Re: XP repair question

TimK wrote:
"relic" <relic2@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
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TimK wrote:
"The Old Man" <Today01@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
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"Grinder" <grinder@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
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TimK wrote:
I'm hoping to do a non-destructive repair rather than re-install
per:
http://pcremix.com/how-to-repair-windows-xp-without-formatting-your-pc/

Trouble is, the CD of XP tat I have isn't the same as what was
installed by a computer repair place a couple years ago. When I
repair off the new CD, and it asks for a serial number, is giving
it the new one going to ruin my day? I have everything backed up
but I'm hoping to avoid a complete re-installation.

The actual installer may not matter. If you give it your product
key, and it accepts it, you should be ready to be validated after
the operation. To reiterate: Don't give it a "new serial number,"
just use the one that belongs to your current install.

unless the installer had a Volume License which has expired or been
cancelled, then the key he has will not work. One never knows if
its going to work until one tries it...sorta like a firework.

Sounds like I'm pretty well hosed unless I can get the serial number
from the install that scheister used back when the drive died. We
even gave him the Dell CD but he used some version he had because it
already had SP2, if I remember correctly. I guess what I'll do is
just assume a full restore but give it a try with our CD and if it
does work great, if not I already prepared for the worst. I wonder
if anyone makes 3rd party software that grabs all your settings and
programs and reinstalls them after the restore...
Thanks for your time!
Tim

1. Get Magic Jellybean and read out the key that's currently in-use.
Use it.
2. If you're going to 'Repair' your system, be sure you have a CD
with SP3 integrated. Search for Slipstreaming XP & SP3.

Hey, thanks man - that Jelly Bean is great. The only issue I have is
that my XP is SP1 so I could slipstream it to SP2 and then
re-slipstream it to SP3 although the website I found doesn't say he's
tried that. If I just install the SP2 version that just means I have
to reinstall SP3, right?

You can slipstream SP3 to a SP1 level CD without doing SP2... the source
just has to be either SP1 or SP2 to slipstream SP3 with it.

IF you have SP3 installed on your PC now, trying to re-install or do a
Repair install will give you an error message that you're trying to install
an old version. You can do a Clean install (Format first) of the old version
and then install SP3, but you wanted to try to do a Repair. You need the
slipstreamed SP3.


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: XP Home SP3 install CDs
    ... running repair from XP install CDs will resolve the problem. ... Just need the CDs with SP3. ... The problem is that if you don't have an XP install disk that incorporates SP 3 you can't do a repair install because you get the dreaded message about the disk is older than the current installed operating system. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)
  • Re: Problem on start-up
    ... while a repair install should leave your data ... >>Assuming your system is set to boot from the CD-ROM ... >>with the option to setup Windows or Repair ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.accessibility)
  • Re: How to recover product Key from a previous installation ?
    ... :> be a legitimate transferable version and for all I know, ... :> the old key will be overwritten if user proceeds with repair ... :> or install, and then offers an option to exit the repair or install ... The requirements for legal transfer of license are covered in he End User ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: Repeated Boot
    ... I didn't recommend the recovery console, I recommended you do a repair ... install, that doesn't require the recovery console, please follow the steps ... >> actual XP CD as opposed to a recovery CD, boot with the XP ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.accessibility)
  • Re: SP3 ?
    ... and if you ever need to perform a Windows XP Repair ... Install, you will need in your possession a Windows XP SP3 CD ... We had a WinXP SP3 computer where the old motherboard crapped out. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)