[narlus]

well this instability issue has led me to the conclusion that i've got to re-install my OS. problem is, i've been unable to locate the WinXP Pro disc which a kind monkey sent my way (figures i can find all the other install discs from up to 6 years ago), so the only thing i've got is my winXP/SP1 install disc from my laptop. i tried to run that but i got a message saying the OS on my machine was more current, and it wouldn't allow an install to occur. what should i do? format C: and then boot up w/ the XP Home cd in the cd-rom tray?

 

[H8R]

If you want to do a clean install then yes, back everything up and boot from the CD. Pick the drive - format - then install.

 

[Tenchiro]

There should be an option in the install to partition and format. That will give you a nice clean OS to start with.

 

[binary visions]

If you don't need the data that's on the laptop, just boot with the WinXP CD, and there will be an option to format before install.

If you need the data that's on the laptop, there's probably a recovery console you can use - if you boot the WinXP pro CD, there's an option for a recovery console that you can use to jump into a DOS prompt and copy over files.

 

[narlus]

There should be an option in the install to partition and format. That will give you a nice clean OS to start with.

i got to that, but didn't see BV's comment about an option to format before install. when i chose to install on the C drive, it said there was already an existing OS (which i guess is true; i haven't wiped XP Pro off yet). do i bite the bullet, format C, and then reboot w/ the XP disc in the drive?

 

[Tenchiro]

i got to that, but didn't see BV's comment about an option to format before install. when i chose to install on the C drive, it said there was already an existing OS (which i guess is true; i haven't wiped XP Pro off yet). do i bite the bullet, format C, and then reboot w/ the XP disc in the drive?

There should be a couple of options, one to install and one to just upgrade. The option for a clean install should format before it does anything else.

 

[narlus]

well this is off the boot menu, hitting F8 repeatedly as the PC boots. does that make a difference? if the PC boots off the existing OS, i can't install w/ this cd.

 

[Tenchiro]

well this is off the boot menu, hitting F8 repeatedly as the PC boots. does that make a difference? if the PC boots off the existing OS, i can't install w/ this cd.

You should be able to go into the BIOS and change the boot order to make the CD the first boot device.

 

[narlus]

You should be able to go into the BIOS and change the boot order to make the CD the first boot device.

i did get to that screen, but never saw an option for "Format". maybe i'll try again.

 

[Tenchiro]

Here is a decent article I found on the process. The picks up from the point after booting from the XP CD.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/expert/honeycutt_02october07.mspx

The trick to successfully installing a clean copy of Windows XP is how you answer the first few questions that the setup program asks. First, the setup program displays a list of existing partitions. You can either install Windows XP on an existing partition or remove them and repartition the hard disk. Unless you're unhappy with your hard disk's partitions, I'd leave them alone and install the operating system on an existing partition.

Otherwise, you can remove the existing partitions and create new ones. Repartitioning your hard disk using the setup program is far easier than writing about it, so I'm letting the Knowledge Base article, How to Partition and Format a Hard Disk in Windows XP do the talking for me.

Note: If you chose to install Windows XP on an existing partition, Setup is going to ask you whether you want to leave the partition alone or reformat it. You should choose to reformat the partition. If not, the setup program leaves behind the kind of leftover files you want to get rid of. Besides, you've already backed up your important stuff.

 

[binary visions]

i did get to that screen, but never saw an option for "Format". maybe i'll try again.

Yeah, you need to actually boot off the CD - it'll say "Press any key to boot from CD..." or something like that. Hit the any key...

<channeling Homer>
"To start, press any key. Where's the any key?"

"Man, all this work is making me thirsty. I think I'll have a Tab." *click* "Oops, no time for a drink now, the computer's starting!"
</channeling Homer>

...and go through the setup menus. It will ask you what partition to install to, and when you select the one with XP already on it, it will say that they've detected an operating system and you can either format it or leave the partition intact.

 

[narlus]

ok, i think i've got it. last question. is xp Pro definitely preferable to xp Home?

 

[binary visions]

Yes.

I don't have specific rationale as to why, but my general experience with XP is that the Home version is far more prone to bugs, slowdowns and crashes than Pro. Pro is actually suprisingly bulletproof in my experience.

 

[Tenchiro]

ok, i think i've got it. last question. is xp Pro definitely preferable to xp Home?

It actually isn't much different but it generally accepted as better.

 

[Ciaran]

ok, i think i've got it. last question. is xp Pro definitely preferable to xp Home?

Yes...

And you should find that monkey and have him send you a new disc and key (XP Pro/Legit key)... Not sure who it could be though... Arrrgh! :evil:

 

[Pau11y]

This might be a bit over you head, but you could also try to slip-stream the SP2 onto your SP1 disc and make a brand new SP2 install disc. It's really slick and will be fully (or as much as SP2 will get you) updated, minus the stuff post SP2. I think SP3 is in the pipeline or beta stage. I did the slip-stream'd to my legit copy which was pre SP1 and it works wonderfully.

