repair install?

[espee2]

I'm running XP home SP3. I need to do a repair install. I heard you
can borrow a disc for that. Will it work with a borrowed "upgrade"
disc? (mine was a full OEM with XP2, backup oem is corrupted) if so
will it ask for a KEY? if so do I give it my current KEY or the KEY of
the disc I'm using. Will it even work, as it is an older XP home
before sp2 even. I went downtown and nobody has new XP discs except
one place had XP Pro for $200. I'm not that desperate I can wait to
order Home for cheaper...

 

[GTS]

I'm running XP home SP3. I need to do a repair install. I heard you
can borrow a disc for that. Will it work with a borrowed "upgrade"
disc? (mine was a full OEM with XP2, backup oem is corrupted) if so
will it ask for a KEY? if so do I give it my current KEY or the KEY of
the disc I'm using. Will it even work, as it is an older XP home
before sp2 even. I went downtown and nobody has new XP discs except
one place had XP Pro for $200. I'm not that desperate I can wait to
order Home for cheaper...

It will work if the borrowed disk is the right type, i.e. if your is a
generic OEM, you need to use a generic OEM. A retail or customized OEM
(e.g. a Dell on a non-Dell) might not work.

 

[espee2]

It will work if the borrowed disk is the right type, i.e. if your is a
generic OEM, you need to use a generic OEM.  A retail or customized OEM
(e.g. a Dell on a non-Dell) might not work.

I have an HP it came with XP Home sp2 (OEM) I have upgraded to SP3.
The borrowed disc is a genuine MS XP Home 'upgrade' disc and I believe
it is pre SP2... what about the KEY? do I enter my existing KEY or the
KEY of the disc I'm doing the repair with?

 

[Bob]

Hello,
You didn't state what the condition of the PC was, but assuming it
is not running properly and you need to do a "refresh" install to try and fix
the problems, you can do so with your existing XP Home SP2 disk. It would be
best to use a SP3 disk since your computer is running SP3, but you can still
use your old disk. I wouldn't recommend using anything earlier than SP2
though. Make sure you have previously download and saved the SP3 file from
the mircosoft website so you can re-upgrade your system right away to SP3
after the repair because it will restore your system back to SP2 status once
you do the fix. Make sure you set your Bios to boot off the CD drive as first
drive selected so it will directly go to the install CD upon bootup. I've
never used the recovery console stuff so I can't help you there, but I have
done many repairs by selecting to install Windows XP from the menu, and then
after the install program searches for existing installations of Windows, it
will ask you if you want to repair the existing installation, and you select
"R" to repair. It will delete the old system files and install all the new
system files, and once all the work is done and it reboots and finished up
the process, it will then reboot again into the hard drive. Once Windows
starts to boot, it will pop up a windows telling you that you have to
reactivate your windows system before you can log on. Enter your old
activation code in the boxes showing, and IF you have a connection to the
internet, it will automatically activate windows and log you on. Then you can
reinstall your SP3 file, and then let windows update download and install the
remaining patches and security fixes for you. IF you don't have internet
access at that activation screen, which you probably won't, then you enter in
your country at the top, call the phone number given, and then be ready to
copy in the activation numbers given you by the automated system. Good
luck!!!!

Bob

 

[db]

you can always try the
repair install with a
borrowed disk.

if it works great.

if not, then nothing
lost.

however, keep in mind
that a repair installation
cannot be done with a
computer that has a
different version than
the xp cd.

you would have to go
to add/remove and
uninstall the sp3 update
which will revert your
system to sp2.

then you can use a xp
sp2 cd to initiate a repair
install.

if you uninstall the sp3 update
via add/remove programs,

your system will revert to
the version it use to be.

this process will basically
reinstall your original files
and restore your computer
to the state it was prior to
installing sp3.

there will be a listing of
programs that were installed
after sp3 but you can proceed
to have those uninstalled as
well, since they were intertwined
with sp3.

the above may be an
option if you think your
sp3 system files have
become corrupted or
unstable.

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

another method you can
try with the help of your
friends computer is to
create a custom xp cd
that is sp3.

the process is called
slip streaming and it
basically entails merging
the sp2 files from a cd
with the sp3 update that
can be downloaded from
microsoft.

slipstreaming the above
will create a new xp sp3
which can then be used to do
a repair install on a pc that
has been updated to sp3.

the other option is to
go ahead and purchase
a retail copy of xp and
replace your oem.

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

in conclusion, it is unclear if the
former state of the pc was
stable to begin with and maybe
your compounded an issue
when you installed sp3.


