Recover an XP OEM Home Edition system that will not start
I have an XP Home system where the user has lost their install CD. It is possible that there was no install CD given with the system when she bought it. This is a Compaq Presario with an AMD processor on board.
On startup the system starts booting and locks up. There is some type of registry conflict and an install program going on at the same time. Safe mode with the command prompt produces the same result, the same conflict is occurring.
What I want to do is do a reinstall.
Using a Linux CDROM I can mount the hard disk and see various folders, amongst which are
I386
sysprep
hp
Using a boot disk of some sort can I do a reinstall? What boot disk and which file in which folder do I need if this is possible?
On startup the system starts booting and locks up. There is some type of registry conflict and an install program going on at the same time. Safe mode with the command prompt produces the same result, the same conflict is occurring.
What I want to do is do a reinstall.
Using a Linux CDROM I can mount the hard disk and see various folders, amongst which are
I386
sysprep
hp
Using a boot disk of some sort can I do a reinstall? What boot disk and which file in which folder do I need if this is possible?
SOLUTION
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ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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wat if you do a fresh install of windows?
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ASKER
I now think it didn't come with one. Looks like its prebuilt onto the hard disk. Know someone else where the computer came with no install CDs and I'm guessing its similar to this. The recovery mode does the install or reinstall if required.
The recovery mode is flawed on this box. States only 1 minute to go and takes up to 10 minutes. Reboots after recovery mode finishes and goes into starting loops. I'm guessing at corrupt registries at this point. Which could be either faulty memory or faulty hard disk.
More testing to be done.
The recovery mode is flawed on this box. States only 1 minute to go and takes up to 10 minutes. Reboots after recovery mode finishes and goes into starting loops. I'm guessing at corrupt registries at this point. Which could be either faulty memory or faulty hard disk.
More testing to be done.
is the Microsoft COA label on the Compaq box?
ASKER
Yes
At this stage I think I'm going to throw another hard disk into the machine and see whether I can do an install from a CD into this box. If I can then problem may be solved.
But that's going to be after the weekend.
At this stage I think I'm going to throw another hard disk into the machine and see whether I can do an install from a CD into this box. If I can then problem may be solved.
But that's going to be after the weekend.
A friendly shoutout....Is this is still open.. what's the current status? Any new development? I would like to table this or help you out. If there is a valid answer could you please grade accordingly. If there were many input from other's splitting the points would be good as we invested our time in helping you out. Perhaps you forgot about us? Please advise.
ASKER
Sorry for delay.
I'll award points for this one tonight. I can use another hard disk and install XP Professinally successfully on that disk on this computer so its not the computer at fault. It could be the hard disk that came with the computer itself but I don't think so. I'm bugging people for a copy of XP Home so I can try installing that on this temporary hard disk using the serial numbers of the COA on the machine. If that works then I'll attack the hard disk on the computer.
If this doesn't, well I have a couple of other methods to work.
I'll award points for this one tonight. I can use another hard disk and install XP Professinally successfully on that disk on this computer so its not the computer at fault. It could be the hard disk that came with the computer itself but I don't think so. I'm bugging people for a copy of XP Home so I can try installing that on this temporary hard disk using the serial numbers of the COA on the machine. If that works then I'll attack the hard disk on the computer.
If this doesn't, well I have a couple of other methods to work.
cool...thanks for coming back.
cool.. thank you!
ASKER
Bombs out after recovery has finished and restarts and bombs out with error message
The system is not fully installed. Please run setup again.