 

[H8R]

This might be a bit over you head, but you could also try to slip-stream the SP2 onto your SP1 disc and make a brand new SP2 install disc. It's really slick and will be fully (or as much as SP2 will get you) updated, minus the stuff post SP2. I think SP3 is in the pipeline or beta stage. I did the slip-stream'd to my legit copy which was pre SP1 and it works wonderfully.

You will explain the process now.

Thanks.

 

[binary visions]

Nothing to it...

http://unattended.msfn.org/

 

[narlus]

This might be a bit over you head, but you could also try to slip-stream the SP2 onto your SP1 disc and make a brand new SP2 install disc. It's really slick and will be fully (or as much as SP2 will get you) updated, minus the stuff post SP2. I think SP3 is in the pipeline or beta stage. I did the slip-stream'd to my legit copy which was pre SP1 and it works wonderfully.

in a remarkable stroke of coincidence, i got a cdr today from a friend in the IT group labeled "windows XP SP2 Slipstream". until now i had no idea what the slipstream part meant.

:dancing: :dancing: :dancing:

 

[Pau11y]

H8R, I'll give you another site after you read Unattended. It's for the demo software you'll need to d/l: astalavista.box.sk (type it in just like that).
When you go there, DON'T be at work, and DO have your pop-up killer and anti-virus updated BEFORE you go. After you've been there, run spybot killers. But it'll generally get you any key you'll need. Use this site at your own risk....have fun, I always do when I hit it

Edit: btw, there was someone on one of the torrent sites that had a copy of XP Lite (kinda like 98 Lite) cracked and no activation needed, but still updates. And...on Undernet I found a copy of Office 2003 Pro All-in-One (Office, FrontPage, Projects, Visio, and OneNote) on a single image w/ no key and reg needed - VERY kewl disc!

Fight the Machine (MS)!

 

[narlus]

i've hit a snag. anyone who is a sys admin please PM me.

 

[Pau11y]

Throw your prob in open forum maing. Let's all check it out

 

[narlus]

ok...my bud in IT got that XP install disk w/ SP2 slipstreamed...the problem arose when i went to enter my product key...the one i had whcih was on my disc won't work, and it's asking for the volume licence product key. i've put in a call/email to my friend, but he may not be in work today, and i'd really like to finish my install and load up all my crap, and not have my PC hang in this state for 3 days.

another question...i got my *other* laptop reinstalled w/ Win2K, but to get my wireless card upgraded to 801.2 G, apparently i need IE5.5 or better to run the linksys software; i've currently got 5.0 IE on there now. from what i can tell, all the IE downloads on the MS site are just small aps which also require an internet connection in order to update your IE version. this is umpossible for me because the notebook wireless card ain't working, so i have no internet connection. is there a stand-alone .exe file i can download to update IE? or is it included in one of the service packs? I'm about to run SP4 on that, so i guess i will see.

 

[H8R]

another question...i got my *other* laptop reinstalled w/ Win2K, but to get my wireless card upgraded to 801.2 G, apparently i need IE5.5 or better to run the linksys software;

Most up-to-date browsers should be able to run the web interface on a router or card...hmmm...I doubt Linksys would want to piss off that many people by restricting the browsers that make the configuration.

Firefox? Small app, easy download.

 

[H8R]

H8R, I'll give you another site after you read Unattended. It's for the demo software you'll need to d/l: astalavista.box.sk (type it in just like that).
When you go there, DON'T be at work, and DO have your pop-up killer and anti-virus updated BEFORE you go. After you've been there, run spybot killers. But it'll generally get you any key you'll need. Use this site at your own risk....have fun, I always do when I hit it

Edit: btw, there was someone on one of the torrent sites that had a copy of XP Lite (kinda like 98 Lite) cracked and no activation needed, but still updates. And...on Undernet I found a copy of Office 2003 Pro All-in-One (Office, FrontPage, Projects, Visio, and OneNote) on a single image w/ no key and reg needed - VERY kewl disc!

Fight the Machine (MS)!

MS henchmen are coming for you w/ truncheons in hand. Better hide the Vista bootlegs!

 

[jimmydean]

And people wonder why I run Linux...

 

[H8R]

And people wonder why I run Linux...

I love Linux.


But I hate trying to convince my family that it's the way to go. Especially the kid when I tell her the good games don't run on it.

 

[narlus]

pau11y, that site didn't yield what i was searching for. any other suggestions, rather than to run Linux?

 

[jimmydean]

I love Linux.


But I hate trying to convince my family that it's the way to go. Especially the kid when I tell her the good games don't run on it.

