Question about installing windows xp pro

[andre79]

i have windows xp pro installed on my computor. it was installed when i bought the computor.

i wanna know if i have something wrong with windows will i be able to reinstall it with someone else's copy of the cd?

is there a windows web activation that i will have to go through?

[PrntRhd]

If you did not receive a copy of the OS on a recovery disk, the manufacturer likely copied the installation files on a hidden partition on your HDD. This could be a problem if the HDD dies as you may not be able to access the files to reinstall XP.
You would:
1) have to burn the files to disk while the computer is in condition to do so
or
2) get the manufacturer to provide you a disk
or
3) image the installed HDD while in good condition

[Paul Komski]

will i be able to reinstall it with someone else's copy of the cd?

If you have your cdkey you should be able to use any actual physical CD of the correct version. If that key is legally yours then reactivation shoudn't be a problem either. You can also make copies of the two .wpa files and use these to prevent the need for reactivation by adding them back from a floppy while booted into safe mode. The "Magic Jelly Bean" utility should be able to dig out your current CD key if you don't have it written down somewhere but the version it relates to must be the same as that of a physical CD that you borrow for the installation.

An alternative approach would be to make an image file of your system now onto CDs which you could then restore at some time in the future.

[andre79]

The "Magic Jelly Bean" utility should be able to dig out your current CD key if you don't have it written down somewhere but the version it relates to must be the same as that of a physical CD that you borrow for the installation.


What do you mean by that?

i have windows xp pro, so i have to use a windows xp pro cd. and it doesn't matter which cd it is as long it is a xp pro cd?

[Paul Komski]

There's WinXP home and pro but installations can also be be made from volume licences and OEM distributions, where the installation comes to you pre-installed without a CD at all. I have never really understood the ins and outs of it but in the latter case there may be one CD key stuck on the outside of the case and which is actually different from the one that was used for the preinstallation and which can be dug out using a third party utility.

As long as the installation was made from a "normal" cd you can use any similar "normal" cd as long as you know your own unique cdkey for the installation and which is part of the basis for the activation code which will be required later on.