Windows XP will not Start

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Are you you sure of the hardware thing? Are newegg and others doing
something illegal?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Description=Vista+OEM
No requirement for hardware that I see.

I have *heard* rumors that the requirement to buy hardware with OEM
copies had been lifted, but, no, I'm not sure.

The original requirement was either a whole computer, a motherboard,
or a hard drive, but that was weakened a number of years ago. Since
trivially inexpensive hardware, like a power cord, has recently
counted as fulfilling the requirement, it hardly matters whether the
requirement still exists.

 

[R. McCarty]

Just a couple of weeks ago I went by our Tiger Direct Outlet store to
pick up a few copies of OEM XP. Sure enough, I was informed that
I had to make a "Hardware" purchase to be able to buy OEM XP.
The counter agent told me they keep a box of inexpensive parts just
for OEM XP purchases. For the life of me, I can't remember what I
ended up buying - I think the validation hardware was a PATA-IDE
cable for ~$4.00. So at least from Tiger Direct the hardware purchase
is still valid & enforced.

 

[Ghostrider]

Removing EasyShare item from MSconfig would not have caused the problem you
are seeing. It is possible that your initial issues were related to a
hardware problem like a failing drive or bad sectors on the drive and the
fact that it doesn't boot now is simply coincidental to the removal of
EasyShare from MSConfig.

That is debatable. I always have had problems removing Kodak EasyShare
from computers and it is not just a straight removal from Startup but
also involves manual deletions from the Windows Registry. But it is very
much akin to a hardware problem since Kodak Easyshare tries to integrate
the Kodak digital camera, cdrom drive(s), its pictures folder, and an
Internet connection to Kodak for processing files to pictures. Talk about
being complicated. Sometimes it is just easier to keep Easyshare in the
computer and ignore it or, alternately, never allow it to get installed
in the first place.

 

[Guest]

I wanted to thank everyone for their tips and hints and advice. I got the
disk out to reinstall Windows, realizing that I would probably lose
everything, but at that point I had no computer at all. Opened the disk from
its original packaging, turned on the computer and - everything started just
as it was supposed to. Of course, I still have the Kodak EasyShare problem,
but heck, I'll just buy a new camera. Thank you all.

cf