Repair (Not Recovery console) is not available on OEM XP Home?

[Oran MEIR]

I found that there is no option to choose "R" to Repair Windows XP Home
(OEM). the option is not available. Can somene tell me if that true? if
so, what should customer do when he need to do a repair?

Btw, i am not talking about the "Recovery Console". i just want that
windows will copy again all the files, etc.

Thanks

 

[Chas]

I found that there is no option to choose "R" to Repair Windows XP Home
(OEM). the option is not available. Can somene tell me if that true? if
so, what should customer do when he need to do a repair?

Btw, i am not talking about the "Recovery Console". i just want that
windows will copy again all the files, etc.

Thanks

Hi
Look here
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm
See Warning!!#2
Chas

 

[Guest]

I don't believe the "Repair/install" is available on an MFG OEM CD!!

what is make of computer?

 

[Steve N.]

I found that there is no option to choose "R" to Repair Windows XP Home
(OEM). the option is not available. Can somene tell me if that true? if
so, what should customer do when he need to do a repair?

Btw, i am not talking about the "Recovery Console". i just want that
windows will copy again all the files, etc.

Thanks

Some OEM releases will only do a "clean" install. They are usually
labeled "Quick Recovery" or "Recovery" CD.

Steve N.

 

[Steve N.]

I don't believe the "Repair/install" is available on an MFG OEM CD!!

what is make of computer?

It's certainly getting that way. We bought a batch of PCs several months
ago that came with nearly generic OEM CDs (only diffference was the
manufacturer put their url as the default home page in IE). We just
bought another batch from them and they ship only with a "Recovery" CD
now. They aren't even a major OEM.

Steve N.

 

[Vanguard]

It's certainly getting that way. We bought a batch of PCs several months
ago that came with nearly generic OEM CDs (only diffference was the
manufacturer put their url as the default home page in IE). We just bought
another batch from them and they ship only with a "Recovery" CD now. They
aren't even a major OEM.

A "recovery" CD is not an installation CD. It contains a disk/partition
image that overwrites whatever is in the partition where you write that
image; i.e., the recovery puts you back to square one the way the host was
delivered or first setup. Data in that partition that gets "recovered" is
lost because the recovery is actually an overwrite.

It's been awhile but I recall doing a Repair from an OEM CD, but then it was
a Microsoft-branded retail OEM CD (i.e., you bought the Microsoft OEM CD
with qualifying hardware). It was not some custom or bastardized
brand-specific OEM CD, like with Dell. Even if the "recovery" CD were not
an image but an actual setup program, that doesn't mean it is the same setup
routine as provided by the Microsoft-branded install CDs. The OEM can screw
over the install anyway they want.

Make sure you are selecting the SECOND "R" option when booting from the
*install* CD. For example, in
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315341, in method 2,
make sure you press Enter at step 3 and not R. You need to get to the
second R selection mentioned in step 5.

 

[Steve N.]

A "recovery" CD is not an installation CD. It contains a disk/partition
image that overwrites whatever is in the partition where you write that
image; i.e., the recovery puts you back to square one the way the host
was delivered or first setup. Data in that partition that gets
"recovered" is lost because the recovery is actually an overwrite.

Yes, I understand that, but I have in my possession XP Pro OEM CDs that
are labeled "Quick Recovery CD" and others lableled "Recovery CD" that
do _not_ contain a drive image, rather they contain basically the same
folders and files as a normal OEM CD however setup will _only_ allow a
"clean" install, hoewever it is not what we normally call a "clean"
install since it does not format over an exisiting file system but
installs the OS to an alternate directory, such as windows.000. I've
seen it in action. There is no option but to re-install from such a CD,
no chance for a repair installation at all. As soon as you progress past
the point where you'd normally get the three choices of what you want to
do it just takes off and does it's thing.

Steve N.

 

[Vanguard]

Yes, I understand that, but I have in my possession XP Pro OEM CDs that
are labeled "Quick Recovery CD" and others lableled "Recovery CD" that do
_not_ contain a drive image, rather they contain basically the same
folders and files as a normal OEM CD however setup will _only_ allow a
"clean" install, hoewever it is not what we normally call a "clean"
install since it does not format over an exisiting file system but
installs the OS to an alternate directory, such as windows.000.

That's why I mentioned that a vendor-branded (and not a Microsoft-branded)
that "The OEM can screw over the install anyway they want." If I get OEM
versions, I make sure they are Microsoft-branded OEM versions, not Dell,
Gateway, eMachine, or some other non-Microsoft branded OEM version. Even
within the same vendor they can change how one recovery CD works for one
model than the recovery CD for a different model, and some like to BIOS-lock
their OEM versions, too. If I install Windows, I want Microsoft's version,
not Dell's version of Microsoft's OS.

 

[Steve N.]

That's why I mentioned that a vendor-branded (and not a
Microsoft-branded) that "The OEM can screw over the install anyway they
want." If I get OEM versions, I make sure they are Microsoft-branded
OEM versions, not Dell, Gateway, eMachine, or some other non-Microsoft
branded OEM version. Even within the same vendor they can change how
one recovery CD works for one model than the recovery CD for a different
model, and some like to BIOS-lock their OEM versions, too. If I install
Windows, I want Microsoft's version, not Dell's version of Microsoft's OS.

I completely agree. In one case the vendor was supplying the MS branded
CDs then switched without warning. Fortunately we have enough MS branded
CDs that it doesn't much matter.

Steve N.

 

[Rock]

I found that there is no option to choose "R" to Repair Windows XP Home
(OEM). the option is not available. Can somene tell me if that true? if
so, what should customer do when he need to do a repair?

Btw, i am not talking about the "Recovery Console". i just want that
windows will copy again all the files, etc.

Thanks

The OEM can set them up as they want. Unfortunately some don't include
the repair function. To find out how to repair/restore the computer
contact the computer manufacturer's tech support.

 

[Plato]

I found that there is no option to choose "R" to Repair Windows XP Home
(OEM). the option is not available. Can somene tell me if that true? if
so, what should customer do when he need to do a repair?

http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/repair_xp.htm
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=315341