Reinstalling XP
in [Windows XP]
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From: Howard Brazee on 12 May 2010 09:53 My mother's computer is messed up. I'm planning on borrowing it a day, copying her documents to my computer, adding some more RAM, and then reinstalling Windows XP. I believe there shouldn't be any problems with her applications or data. But I have a half dozen Windows XP disks. I don't know if it makes any difference which one I use - but I don't want to use a code I have already used for reinstalling Windows. Can I look up her code and then use any disk? -- "In no part of the constitution is more wisdom to be found, than in the clause which confides the question of war or peace to the legislature, and not to the executive department." - James Madison
From: Daave on 12 May 2010 10:08 Howard Brazee wrote: > My mother's computer is messed up. I'm planning on borrowing it a > day, copying her documents to my computer, adding some more RAM, and > then reinstalling Windows XP. > > I believe there shouldn't be any problems with her applications or > data. > > But I have a half dozen Windows XP disks. I don't know if it makes > any difference which one I use - but I don't want to use a code I have > already used for reinstalling Windows. Can I look up her code and > then use any disk? What is the make and model of your mother's PC? It should have a Windows XP Certificate of Authenticity sticker affixed to the case (assuming the PC originally came with a license to run Windows). On this sticker, you will find the version (e.g., XP Home or XP Pro) and the Product Key. Your installation CD *must* match the type and license represented on this COA sticker. Also, a Retail XP installation CD will not work with an OEM license/Product Key. For that situation, you would need to use a generic OEM XP installation CD (and again, the version [Home or Pro] would need to match). With some installation CDs, there is no need to even enter the Product Key. (Example: A Dell PC and a Dell-branded XP installation CD. In this case, there is code on both the CD and the motherboard to allow for what is called System-Locked Preinstallation.)
From: Howard Brazee on 12 May 2010 10:27 On Wed, 12 May 2010 10:08:32 -0400, "Daave" <daave(a)example.com> wrote: >What is the make and model of your mother's PC? > >It should have a Windows XP Certificate of Authenticity sticker affixed >to the case (assuming the PC originally came with a license to run >Windows). On this sticker, you will find the version (e.g., XP Home or >XP Pro) and the Product Key. Your installation CD *must* match the type >and license represented on this COA sticker. Also, a Retail XP >installation CD will not work with an OEM license/Product Key. For that >situation, you would need to use a generic OEM XP installation CD (and >again, the version [Home or Pro] would need to match). I have both home and pro versions of XP Pro. She might have her original disk, but I can't count on it. She has an e-Machines computer and all of the stickers are still on front of the machine. So you think her product key might be on one of those stickies. That's good, provided a generic XP CD will work or that she has her disk. I know enough to not run any software until I upgrade her XP when I reinstall. >With some installation CDs, there is no need to even enter the Product >Key. (Example: A Dell PC and a Dell-branded XP installation CD. In this >case, there is code on both the CD and the motherboard to allow for what >is called System-Locked Preinstallation.) -- "In no part of the constitution is more wisdom to be found, than in the clause which confides the question of war or peace to the legislature, and not to the executive department." - James Madison
From: Daave on 12 May 2010 11:07 Howard Brazee wrote: > On Wed, 12 May 2010 10:08:32 -0400, "Daave" <daave(a)example.com> wrote: > >> What is the make and model of your mother's PC? >> >> It should have a Windows XP Certificate of Authenticity sticker >> affixed to the case (assuming the PC originally came with a license >> to run Windows). On this sticker, you will find the version (e.g., >> XP Home or XP Pro) and the Product Key. Your installation CD *must* >> match the type and license represented on this COA sticker. Also, a >> Retail XP installation CD will not work with an OEM license/Product >> Key. For that situation, you would need to use a generic OEM XP >> installation CD (and again, the version [Home or Pro] would need to >> match). > > I have both home and pro versions of XP Pro. She might have her > original disk, but I can't count on it. That is why I asked for the model. With that information, we could search Google and determine the method Emachines provided to return the PC to its original condition. It's quite possible this PC did not ship with a CD and that the method involves accessing a hidden recovery partition on the hard drive. Also, look at the COA sticker. It should look like this: http://i1.iofferphoto.com/img/item/354/750/76/X08.jpg I assume it came with XP Home (but you can tell us for sure). If so, you would need to use a generic OEM version of XP Home along with the Product Key on the sticker. If you have a branded OEM version, I doubt it work work. Then again, if there is a hidden recovery partition on the hard drive and the hard drive is still in good shape physically, you should be fine. If you *do* happen to have a *generic* OEM version of XP (correct version, Home or Pro, to match the license on the COA sticker), you may still want to use it in order to avoid all the trialware and crapware Emachines probably includes with their recovery partition. > She has an e-Machines > computer and all of the stickers are still on front of the machine. > So you think her product key might be on one of those stickies. That's > good, provided a generic XP CD will work or that she has her disk. > I know enough to not run any software until I upgrade her XP when I > reinstall. > >> With some installation CDs, there is no need to even enter the >> Product Key. (Example: A Dell PC and a Dell-branded XP installation >> CD. In this case, there is code on both the CD and the motherboard >> to allow for what is called System-Locked Preinstallation.)
From: Ken Blake, MVP on 12 May 2010 11:55 On Wed, 12 May 2010 07:53:25 -0600, Howard Brazee <howard(a)brazee.net> wrote: > My mother's computer is messed up. I'm planning on borrowing it a > day, copying her documents to my computer, adding some more RAM, and > then reinstalling Windows XP. > > I believe there shouldn't be any problems with her applications or > data. There should be no problems with data, if you've copied it, but her applications will have be reinstalled from the original media. > But I have a half dozen Windows XP disks. I don't know if it makes > any difference which one I use - but I don't want to use a code I have > already used for reinstalling Windows. Can I look up her code and > then use any disk? Yes, *if* the disks match her Windows XP with respect to Retail vs. OEM, Full vs. Upgrade, Home vs. Professional. And also if she has an OEM version that came with the computer, it will probably also have to match with respect to OEM vendor. -- Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003 Please Reply to the Newsgroup
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