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10-04-2004, 01:34 PM
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#1 |
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Member (7 bit)
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Long Beach, California
Posts: 127
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need help with xp recovery disk
Just a quick question on reformatting and a clean install with windows xp using a recovery disk. My friend bought a computer that had xp pre-installed on it. He purchased the machine at frys electronics about 2 years ago, and is now ready to upgrade a few componants. If he has the recovery disk, is it possible to to use it to reformat and reinstall? Thanks in advance......
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10-04-2004, 01:55 PM
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#2 |
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Member (11 bit)
Join Date: May 2000
Location: PA USA
Posts: 1,040
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In most cases the recovery disk will do that. If he has the XP disk, that will partition anf formet. Just boot from the CD.
trulad
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#1 HP 5310 500Hard Drive 350gb.Toshiba external back-up 4gb. Ram Win.7 Professional 64bit. #2 Sony Lap Top 500 gb. hard drive 3.0ghz AMD Athlon 4gb Ram Win.7 Home Premium 64 bit |
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10-04-2004, 03:00 PM
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#3 |
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Member (7 bit)
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Long Beach, California
Posts: 127
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That's very good news trulad, will the disk have a product key with it, or is one required with a recovery disk? I know that every time I do a reformat and clean install, I am required to input the disk product key, but then again, I have the disk inwhich I purchased. Does a recovery disk follow the same requirements? Also, what exactly does a recovery disk do? (that might be a lame question, but anyway I'm not to clear on this).
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10-04-2004, 03:38 PM
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#4 |
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Member (11 bit)
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Shakopee MN
Posts: 1,293
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If you do a wipe and install then you will need the key which should be stuck on the case of the PC somewhere.
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Never Argue With An Idiot. They'll Drag You Down To Their Level And Then Beat You With Experience. |
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10-17-2004, 03:19 AM
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#5 |
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Member (9 bit)
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 368
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If you cannot find the key download the magic jellybean keyfinder and it will give you the installation key.
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10-17-2004, 03:55 AM
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#6 |
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Member (12 bit)
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Woodland Hills, CA (suburb of Los Angeles)
Posts: 4,014
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Just a note of caution: many Recovery Disk sets completely reformat and reinstall everything to the original factory conditions. So your friend needs to have backups of everything he/she wants to keep.
Also, if any hardware has been added since the computer was purchased, the Recovery disk may not have drivers for that hardware. In the worst case, this can cause the Recovery to fail. You mentioned that your friend wishes to upgrade a few components: if this is done BEFORE the Recovery set is run, some Recovery sets won't start at all - or will need special steps taken immediately after [for example, with a motherboard replacement, if the Recovery runs at all, you'd want to boot to Safe Mode and try something like the enum trick (in our Tips & Tricks forum)] The product key is stored in the Registry. I don't know the program referred to in bdunn's reply, but there are many that can provide info on the hardware and software in a computer. BelArc Advisor (available over at download.com) is recommended a lot. . . . Gary (you'll want to go straight to Windows Update, too, after any install/reinstall -- for the patches. It's dangerous to be on the Internet on an unpatched Windows PC for any length of time) |
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10-17-2004, 10:38 AM
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#7 |
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Member (7 bit)
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Long Beach, California
Posts: 127
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Thanks guys, everything has been backed up and ready for reinstall. I have read about the enum trick and tried it once but had some problems. So if we replaced componants such as motherboard, cpu, ram, video card, and installed a dvd burner, then loaded the recovery disk to reformat and reinstall, xp should have all the needed drivers to get started, right? Then of course load all the new drivers. I also have service pack 2 on disk. can I use that to update his version of xp?
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10-17-2004, 11:17 AM
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#8 |
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Forum Administrator
Staff
Premium Member
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Joplin MO
Posts: 37,786
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The enum trick only works with 9x/ME.
Sequence is this: Install XP Install motherboard drivers if necessary Install other required drivers (look for flags in device manager) Enable DMA on all IDE controllers Install SP2 Set up Internet, ENABLE THE FIREWALL Do Windows Updates Install and update antivirus Install software, restore data files (Do NOT connect your network cable or dial up to the Internet till the firewall is enabled) Last edited by glc; 10-17-2004 at 11:20 AM. |
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10-17-2004, 02:12 PM
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#9 |
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Member (7 bit)
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Long Beach, California
Posts: 127
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Thank you all for all the information, I will post back later this week with the results. As always, PCMECHANIC is the best....................
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10-19-2004, 04:39 PM
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#10 |
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Member (12 bit)
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Woodland Hills, CA (suburb of Los Angeles)
Posts: 4,014
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. . . sorry about my goof mentioning the win9x enum trick here. Caffeine isn't doing enough to replace lost sleep! Zzzzz . . .
 ... and thanks, glc, for helping correct things!. . . the latest tests show that unprotected (unpatched, PCs with open ports) can be scanned and attacked within 15 minutes online . . . [check over at a news site like PC World, PCmag, or similiar (I didn't save the link, darn).] That's why the extra notes for precautions. Hope it goes well |
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