Hey!
My girlfriend has a laptop with windows xp - it has not had an internet connection for over a year so I thought I'd help her install an anti-virus siftware as well as updating windows. here is what I did instead...
Somehow when windows was installing service pack 2 I managed to to reboot the computer (I was installing lots of stuff simultaneously) - I got an error message saying windows probably wouldn't function after this - and very true it didn't.
When booting the computer it just does the same thing over and over without ever getting into windows.
So what I would like to do is just to erase everything on the computer and re-install windows (she doesn't have anything important stored on the computer luckily - such as a guitar website ).
How do I do that? I figured I need some kind of boot cd (which I dont have) can I create that from a windows cd which I have for my computer? Help very much needed...
Kris
If you drop in a windows CD, and start the computer up, as long as the BIOS is set to boot from CD first, (usually you can change this, your computer should say something like "Press DEL to enter setup") when you switch it on. You'll then boot from the disk. It will give you the option to format the hard drive, and install windows. It should also have a "repair an existing windows installation" feature. This will be the one to use.
However, if you can't repair, you will have to install from the CD from your desktop. However, this is very naughty, as you will be using the serial key on two machines. Therefore Bill Gates will send helicopters and tanks (not me though) around to your house.
Any issues mate, send me a PM
/T
Thanks - sounds fairly easy, I'll give it a try.
Hopefully I won't get Bill after me.
Thats the trouble with Xp mate. musdt be an old copy if ut does not have service pack 2 on it. I have delt with loads & loads of pc's with problems intalling sp2. As tank says booting off the bois is a far better way.
I do have dodgey copies that would work and i have a pre installation disc that could hepl you too. I will be falling over driver problems. Pm me if you want some help as i would not put information i know on this forum.
mr gates uses scare tactics that are easly work round.
I fresh format and reinstall (with sp2 included rather than installed seperately) would be a good option. Make sure you format the hard drive in NTFS and not Fat 32
bolly
How are you? Did you get it fixed?
Ok! So I have done it the Tank way reapir mode when starting with the nidows cd-rom) and it has worked fine until the dos prompt asks me for administrator password. There is no such on that computer - we have never logged in or anything when starting the computer. What should I do?
Kris just forget about the repair mode thing.
Boot from CD-ROM, and enter DOS. Type the following:
format C:
Press Y twice.
(Format any other drives you want empty at this point)
Wait till, it's done. Then restart your computer. Select Install Windows. Let it install from scratch you won't have that problem again where you're asked for a password. It'll just be a completely fresh install.
Kris you did the right thing.
DONT select a password at the start and passwords are turned off by default
Add a password and they are turned on with your chosen word
unless security is a problem DONT input a password.
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