xp setup cd is not showing the option to perform repair installation

[gtownbrown]

I'll give you the long, sad history of this problem if you really care
to read it, but all I want to do at this point is a "repair
installation." I don't want to lose all the files/apps on my c:\ drive,
and that seems like the best option (no system restore points are
showing up).

But here's the problem- when I boot to setup XP CD
and select:
"setup XP now"
then F8 to agree to XP licensing agreement,
I DON'T see the "repair" option

I see a list of 4 different options:
-: Partition1 [FAT]
C: Partition2 [NTFS]
E: Partition3 [FAT32]
Unpartitioned space

I can click Enter to install, D to delete partition, F3 to quit

BUT NO "REPAIR" option

I just got off the phone with Dell Support, and he claims that "repair
installation" should be an option. But, unfortunately, that's about all
I got out of him.

Any clues?

Thanks in advance for your time.

 

[Jerry]

Dell probably lied. If you got a Dell OEM XP CD instead of a full, XP CD
then the only thing it will do is to reinstall XP as it was when it came
from the factory, meaning no such thing as 'repair'.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Dell probably lied. If you got a Dell OEM XP CD instead of a full, XP
CD then the only thing it will do is to reinstall XP as it was when
it came from the factory, meaning no such thing as 'repair'.

No, this is inaccurate and confusing. There are three separate things:

1. A retail full XP installation CD. OEMs like Dell *never* supply these

2. An OEM XP installation CD. Few OEMs supply these, but I believe Dell
still does, at a small additional cost.

3. An OEM restoration CD.

(There is also such a thing as a generic OEM CD, not customized for Dell,
but it's not pertinent here.)

When you say "the only thing it will do is to reinstall XP as it was when it
came from the factory, meaning no such thing as 'repair'" you are thinking
of number 3, above, a restoration CD. But that isn't the only kind of OEM CD
that exists.

Gtownbrown, if you have an actual XP installation CD (number 2, above), read
"How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install"
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

If you have only a restoration CD, you might still be able to buy an OEM
installation CD from Dell inexpensively, and if you can, I highly recommend
that you do--not only for your immediate problem, but because I think
everybody should always have one.

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup

I'll give you the long, sad history of this problem if you really
care to read it, but all I want to do at this point is a "repair
installation." I don't want to lose all the files/apps on my c:\
drive, and that seems like the best option (no system restore points
are showing up).

But here's the problem- when I boot to setup XP CD
and select:
"setup XP now"
then F8 to agree to XP licensing agreement,
I DON'T see the "repair" option

I see a list of 4 different options:
-: Partition1 [FAT]
C: Partition2 [NTFS]
E: Partition3 [FAT32]
Unpartitioned space

I can click Enter to install, D to delete partition, F3 to quit

BUT NO "REPAIR" option

I just got off the phone with Dell Support, and he claims that
"repair installation" should be an option. But, unfortunately,
that's about all I got out of him.

Any clues?

Thanks in advance for your time.

 

[gtownbrown]

Thank you Ken, your response is very helpful. I will call Dell this
evening
to enquire about an OEM installation CD.

Gtown

Dell probably lied. If you got a Dell OEM XP CD instead of a full, XP
CD then the only thing it will do is to reinstall XP as it was when
it came from the factory, meaning no such thing as 'repair'.

No, this is inaccurate and confusing. There are three separate things:

1. A retail full XP installation CD. OEMs like Dell *never* supply these

2. An OEM XP installation CD. Few OEMs supply these, but I believe Dell
still does, at a small additional cost.

3. An OEM restoration CD.

(There is also such a thing as a generic OEM CD, not customized for Dell,
but it's not pertinent here.)

When you say "the only thing it will do is to reinstall XP as it was when it
came from the factory, meaning no such thing as 'repair'" you are thinking
of number 3, above, a restoration CD. But that isn't the only kind of OEM CD
that exists.

Gtownbrown, if you have an actual XP installation CD (number 2, above), read
"How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install"
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

If you have only a restoration CD, you might still be able to buy an OEM
installation CD from Dell inexpensively, and if you can, I highly recommend
that you do--not only for your immediate problem, but because I think
everybody should always have one.

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup

I'll give you the long, sad history of this problem if you really
care to read it, but all I want to do at this point is a "repair
installation." I don't want to lose all the files/apps on my c:\
drive, and that seems like the best option (no system restore points
are showing up).

But here's the problem- when I boot to setup XP CD
and select:
"setup XP now"
then F8 to agree to XP licensing agreement,
I DON'T see the "repair" option

I see a list of 4 different options:
-: Partition1 [FAT]
C: Partition2 [NTFS]
E: Partition3 [FAT32]
Unpartitioned space

I can click Enter to install, D to delete partition, F3 to quit

BUT NO "REPAIR" option

I just got off the phone with Dell Support, and he claims that
"repair installation" should be an option. But, unfortunately,
that's about all I got out of him.

Any clues?

Thanks in advance for your time.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Thank you Ken, your response is very helpful. I will call Dell this
evening
to enquire about an OEM installation CD.

You're welcome. Glad to help.

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup

Dell probably lied. If you got a Dell OEM XP CD instead of a full,
XP CD then the only thing it will do is to reinstall XP as it was
when it came from the factory, meaning no such thing as 'repair'.

No, this is inaccurate and confusing. There are three separate
things:

1. A retail full XP installation CD. OEMs like Dell *never* supply
these

2. An OEM XP installation CD. Few OEMs supply these, but I believe
Dell still does, at a small additional cost.

3. An OEM restoration CD.

(There is also such a thing as a generic OEM CD, not customized for
Dell, but it's not pertinent here.)

When you say "the only thing it will do is to reinstall XP as it was
when it came from the factory, meaning no such thing as 'repair'"
you are thinking of number 3, above, a restoration CD. But that
isn't the only kind of OEM CD that exists.

Gtownbrown, if you have an actual XP installation CD (number 2,
above), read "How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install"
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

If you have only a restoration CD, you might still be able to buy an
OEM installation CD from Dell inexpensively, and if you can, I
highly recommend that you do--not only for your immediate problem,
but because I think everybody should always have one.

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup

I'll give you the long, sad history of this problem if you really
care to read it, but all I want to do at this point is a "repair
installation." I don't want to lose all the files/apps on my c:\
drive, and that seems like the best option (no system restore
points are showing up).

But here's the problem- when I boot to setup XP CD
and select:
"setup XP now"
then F8 to agree to XP licensing agreement,
I DON'T see the "repair" option

I see a list of 4 different options:
-: Partition1 [FAT]
C: Partition2 [NTFS]
E: Partition3 [FAT32]
Unpartitioned space

I can click Enter to install, D to delete partition, F3 to quit

BUT NO "REPAIR" option

I just got off the phone with Dell Support, and he claims that
"repair installation" should be an option. But, unfortunately,
that's about all I got out of him.

Any clues?

Thanks in advance for your time.