I had SuSE running on my wifes laptop for 2 months before she noticed it wasn't windows. Per her request, I installed XP and 2 weeks later she said "What was running on here before? It seems dog slow now and it locks up from time to time". It's been Linux ever since. My daughter gets a Mac Mini for her 6th birthday next year.

I have a windows box too, but it's ONLY for games.


As for the re-install. If you need to back stuff up, then use Knoppix, back up your data to a usb drive, then format and re-install Windows. It shouldn't complain about the CD Key unless its no good or an OEM version.

 

[Ciaran]

ok...my bud in IT got that XP install disk w/ SP2 slipstreamed...the problem arose when i went to enter my product key...the one i had whcih was on my disc won't work, and it's asking for the volume licence product key. i've put in a call/email to my friend, but he may not be in work today, and i'd really like to finish my install and load up all my crap, and not have my PC hang in this state for 3 days.

another question...i got my *other* laptop reinstalled w/ Win2K, but to get my wireless card upgraded to 801.2 G, apparently i need IE5.5 or better to run the linksys software; i've currently got 5.0 IE on there now. from what i can tell, all the IE downloads on the MS site are just small aps which also require an internet connection in order to update your IE version. this is umpossible for me because the notebook wireless card ain't working, so i have no internet connection. is there a stand-alone .exe file i can download to update IE? or is it included in one of the service packs? I'm about to run SP4 on that, so i guess i will see.

The key will only work for a certain number or run of discs.

I'll send you a legit (semi legit) copy of XP pro with SP 2 and a matching unused key. You can activate it. Though I've never registered it

Till then try:

WBVFK-D249R-R7K8M-JCTJK-BRRGY

Probably won't work but you never know.

 

[narlus]

my machine's facked. the xp home install went pear-shaped...it asked for a disc w/ SP1, and when i put it in the cdrom drive it gave me an I/O error and couldn't read the file. so i kept at it. it *finally* finished installing and would boot up (when it said 8 minutes remaining of installation, it really took closer to 30) but stuff is missing (like IE) and it's just not right. i think i'll sit tight, wait for some more info, and then do another reformat/reinstall.

on the plus side, the latest machinations didn't F w/ any of my hard drives (and all of their data).

 

[Pau11y]

When in doubt, unplug the power cable from your other drives during install. XP is great about picking up drives so you can always plug it back up once the install is completed...and re-letter your drives after the fact (I like my CD/DVD burners on Y and Z.

 

[Pau11y]

pau11y, that site didn't yield what i was searching for. any other suggestions, rather than to run Linux?

Sorry maing. That site wasn't for you. It was for H8R and the software he'll need to slipstream. And bad news is I had a list of Corp keys (something like 60 of them) and an iso of a corp version of XP Pro those keys worked on, but I can't find it anymore. I got a copy of Pro thru one of MS's promo deals that came w/ a baseball, a bobble head and a bag of sour green apple chewing gum and went legit. I think I shelled out like $25.00 for it so I deleted that file. Again, sorry maing.
The only thing I have left that has a CD key for Home is this:

P4FXH-WQYQ2-48QVW-Y6FHB-3Y4Y9

It's a Dell XP Home key

 

[narlus]

man, windows is screwy. last night's install using my laptop's XP Home didn't go smoothly (see above) so i decided to use the my dad sent me. it went fine (so far) and didn't even ask for a product key (it was a Dell OEM but not sure why that would matter). wtf is going on?

 

[Pau11y]

Dell OEM discs won't ask you for a key until it's done and your machine is up and running. But if your machine isn't a Dell, it'll want to activate and request a key at that time. If you can't do it online, you'll need to call it in. REMEMBER that it's a Dell OEM disc 'cause they'll ask you if it's a special disc.

 

[narlus]

i can install xp pro over an existing xp home install, yes?

 

[narlus]

ok, i am a dumbass. but some of you already knew that.

i found my winXP pro install disc; for some reason i mistook it for the drivers disc for my Dell monitor. doh!

so i'm in the process of installing the OS for the 4th time in 24 hrs.

 

[binary visions]

Ouch. Just caught up on the thread, sorry it was such a pain for ya'. Windows installations are funny - every once in a while, you'll get one that's totally f**ked with no reasonable explanation as to why it went so poorly. The next re-install will go fine.

Let us know how this one turns out and if you need any assistance.

 

[narlus]

i think i'm gonna try to set up my new G router too; is there anything in particular i should do first? how should i establish my internet connection? Straight from the cable modem initially, or via the router?

 

[binary visions]

I'd go straight from the cable modem initially, just to eliminate one possible cause of a problem. Once you have your computer up and running smoothly, then you can set up the router - otherwise, if your internet connection doesn't work, you're not going to know if it's the computer or the router.