--

db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
DatabaseBen, Retired Professional
- Systems Analyst
- Database Developer
- Accountancy
- Veteran of the Armed Forces
- Microsoft Partner
- @hotmail.com
~~~~~~~~~~"share the nirvana" - dbZen

 

[GTS]

I have an HP it came with XP Home sp2 (OEM) I have upgraded to SP3.
The borrowed disc is a genuine MS XP Home 'upgrade' disc and I believe
it is pre SP2... what about the KEY? do I enter my existing KEY or the
KEY of the disc I'm doing the repair with?
--

If the borrowed disk is also an OEM version you can use it and should enter
the your existing key. If it is a retail version, it will not accept your
key and it is best not to try it as you'll end up stuck with with an
unfinished install.

 

[espee2]

Thanks all... I was able to burn a set of discs using the "create a
backup dvd" utility, (wasn't able to before, got a "encountered a
problem and needs to close" error and assumed it too was messed up) so
if that works everything is fine... I'm gonna do a full reinstall and
start from scratch. if not it's off to Compuserve for that copy of XP
Pro ($200, shopped around and that's a pretty good deal after all)

 

[Bennett Marco]

hanks all... I was able to burn a set of discs using the "create a
backup dvd" utility, (wasn't able to before, got a "encountered a
problem and needs to close" error and assumed it too was messed up) so
if that works everything is fine... I'm gonna do a full reinstall and
start from scratch. if not it's off to Compuserve for that copy of XP
Pro ($200, shopped around and that's a pretty good deal after all)

I'll sell you copies of XP Pro all day long at that price with FREE
shipping.

http://www.royaldiscount.com/miwixpprofuv.html

They're legit. My copy of Vista came from there.

 

[espee2]

I'll sell you copies of XP Pro all day long at that price with FREE
shipping.

http://www.royaldiscount.com/miwixpprofuv.html

They're legit.  My copy of Vista came from there.

MS Xp -OEM- no thanks, I'm not savey enough for that.

 

[Bennett Marco]

MS Xp -OEM- no thanks, I'm not savey enough for that.

HUH? It's no different than other versions, except it's less
expensive.

 

[Daave]

Thanks all... I was able to burn a set of discs using the "create a
backup dvd" utility, (wasn't able to before, got a "encountered a
problem and needs to close" error and assumed it too was messed up) so
if that works everything is fine... I'm gonna do a full reinstall and
start from scratch. if not it's off to Compuserve for that copy of XP
Pro ($200, shopped around and that's a pretty good deal after all)

XP Pro is no longer available from retailers, although there are still
old copies lying around.

As long as you plan on using XP Pro on just one PC without ever
transferring it to another PC, the Retail version (which permits you to
transfer by the license) is totally unnecessary. The Generic OEM version
(which can only be used on one PC, period) makes a whole lot more sense.
The only difference between Retail and generic OEM (also known as System
Builder's) is the license and price. That's it. New Egg sells the
current OEM version of XP Pro:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116515

Sixty dollars cheaper than what you found!

Furthermore, most home users don't need anything more than XP Home
(which is almost identical anyway to XP Pro). Here is the link for XP
Home:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116511

$89.99.

Finally. You may not have to purchase a disk at all! The reason: you
*still* have a license to run XP on that PC; there is no reason to
purchase another license!

In your first post, you stated, "I heard you can borrow a disc for that
("that" meaning performing a clean or repair install)." That is
absolutley correct. You just need to make sure it matches what you have
(which admittedly may not be that easy to find, depending on your circle
of acquaintenances): a generic OEM CD of XP Home, preferably at SP3 (but
earlier service packs would work too; but you would need some guidance
if you plan on performing a repair install. However a Clean Install
would present no problems with regard to SP level.). Just make sure you
use the product key that is on the Certificate of Authenticity sticker
on your PC if you borrow a CD (in the event that doesn't work you would
need to use the generic master key provided by the PC manufacturer,
easily determined by a Google search). If you purchase a CD, you might
as well use the product key that comes with it.

 

[Daave]

XP Pro is no longer available from retailers, although there are still
old copies lying around.

As long as you plan on using XP Pro on just one PC without ever
transferring it to another PC, the Retail version (which permits you
to transfer by the license) is totally unnecessary. The Generic OEM
version (which can only be used on one PC, period) makes a whole lot
more sense. The only difference between Retail and generic OEM (also
known as System Builder's) is the license and price. That's it. New
Egg sells the current OEM version of XP Pro:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116515

Sixty dollars cheaper than what you found!

Furthermore, most home users don't need anything more than XP Home
(which is almost identical anyway to XP Pro). Here is the link for XP
Home:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116511

$89.99.

Finally. You may not have to purchase a disk at all! The reason: you
*still* have a license to run XP on that PC; there is no reason to
purchase another license!

In your first post, you stated, "I heard you can borrow a disc for
that ("that" meaning performing a clean or repair install)." That is
absolutley correct. You just need to make sure it matches what you
have (which admittedly may not be that easy to find, depending on
your circle of acquaintenances): a generic OEM CD of XP Home,
preferably at SP3 (but earlier service packs would work too; but you
would need some guidance if you plan on performing a repair install.
However a Clean Install would present no problems with regard to SP
level.). Just make sure you use the product key that is on the
Certificate of Authenticity sticker on your PC if you borrow a CD (in
