windows recovery

Hello, I posted here i while back and the advice i got was to use the windows recovery disk to fix my problem and/or reinstall windows. I didn't get a windows disk when i bought my pc and so i'm going to borrow one from my friend but my version is Windows XP home ed. and his disk is Windows XP pro. Will this work as a recovery disk on my pc?
Can i still reinstall windows even though they are different versions?
What are the differences between the two versions?

 

It might work. I've never heard of anyone trying though.

There aren't really that many differencies between the two, activation and some services are the most notable ones.

However, as you say you didn't get a recovery disk/OS disk from your dealer, i suggest you take it out on them,
as any PC sold with an OS is supposed to come with a means to restore the setup it was bought with.
(Well, at least in every country that hs consumer rights.)

One final advice:
If you plan on re-installing Windows, please do it by formatting your C:\ (where i assume your Windows resides),
as that is a far more reliable way of eliminating problems than re-installing only.
If you do not have a partitioned HDD,
then i suggest doing a re-install only->partition the disk->move crucial data from C:\ to other partitions-> format C:\ & install Windows.

 

thanks for the advice although i think getting the disk from the dealer won't be possible because the pc is a few years old now. I was going to format my C:\ drive and reinstall windows anyway so how can i do it now i've got this XP pro disk? (By the way i can't get past the user select screen to get into windows so it would have to be done from the boot up sometime). Also, would partitioning my drive be easy? i know a bit about computers but i'm no expert and just think that, although in theory it sounds a good idea, it would cause more problems than its worth

 

If you are using your friends CD, and format and try to install, you will not be able to activate it if your friend already has.

Can you log into your Windows XP Home at all?

What is the make/model of the system?

I don't want to see you have a system that will work for just 30 days because you can't activiate it. Let us know.....

 

Find a friend (or someone willing) with an XP home edition disk. You can use any XP home disc as long as you have a valid XP product key. You will not be able to activate XP pro with your XP home product key. You can even make a copy of the XP home installation disc and use it, because a valid product key is the ticket to proper activation from MS.

 

You are in for a world of trouble.

DO NOT DO THIS.

Windows can only be activated on one computer, per license.

 

I don't reccomend this either. The reason is, if he repairs/reinstalls with retail XP, it will look for a retail key.

Well, he doesn't have a retail key, its OEM.

So it still will not work.

This should read as, You can use any like XP home disc as long as you have a valid XP product key.


OEM keys work for OEM installs, or disks.

Retail keys work for retail installs, or disks.

They are not interchangeable.

 

Its a Tiny Pc, not sure what model, and no i can't log into windows at all. err...not sure what to do now. So, does this mean I won't be able to even borrow a windows disk and install it on my PC? will i have to buy a new one?

 

No...not exactly.

If you could be more specific as to errors, problems, and symptoms, there may be a cure or workaround.

The OEM IS required to give you reinstall media, be it an image on the hard drive, CDs, or a recovery disk creation program. There should be a way to start over.

Might want to start raising hell with them/

 

I downloaded Ad-aware and ran a scan on my pc and it found loads and loads of files which i subsequently quarantined. but when i logged off my user account and shut down my PC, the next time i switched it on and tried to log on to my user account it started to log me in and then immediately logged me off again, taking me back to the user account selection screen. I can't get into any of the accounts to do anything about this (i'm currently using a PC in work). Every time i click on any of the user accounts it starts to log me in and then logs me off before it gets into windows. It does not work in safe mode and last time i posted this thread, the only solution anyone could think of was to reinstall windows. Hope you guys can help. This also happened to a few other people (check out a thread by 'peaceman')

 

Have you tried Safe Mode?
Last Known Good Configuration?



http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=307545

To do this, you will need the XP boot floppies.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310994

THe reigstry recovery will be a bit different for you, becasue you are an OEM user.

Inside C:\windows\repair, you may not find a system file.

Instead you will see a system.bak file.

Rename it to system and use it.

 

Sorry about that. That was the answer I got when I asked a while back. Glad you caught it.

 

yes and yes. none of the safe mode options would work.
I'm afraid i can't use the links because i'm on a pc in work which is heavily restricted and they won't work
Have you heard of this happening before?
PS whats OEM?