnD]

I have a Compaq Evo notebook that I "inherited." Couple weeks ago on boot up
I got a message that Windows had recovered from a catastrophic failure and
did I want to advise Microsoft? So I did and got a Microsoft Online Crash
Analysis that advised me to run Windows Memory Diagnostic.

So I did that and it ran all night and came up with nothing.

The computer boots into XP Pro and runs, but I know it is not healthy
because I no longer have the desktop of shortcut icons that I used to have -
just a half dozen or so basic ones. Also. I am unable to restore to a date
before the crash. In fact I can't even restore to yesterday.

So, I'm thinking Repair Install and I have been reading previous posts on
the subject and I have downloaded Michael Stevens' instructions and I feel
confident I can do what is required. But I am still confused about the
Product Key.

The sticker on the bottom of the case contains a Product Key and BeLarc
gives me a Key and they are not the same.

This is obviously an OEM machine, but I got no Software Recovery CD's and no
XP CD with the machine.

I do have several XP Pro retail CD's that belong to other PC's that I have,
but their Keys have obviously been activated.

So, my question is: In view of the above, if I do a Repair Install using
one of my retail CD's, will I be able to activate and, if so, which Product
Key would I use?

 

[David B.]

You cannot do a repair install on an OEM installation with retail media.
The product key difference is perfectly normal for an OEM machine.
If you install one of your retail licenses on the laptop you'll have to
remove it from the PC it's currently on.

The solution to your problem is to beg/borrow/locate a Microsoft XP Pro OEM
cd und use it to perform the repair installation.

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Contact HP (Compaq) Support for instructions on how to use the hidden
Recovery/Restore partition.

 

[JohnD]

Thanks for thr advice, but this confuses me even more. I have been told by
others in posts to a different thread that the Product Key is not on an
install cd in any way, shape or form. So what difference does it make what
install cd I use as long as I key in the appropriate Product Key? How would
the activation process know what cd I actually used?

 

[Malke]

Thanks for thr advice, but this confuses me even more. I have been told
by others in posts to a different thread that the Product Key is not on an
install cd in any way, shape or form. So what difference does it make
what
install cd I use as long as I key in the appropriate Product Key? How
would the activation process know what cd I actually used?

The fact that the Product Key is not on the XP install CD has nothing to do
with the fact that you need the right installation media to go with your
Product Key. If you have an OEM machine, you need OEM installation media
(generic or branded). This is different in Vista, but you need the correct
installation media in XP.

Malke

 

[David B.]

The keys are not on the CD, but they are specific to the TYPE of media,
meaning you cannot use an OEM key with retail media, if you try a repair
install using your retail media with the OEM key from the Compaq, it will
tell you the key is not valid.

 

[Daave]

I have a Compaq Evo notebook that I "inherited." Couple weeks ago on
boot up
I got a message that Windows had recovered from a catastrophic failure
and
did I want to advise Microsoft? So I did and got a Microsoft Online
Crash
Analysis that advised me to run Windows Memory Diagnostic.

So I did that and it ran all night and came up with nothing.

Did you run it in Extended Mode?

The reason I ask is the same thing just happened here. I suspected the
memory might be faulty. I ran Memtest 86+ for over 7 hours (22 passes)
with no errors. I then ran Windows Memory Diagnostic overnight. Again,
no errors.

However when I ran WMG in Extended Mode, at the very end of third pass,
sure enough there were errors galore in the RAM module in the first
slot.

If this is a hardware issue, you need to be careful, It's possible to
damage your Windows installation. Save all your data!