the event that doesn't work you would need to use the generic master
key provided by the PC manufacturer, easily determined by a Google
search). If you purchase a CD, you might as well use the product key
that comes with it.

Addendum:

I don't know what your PC's issue is or whether or not a Repair Install
would work, but if you plan on performing a Clean Install (actually, its
equivalent -- laying down a fresh install with the recovery DVD you were
able to create), you won't need the XP CD at all. (Then again, they are
always useful to have, anyway, for instance, if you really do need to
perform a Repair Install.) If the recovery DVD is faulty in some way, an
alternative is to purchase the recovery CD or DVD for your specific PC
from a place like this:

http://www.restoredisks.com/

P.S. The borrowed disk you mentioned in your second post won't work
because it is the wrong type (Update, which is Retail -- rather thatn
OEM). If you were savvy enough, you might be able to create the correct
version, however:

http://www.thetechguide.com/howto/setuppini.html

Or you could just tell us what your specific problem is, which might
surprisingly have a much quicker and easier solution that doesn't
involve a Clean or Repair install!

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Daave wrote:

I disagree, and the reason is your first clause in the first sentence
above. Even if you don't plan to use it on another computer, it can
happen.

I strongly recommend the Retail Upgrade, not the Retail Full, and not
the OEM version. Although if you get a complete generic OEM version,
it contains the same software, its license ties it permanently to the
first computer it's installed on. It can never legally be moved to
another computer, sold, or given away (except with the original
computer). That means that if the computer dies, your Windows license
dies too. The Retail Upgrade is usually around the same price as, or
only slightly more expensive than, the OEM version.

The reason I recommend the Retail Upgrade over the Full is that it's
much cheaper and the requirement to use an upgrade version is to *own*
a previous qualifying version's installation CD, not to have it
installed. When setup doesn't find a previous qualifying version
installed, it will prompt you to insert its CD as proof of ownership.
Just insert the previous version's CD, and follow the prompts.
Everything proceeds quite normally and quite legitimately.

Most people already own a previous qualifying version, but worst case
if you don't, you can inexpensively buy a copy of Windows 98 someplace
like eBay.

 

[Daave]

I disagree, and the reason is your first clause in the first sentence
above. Even if you don't plan to use it on another computer, it can
happen.

I strongly recommend the Retail Upgrade, not the Retail Full, and not
the OEM version. Although if you get a complete generic OEM version,
it contains the same software, its license ties it permanently to the
first computer it's installed on. It can never legally be moved to
another computer, sold, or given away (except with the original
computer). That means that if the computer dies, your Windows license
dies too. The Retail Upgrade is usually around the same price as, or
only slightly more expensive than, the OEM version.

The reason I recommend the Retail Upgrade over the Full is that it's
much cheaper and the requirement to use an upgrade version is to *own*
a previous qualifying version's installation CD, not to have it
installed. When setup doesn't find a previous qualifying version
installed, it will prompt you to insert its CD as proof of ownership.
Just insert the previous version's CD, and follow the prompts.
Everything proceeds quite normally and quite legitimately.

Most people already own a previous qualifying version, but worst case
if you don't, you can inexpensively buy a copy of Windows 98 someplace
like eBay.

Well, make sure it's a Retail version of Windows 98! (And make sure the
selelr is reputable.) Otherwise, the EULA won't allow what you propose,
and you'd be better off purchasing the Full, rather than Upgrade version
of XP. Also, add the costs of the Full, Retail version of Windows 98
and the Upgrade, Retail version of Windows XP and compare it to the
price of the Full, Retail version of Windows XP. And since the Retail
version of XP is no longer available from retailers such as Newegg, make
sure whomever is selling you the Retail (Full *or* Upgrade) version of
XP is reputable. Personally, if I am 99.9% sure I would never install
that XP on another PC (especially now that Windows 7 is right around the
corner), I would *definitely* go with the OEM version of XP Home. It's
still available from retailers such as New Egg, and the chance of
obtaining bad merchandise from disreputable dealers disappears.

 

[Daave]

Well, make sure it's a Retail version of Windows 98! (And make sure
the selelr is reputable.)

Oh, and the *seller* needs to reputable as well as the selelr.

 

[db]

I don't think it makes
a difference if win98
or win95 needs to
come from a reputable
seller.

the anti piracy features
are not engineered into
the older versions.

so in affect any straight
copy of an old version
will validate the setup
requirements for the
upgrades.

the same applies to
office upgrade.

any old office 97
can be used to validate
the upgrades.

--

db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
DatabaseBen, Retired Professional
- Systems Analyst
- Database Developer
- Accountancy
- Veteran of the Armed Forces
- Microsoft Partner
- @hotmail.com
~~~~~~~~~~"share the nirvana" - dbZen

 

[espee2]

Problem solved... nuf said

I don't think it makes
a difference if win98
or win95 needs to
come from a reputable
seller.

the anti piracy features
are not engineered into
the older versions.

so in affect any straight
copy of an old version
will validate the setup
requirements for the
upgrades.

the same applies to
office upgrade.

any old office 97
can be used to validate
the upgrades.

--

db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
DatabaseBen, Retired Professional
 - Systems Analyst
 - Database Developer
 - Accountancy
 - Veteran of the Armed Forces
 - Microsoft Partner
-  @hotmail.com
~~~~~~~~~~"share the nirvana" - dbZen