need to format hardrive but have no driver cds how to get it working ?

hi
my uncle needs to format his hardrive but has lost his windows xp cd and his driver cd that come with the pc...
so...

can we just use my copy of xp.. ??
i have been told that you just put in windows cd and there is a option there to click to format the drive...
but how do i copy his drivers ???

he has a floppy drive but i dont know how to copy the drivers for after the format ???

is it simple to do ?? the whole thing i mean ??

i.e.

1. make back up of drivers
2. insert windows xp cd ( mine )
3. click the format hardrive bit
does format then install windows again then install drivers...


any have a step by step guide of doing it this way ??? i posted a few days ago regarding this but i thought he had his windows cds and his driver cd's

thanks

 

You'll need his serial number from his copy of XP. You could try talking to MS about it. They might send out a new disc.

As for the disc with the drivers you are going to have to seach the net for them & save them to a cd before formatting.

If you get that far reply back for format info.

 

they dont have any purchase recipt for there copy of windows xp so how would i prove to MS that they have purchased the copy of xp ???
they have nothing ...




is there no way of sticking a floppy in the drive and download the drivers for the pc on to it ???

or do i have to make a list of everything and go online and download the drivers... if so what do i need to download ??

monitor
keyboard ?
motherboard ?
graphics card , cd rom and so on..
sorry to seem thick just i never done this b4 ???

 

hi
ok this is becoming a nightmare
thanks for the link as well

I have just spoken to him and he does not know what the model number / name of the computer is
he knows it is a HP pavilion but there is more than 1 model of these...
i actually think there is quite a few

like saying it is a ford fiesta .. yes but what model...

anyway i asked him to look all over the outside of the pc and he is right there is nothing stated at all !!!!
so i took him into my computer and clicked on system information....

it listed the xp windows information but nothing about the actualy model name of the computer
nothing at all !!!!!!!!!!

any reason why this would be ???
maybe 1 of the many viruses have wiped all the system info of the computer ?

 

I have an HP computer also. On top of his tower, is there a little door you lift? It looks like a compartment to store cds or dvds. Anyway, there should be a tiny plate (mine is up near the door hinges) with the model and s/n of you computer. The model should also be on the front of the tower (look down towards the bottom of the front - it should read hpXXXX (whatever your model - for example mine reads hp pavilion 304w.

Being an HP isn't the system restore information on the hard drive?

 

being new to all this system restore stuff i am unsure if there is a option on the computer to do it ... where would i look

i will check his computer model when i go back up there at the weekend
many thanks for the tip on looking where to find the model info

 

Since I don't know the model or how old the computer is (HP started this a few years back but don't know if they are still doing it), I can only tell you to look under My Computer and there should be a drive called RECOVERY (probably 'D' drive which is where mine is). If there is, you start it by restarting the computer and holding down F1 key immediately - don't let the regular start up screens have time to load. You'll get a screen with a couple of choices listed. You want System Recovery. Just follow on screen directions. It will reload everything to restore system to when you took it out of the box.

By the way, why are you reformatting the hard drive. I should have asked this before. Are you having boot problems? My HP has had two bad hard drives replaced - each lasted about a year. Had to report HP to Florida Consumer Affairs to get the second one replaced.

 

See if any of these driver backup apps listed help!
http://www.google.com/search?q=driv...ient=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official

 

This app http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4138.html will reveal the key that your Uncle's XP was installed with!

 

To find your windows XP product key download the program SIW from:

http://majorgeeks.com/SIW_System_Info_d4387.html

After you have downloaded it double click the file to run it. In the left hand menu under "Software" click on the last item called "Secrets".

Regarding drivers: unless you have some really unusual hardware Windows XP should load all the drivers needed to get the system up and running when you install. Once you have a system up and running you can then think about updating drivers via the internet. Depending on what the PC is used for the standard drivers may be perfectly adequate.

Beware that formatting and reinstalling Windows XP and getting your system back to where it was is a time consuming process especially if you have a dial-up connection:
After installing XP you need to install SP2 if not included on the CD
Update drivers if required
Carry out Windows update
Reinstall anti-virus, anti-spyware programs etc. and get all updates
Reinstall all your other software
etc., etc.

If your uncle has problems due to viruses it may be worth posting in the Malware forum (after following the standard cleaning steps listed on that forum).

 

If you change your BIOS to include the BOOT FROM CD, as the FIRST boot option, then your computer will check your CD drive for a bootable disk...your uncle's copy of Windows XP , will have the bootable section on it, which will have all the TOOLS needed to REFORMAT your hard drive and configure the drive for NTFS format, which is Windows XP native format, BUT you will have to aquire a NEW Windows XP Activation KEY number to install your FULL copy of Windows XP...you should be able to BUY this new activation key number from MICROSOFT (bastards) and reinstall a NEW installed copy of Windows XP...good luck