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Has anyone tried this?

Forum Windows XP : Windows XP General Discussion - Has anyone tried this?

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Pata   02-13-2005 at 04:52:26 AM

I have a Compaq Presario computer that is acting up. I can do a full system restore and get all of the crap that came with it or I wonder if I could use a Windows XP Home OEM copy and use my Compaq Key that is on the sticker and get a "pure" OS?

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Quote :

<font color=red> If Music be the Food of Souls,</font color=red>
<i><font color=purple> Then Play On............ </b></i>


</font color=purple>

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TheCh0s3n1   02-13-2005 at 05:47:01 AM
- 0 +

Pata,

Yes, I have tried this, and it didn't work.

Your Compaq Key is for an earlier version of Windows, and will not work for a Windows XP installation.

Reply to TheCh0s3n1
Pata   02-13-2005 at 01:42:48 PM
- 0 +

My Compaq has Windows XP Home. Oh well. I guess I'll have to do a full recovery with it. I hate doing this as I have to save all my e-mail and addresses and re-install all my programs and uninstall all the crap that comes with the Compaq.
See you later guys....

<b>

Quote :

<font color=red> If Music be the Food of Souls,</font color=red>
<i><font color=purple> Then Play On............ </b></i>


</font color=purple>

Reply to Pata
TheCh0s3n1   02-14-2005 at 11:50:05 PM
- 0 +

I'm sorry, now that I know your Compaq already has Windows XP, I will have to change my answer to "YES."

Have you tried to restore the system before? It is possible that you are given the choice whether to install every app that came with it or not. If this is true, then you wouldn't have to worry about uninstalling all those programs.

Reply to TheCh0s3n1
folken   02-15-2005 at 01:32:47 AM
- 0 +

I always format purchased computers and put a regular copy of windows on them (using their key of course).
Doing a clean install on a regular windows disc and doing a restore with the disc that came with your comp will wipe out everything. You would have to back up your stuff no matter which way you go.

<A HREF="http://www.folken.net/myrig.htm" target="_new">My precious...</A>

Reply to folken
Pata   02-15-2005 at 10:39:54 PM
- 0 +

So I did use the Windows XP Home OEM disc. I completly wiped out the hard drive and the Compaq partition and installed the "clean version". All is well. It took me about four hours, which is not bad, from formatting to install to downloading SP1 to using my SP2 disc that MS sent me.
BUT there is one annoyance. When I turn the computer on now, a note askes me if I want to start with Windows XP Home Edition or Windows XP Home Edition. Use the arrow buttons to choose or wait 30 seconds. When I scrolled to the second Windows XP Home Edition, and pressed enter,the computer can't find it. So why bother? Now I turn the computer on a go away for 30 seconds longer. Can this be fixed?

<b>

Quote :

<font color=red> If Music be the Food of Souls,</font color=red>
<i><font color=purple> Then Play On............ </b></i>


</font color=purple>

Reply to Pata
Codesmith   02-15-2005 at 10:44:34 PM
- 0 +

Use Partion Magic to create a C: and D: partion.

You can change your email store folder so that it resides on D:, the same with your My Documents Folder, Desktop, and Favorites.

Plus you can use Norton Ghost to backup C: to an image file on D: so if you forget something you can extract it from the ghost image.

Better yet switch to Mozilla or Firefox which keeps everthing in a single folder. Keep that folder to D: and you can restorte/clean install your OS and have your web/email/addressbooks all configured and ready to go.

Reply to Codesmith
folken   02-16-2005 at 03:05:47 AM
- 0 +

It is easy to get rid of that extra XP Home choice.
Just right click on my computer and go to properties
Go to advanced
go to the settings under startup and recovery
Hit edit
There will be 2 lines that start with "multi" they are in the same order as the coices you have at startup.
If the one that doesn't exist is the second one down simply delete that line, hit file>save, and close the window. Hit ok on all the other windows and reboot the computer to make sure it is gone.

<A HREF="http://www.folken.net/myrig.htm" target="_new">My precious...</A>

Reply to folken
TheCh0s3n1   02-16-2005 at 07:53:55 AM
- 0 +

Here is an alternative to accomplishing the same task:

1. Click Start, then Run.
2. Type 'MSCONFIG' and press Enter
3. Click the 'BOOT.INI' tab
4. Click 'Check all boot paths'

This will detect any boot paths that do not work, such as the second choice presented to you. Be sure to click OKAY when done.

Reply to TheCh0s3n1
Pata   02-16-2005 at 11:13:07 PM
- 0 +

WOW! That works! You guys are good. Thank you thank you thank you! That is so neat! The only thing though, you ment to say "Hit Apply" didn't you?
Thanks again. No more waiting an extra thirty seconds!


<b>

Quote :

<font color=red> If Music be the Food of Souls,</font color=red>
<i><font color=purple> Then Play On............ </b></i>


</font color=purple>

Reply to Pata
PatMcGroin   02-17-2005 at 02:54:49 PM
- 0 +

one more note on this. You dont have to install SP1 and then SP2. Just install SP2 as it has all of SP1 integrated into it.

I woke up this morning on the right side of the wrong bed

Reply to PatMcGroin
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