Restore Cd with New HD?

[mcl]

Ok, a lady from work seems to have lost her HD on her home PC.
I haven't checked it out yet, but she said it gives the error; operating
system not found.
She is one of those cases where she never got a Windows Xp CD just a restore
disk.
All she uses the system for is to browse the internet and some word
processing.
I've never used a restore CD. (I would never buy a system with just a resore
CD.)
If she just bought a new HD how do those resore CD's respond to that? Does
the HD need to be
the original or the same size or will anyone work? It was a 40gb HD. I
figure she could get one at least
that size dirt cheap. I figured on an 80gb.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Usually any hard drive will work as long as it can be properly recognized by
the motherboard and BIOS.

Different computer manufacturers do the restore process differently so check
the manual and/or contact the manufacturer for details.

Typically you simply boot to the CD and follow the prompts to install
Windows XP.

 

[PCDaddy]

I have used the restore cd(oem) on many pcs. Most of the time they work,however, i have run into many that haven't. When you first turn on the pc, tap the del button to get into cmos setup. You have to configure the boot device to be cdrom first. Some cases i have had to put all to cdrom or it would skip the cd restore disk anyway. normally it's F10 to save changes, reboot. The cd should kick in and give you the option to reinstall. I don't know how much you know about this type of setup but if you need more info, let me know.

 

[mcl]

I'm sure I can take it from there. I've worked many a problem but never with
a restore disk before.
This brings up another question. I upgraded my system a few months ago. I
got a box (Antex P160, 500W PS, AMD 64 939 pin PCI-X mb, AMD 64 3500+ chip,
2 GB RAM (2 dimms not 4), and ATI AIW X600 Video card from Monarch. Brought
over all my old stuff from my old system, 120 & 80 gb WD HD's, 2 CD-ROM type
devices (DVD-ROM & DVD Multiformat Writer, etc, etc). BTW, I didn't do a
fresh install. I "Repaired the install". Worked great. Didn't have to
re-install all my software. Everything just ran"REALLY FAST" (;-). I have
SR2 for Windows Xp on CDROM so that went really nice eventhough I do have a
cable modem and could have downloaded it. BUT I found out something. My two
drives are WD 120 & 80 gb 7200 RPM, 8 meg buffer HD's. Datalifeguard will
not run on a 64 bit system. It wouldn't work and I asked WD. That's what
they told me. Anyway, SAM's here has a WD 250 GB HD for $118. I've been
watching it for a while (why, beacuse like the guy who climbed Mt
Everest...it's there (and cheap). I would want to remove my 80gb (maybe use
it for this lady from work), make the 250 gb my primary and the 120 gb for
backup. But if the WD software will not work on my system what's an
alternative way to do that.

 

[David Vair]

Software like Partition Magic should solve that problem. I am assuming primary is the 120, transfer
that to 250 and reboot with only 250 hooked up so drive letters are correct, shut down transfer 80
to 120 and then boot with 250 and 120 installed all should be good.
--
Dave Vair
CNE, CNA, MCP, A+, N+
Computer Education Services Corp. (CESC)

I'm sure I can take it from there. I've worked many a problem but never with a restore disk
before.
This brings up another question. I upgraded my system a few months ago. I got a box (Antex P160,
500W PS, AMD 64 939 pin PCI-X mb, AMD 64 3500+ chip, 2 GB RAM (2 dimms not 4), and ATI AIW X600
Video card from Monarch. Brought over all my old stuff from my old system, 120 & 80 gb WD HD's, 2
CD-ROM type devices (DVD-ROM & DVD Multiformat Writer, etc, etc). BTW, I didn't do a fresh
install. I "Repaired the install". Worked great. Didn't have to re-install all my software.
Everything just ran"REALLY FAST" (;-). I have SR2 for Windows Xp on CDROM so that went really nice
eventhough I do have a cable modem and could have downloaded it. BUT I found out something. My two
drives are WD 120 & 80 gb 7200 RPM, 8 meg buffer HD's. Datalifeguard will not run on a 64 bit
system. It wouldn't work and I asked WD. That's what they told me. Anyway, SAM's here has a WD 250
GB HD for $118. I've been watching it for a while (why, beacuse like the guy who climbed Mt
Everest...it's there (and cheap). I would want to remove my 80gb (maybe use it for this lady from
work), make the 250 gb my primary and the 120 gb for backup. But if the WD software will not work
on my system what's an alternative way to do that.

 

[mcl]

Right now I just use the 80 to back up the 120. I figured I would want to
install the 250 instead of the 80gb as slave initially. Format it and use
something to transfer/copy all of the 120 to the 250 and making it bootable.
Then change the jumpers around making the 250 the primary.
Eventually I will get two Serial ATA drives and set up a RAID 0 array and
use both EIDE drives as backup. But that's for the future,
(This started in 1998 with a then top of the line Gateway II 400. Damn thing
cost 3500.I had pushed it as far as could go with Promise ATA cards, 384 meg
RAM, upgraded HD's (original was a 14 gb), operating system's, Windows 98,
then SE, then Me, then Xp home.) Yup, when I said it ran faster I mean it
ran faster. Nothing like going from a 400 MHZ, PII with 384 meg RAM to a AMD
64 3500+ with 2 GB RAM.........I mean it was a pleasure to behold. Did you
ever try buring a DVD with a 400 MHZ PII? It can be done but go away and
come back in the morning (;-).
Must admit my 19" CRT still works great. Will not go LCD until it dies. Do
you know when I got it in 1998 it had a DVD reader. That was unusual. I
live in Asheville NC. I went into a Walmart back then and asked if they sold
DVD's. Lady thought I said BVD's and directed me to mens underware. She
didn't even know what a DVD was.
When I bought my new box, etc I figured on many more upgrades...maybe for
another 7 years.

Software like Partition Magic should solve that problem. I am assuming
primary is the 120, transfer that to 250 and reboot with only 250 hooked
up so drive letters are correct, shut down transfer 80 to 120 and then
boot with 250 and 120 installed all should be good.