XP repair install mistake

[goldtech]

Hi,

i really messed up and need advice. I started a repair install on a PC
with XP pro. The PC was totally thrashed and IMO needed it. In my
ignorance I realized that I was using using an XP Pro CD that i
already had used on another PC so will not work in the long term on
that PC, and the person I'm "helping" apparently lost their original
install disk as well. By the time I realized all this I was at the
point in the repair install were I was being prompted to enter the
key#. And of course now the pc will not boot to a desktop becuase it's
in the middle of an install...

So given all that, would the thing to do be - buy a new XP Pro CD and
do a repair install over again with that? I'd like to preserve the
personal files on the PC to some degree ergo the need to do a repair
install...buying a new CD that I can properly repair install seems the
only way out of this...

Thanks

 

[John Doe]

I'd like to preserve the personal files on the PC to some degree
ergo the need to do a repair install

Goldtech? Ergo? And you think that a repair install is how to protect
personal files? Copy important files from the hard drive to removable
media, or let someone else operate the computer for you.

ALWAYS KEEP A REMOVABLE MEDIA COPY OF IMPORTANT FILES FROM YOUR HARD
DRIVE

Of course, how important they are is entirely up to you. Just remember
when you lose the files, if they were very important, you were
forewarned.

Ignorance is bliss, until the hard drive fails.

Good luck.

 

[ShadowTek]

I'd like to preserve the personal
files on the PC to some degree ergo the need to do a repair
install...buying a new CD that I can properly repair install seems the
only way out of this...

You could use a Linux boot disk, like SLAX, to access your files and
transfer them to a backup device.
http://www.slax.org/

 

[Paul]

Hi,

i really messed up and need advice. I started a repair install on a PC
with XP pro. The PC was totally thrashed and IMO needed it. In my
ignorance I realized that I was using using an XP Pro CD that i
already had used on another PC so will not work in the long term on
that PC, and the person I'm "helping" apparently lost their original
install disk as well. By the time I realized all this I was at the
point in the repair install were I was being prompted to enter the
key#. And of course now the pc will not boot to a desktop becuase it's
in the middle of an install...

So given all that, would the thing to do be - buy a new XP Pro CD and
do a repair install over again with that? I'd like to preserve the
personal files on the PC to some degree ergo the need to do a repair
install...buying a new CD that I can properly repair install seems the
only way out of this...

Thanks

Before buying anything, take a look at the bottom of this page.
At least some variations in Windows versions, are handled by the
PID value.

http://www.infocellar.com/WinXP/oem-recover-retail.htm

What is important to Microsoft, is the license and not the
physical media. If you can figure out what the original
media was, you could try ordering a replacement of just
the media. The license key is the valuable part of
the install and that is the part you shouldn't lose.
You could copy someone else's media, as the license key is
the unique part of the product that belongs to you alone.

The rules are a bit different for things like Dell/HP,
with their recovery partition, and the key used in their
install not matching the COA plastered on the box. You
should do more research about what to extract or whatever,
to deal with a box like that.

Paul

 

[goldtech]

John Doe?

Need I say more?

Goldtech? Ergo? And you think that a repair install is how to protect
personal files? Copy important files from the hard drive to removable
media, or let someone else operate the computer for you.

ALWAYS KEEP A REMOVABLE MEDIA COPY OF IMPORTANT FILES FROM YOUR HARD
DRIVE

Of course, how important they are is entirely up to you. Just remember
when you lose the files, if they were very important, you were
forewarned.

Ignorance is bliss, until the hard drive fails.

Good luck.

 

[goldtech]

I get your point and I agree. But ease up on chastisement.

Yes, chastisement - like that?

 

[rss1]

If he has his original 'key' just use it. XP dont care about the disk
used,
as long as the original install was the same (xp pro, or home) its the
key man, the key
is all that matters

 

[Matt]

Hi,

i really messed up and need advice. I started a repair install on a PC
with XP pro. The PC was totally thrashed and IMO needed it. In my
ignorance I realized that I was using using an XP Pro CD that i
already had used on another PC so will not work in the long term on
that PC, and the person I'm "helping" apparently lost their original
install disk as well. By the time I realized all this I was at the
point in the repair install were I was being prompted to enter the
key#. And of course now the pc will not boot to a desktop becuase it's
in the middle of an install...

So given all that, would the thing to do be - buy a new XP Pro CD and
do a repair install over again with that? I'd like to preserve the
personal files on the PC to some degree ergo the need to do a repair
install...buying a new CD that I can properly repair install seems the
only way out of this...

Thanks

First thing is to save the users' files of course. You could move the
hard drive to another machine and copy the files from it. Or if you
have a spare partition or a spare drive already in the machine, you
could boot Linux or something and copy to the spare.

Do you know that a lot of times an installable copy of XP is in a hidden
partition on the hard drive? Look into your specific make and model to
find out how you can restore from the hidden partition if there is one.

 

[John Doe]

goldtech <goldtech worldpost.com> wrote:
....

He can se safely ignored.

Says some unknown nym-shifting net Nanny.

gus?

Gus <ggirling gmail.com>
no spam.invalid (y2kgus)

More?

He is in several newsgroups.

Under the same identity many years.

Have never seen him add any constructive or offer any suggestions.
Just his usual drivel.

Says some unknown nym-shifting troll.

Apparently goldtech deleted his first reply to me,
the reply that "gus" (the net Nanny) replied to.