From: bashley101@gmail.com   
      
   relic wrote:   
      
   > The Real Bev wrote:   
   >> relic wrote:   
   >>> The Real Bev wrote:   
   >>>> relic wrote:   
   >>>>> The Real Bev wrote:   
   >>>>>> relic wrote:   
   >>>>>>   
   >>>>>>> All the "Recovery CD" sets I've seen start out doing a Format   
   >>>>>>> of the HDD, and restore everything back to the way it was the   
   >>>>>>> day it left the factory. Anything you have done since you   
   >>>>>>> bought the PC is gone forever. What you want is either a   
   >>>>>>> "Repair" installation, or a "Reinstallation." Either requires   
   >>>>>>> an XP CD, not any form of Recovery CDs. You can use someone   
   >>>>>>> elses to do it (using your 'Key' from the silver sticker   
   >>>>>>> attached to the bottom of your laptop), but it must match   
   >>>>>>> what you have installed: OEM Home, OEM Pro, or OEM Multimedia   
   >>>>>>> version. (A Retail version won't work.) You may also download   
   >>>>>>> a version from p2p or Bit Torrent that matches and use your   
   >>>>>>> key.   
   >>>>>>   
   >>>>>> What about the separate repair or recovery or equivalent   
   >>>>>> partition that came on an HP XP desktop?  No CD at all.  I did   
   >>>>>> an occasional repair-from-CD with 98 and 2000 with no bad   
   >>>>>> results, but I haven't had a problem with the XP   
   >>>>>> machine...yet...   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> HP's recovery partition restores back to how it left the factory.   
   >>>>> Some HP's came with a real XP CD as well as the 'Restore'   
   >>>>> capability... not many tho.   
   >>>>   
   >>>> That's bad news.  I guess the best I could do is use cabview to   
   >>>> find the offending file and copy it over -- not likely to be a   
   >>>> pleasurable or productive activity even assuming it can be done.   
   >>>   
   >>> Most of the time, you can download single files. Google "download   
   >>> 'filename.ext'"   
   >>   
   >> The problem, of course, is figuring out what's been smashed :-(   
   >>   
   >>>> Just copying over the original files without, in effect, formatting   
   >>>> and reinstalling everything would seem to be a basic   
   >>>> universally-desired function.  Guess Gate$ didn't think so.   
   >>>   
   >>> The Repair installation does that... but you need an XP CD.   
   >>   
   >> I have a non-HP XP CD.  Would that work?   
   >   
   > If your PC has an OEM version of XP Home Edition on it, a copy of an OEM   
   > Home Edition CD will work with your Key (on the Silver sticker on the bottom   
   > of your case). A "Retail" Version, or any "Professional" copy won't. (If in   
   > doubt, the General tab of your System Properties will identify what you have   
   > installed. OEM versions are identified by "OEM" as the second group of   
   > numbers in your serial number.)   
   >   
   > The "Repair Installation" is not the first offer to Repair your installation   
   > with the System Console; it's the one that comes up after you select to   
   > install on top of your existing installation. Boot from the CD and follow   
   > the prompts for a full installation.   
      
   and then he wrote:   
      
    > After a Repair, you need to reinstall the updates.   
    >   
    > If you see a message that your installation is newer than the CD, make a   
    > Slipstreamed XP with SP3 CD.   
    >   
   http://lifehacker.com/386526/slipstream-service-pack-3-into-your   
   windows-xp-installation-cd   
      
   Thanks.  Duly saved for the time, perhaps far in the future, that I need it.   
      
   --   
   Cheers,   
   Bev   
   *******************************************   
      My computer doesn't have to be friendly;   
            civil is entirely sufficient.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)