XP installation problem

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

Hi,

I have a bit of a complicated problem that I hope has a simple answer.

I have a laptop that required a system repair. However, the original XP disk
is pre-SP2. I made an XP+SP2 disk from that copy, but it is not bootable. I
tried to boot with the original XP disk and swap in the XP+SP2 disk when it
came to the user agreement, but that hung during load up after switching the
disks.
I have another copy of XP post-SP2, so I used that to run the system repair,
which seemed to work fine. I didn't think, however, about the license issues.
That license is already registered to another computer I own and I cannot log
onto Windows now on the laptop without registering that license again - which
I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to do!

I want to roll back that installation of XP to the original system, or
somehow reinstall the other (older) XP+SP2 over the top of it, but wanted to
get some advice before going forward (and, if it all possible, retain all of
the original data so I don't have to reinstall everything and recover all of
the data from backups).

Can I re-register the currently installed copy and then just install the
XP+SP2 version over it again?
Can I simply run "Unistall Windows XP" from Safe Mode?
Are there any other options I'm not thinking of?

What are my risks involved with each?

Thanks!
 
Hi,

I have a bit of a complicated problem that I hope has a simple answer.

I have a laptop that required a system repair. However, the original XP disk
is pre-SP2. I made an XP+SP2 disk from that copy, but it is not bootable.
Click to expand...


It's called slipstreaming, and if your CD isn't bootable, you did it
wrong.

Read here:

http://forum.aumha.org/viewtopic.php?t=7262
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/slipstream.htm

I
tried to boot with the original XP disk and swap in the XP+SP2 disk when it
came to the user agreement, but that hung during load up after switching the
disks.
I have another copy of XP post-SP2, so I used that to run the system repair,
which seemed to work fine. I didn't think, however, about the license issues.
That license is already registered to another computer I own
Click to expand...


No, that's not correct. First, you presumable mean "activated," not
registered." Registration is a completely optional procedure used by
Microsoft only for marketing purposes.

Second, activation doesn't tie a CD to the code, it ties the hardware
to it. The code isn't on the CD, and assuming that the CD is of the
same type (Professional vs. Home, Retail vs. OEM, Full vs. Upgrade),
you can use any CD.

and I cannot log
onto Windows now on the laptop without registering that license again - which
I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to do!
Click to expand...


Nope, not correct.


I want to roll back that installation of XP to the original system, or
somehow reinstall the other (older) XP+SP2 over the top of it, but wanted to
get some advice before going forward (and, if it all possible, retain all of
the original data so I don't have to reinstall everything and recover all of
the data from backups).
Click to expand...


You shouldn't have to do anything.
 
You are probably correct that the slip-streaming was not done correctly. I am
aware of those articles and followed the directions, but never tried to boot
until this point (I installed the XP+SP2 pver the installed XP Home addition
over a year ago from within XP Home) so am only aware of the issue now.

You are correct, I did mean activation and not registration. Sorry for not
using the right term.

However, while I am going to assume that you are correct that the activation
code is tied to the hardware and not the license, that doesn't account for
the fact that during the repair process XP (prior to the point at which it is
asking to be activated) it required the CD code to be entered. Perhaps I
should have entered the code from the original XP CD from which I made the
XP+SP2 CD, but I entered the code from the new XP CD.

I'll check back here in a bit to see if you responded to this further
information. Perhaps you are correct that I still will have the earlier
license associated with the installation, or it somehow won't matter. But if
I don't hear back I'll assume I should go forward with your suggestion.
 
You are probably correct that the slip-streaming was not done correctly. I am
aware of those articles and followed the directions, but never tried to boot
until this point (I installed the XP+SP2 pver the installed XP Home addition
over a year ago from within XP Home) so am only aware of the issue now.

You are correct, I did mean activation and not registration. Sorry for not
using the right term.

However, while I am going to assume that you are correct that the activation
code is tied to the hardware and not the license, that doesn't account for
the fact that during the repair process XP (prior to the point at which it is
asking to be activated) it required the CD code to be entered. Perhaps I
should have entered the code from the original XP CD from which I made the
XP+SP2 CD, but I entered the code from the new XP CD.
Click to expand...


Yes, you should have. If I've understood you correctly, you now have
activated two different machines with tat code. If you have entered
the incorrect code, you should be able to correct by now doing a
repair installation and entering the correct code.
 
When I tried to activate it, it apparently tried to submit the code I'd
entered during the repair installation - which cause it to compain that that
code was already being used. It did, however, ask for a valid code - entering
the code from the original XP disk was accepted and everything *seems* to be
fine.

Thanks!
 
Back
Top