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WIN XP SP-2 Re-Install

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by gmasicily

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When using EZ-gig II to clone my existing HDD,
something backfired and my boot sequence was erased (the app was added by a "helpful" Toshiba repair tekkie to get it to boot after he replaced an HDD). When I rebooted my original HDD it wouldn't boot......I tried to repair it with WINDOWS but it wouldn't work. I didn't want to wipe out my files so I reinstalled WIN XP. (Sorry this is so long.)

I did not choose another partition, but instead
WIN XP "did" install another OS, but added it on the same drive. But, it's like having two partitions. I can't use my first c:\ drive at all and it has all my program files.

Question....how can I get everything back on one section of my c:\ drive and eliminate one OS? Partition Magic just shows "one" partition and can't merge them.

Lordy......can someone out there save my sanity?

4 replies

by hal 9000

What you should have done was an In Place Install. The direction for this are listed here

http://tinyurl.com/g4bv8

What I think you have done is overwrite the existing Install which should show you the working OS and lots of Application that are loaded on the HDD but do not work as the Hooks that Windows Requires are no longer present.

If you want to attempt to repair this mess you will need to reinstall each Program one at a time and allow it to overwrite the Data Store on the HDD where it already is loaded. This will be a slow & painful experience.

What would be a much better idea is to Copy all of your Data and the Wipe the HDD and perform a new Clean Install of everything. When this is finished the the system is working correctly you can then return your data to the HDD.

Col

by gmasicily

Hi, Hal....My question was so long....I did try to repair first, but it didn't work. That's why I resorted to the whole reinstall. BUT, when I tried to use my recovery disk this evening, it rejected it with a "wrong machine" error. I had to buy a new WIN XP SP program to try to get out of this mess. Is that why my laptop won't recognize the disk that came with it? Any/all suggestions are more than welcome!!!

But I did copy all of my programs onto an external hard drive as you suggested; so I'm ready. I'm just not sure for what!???! How in the heck do I wipe this thing out and start all over. I have a nice new 120GB HDD
that EZGig II put some files on, but I'm not sure what to even do with that? Thoughts? I appreciate any time you can give to my problem.....

by oh smeg

This includes E-Mail, Address Book you can wipe the HDD with the following Utility.

http://tinyurl.com/4rfur

There is a CD version listed here that you can boot from and write Zero's to every Sector of the HDD.

As for the reason that the Recovery Media is no longer being accepted this could be because the HDD is different or altered from a Factory Fresh Install as there is nothing else that should cause this to happen.

You'll need to use your Recovery Disc to load or install all the drivers for this Computer when you install Windows. If you use a different Install Media you will not have drivers for things like Video, Sound, USB maybe, LAN again maybe and several of the other things built into the system like WiFi and other things like that though the system will work and you can access the drivers from the makers Web Site.

If you have a Hidden Partition on the HDD you should be able to install everything from there but if you don't have this you can use the Recovery Disc and reload the system after you wipe the HDD.

If you want to create a hidden partition all you need do is format a FAT 16 Partition of a few Hundred MEG and copy your Install Media to that with a DOS Boot Disc. Though if you have never done this previously it's probably not worth the time & effort to try.

Once the HDD is wiped the Recovery Media should work you should be able to reinstall quite easily though to be fair there are no guarantees as anything can be going on here but as the hardware can not have been changed the problem should be limited to the HDD partition being different to what was originally set up new. So if you can attack a blank HDD with the Recovery Disc it should work.

Yes I know [b]Famous Last Words[/b] there. But that is what should happen anyway.

If you have any problems when it comes time to reinstall you can use the New copy of XP though you will need to use the Product Kay that comes with it and you will need to manually install the extra drivers though you should be able to do this with the Recovery Media and select to Auto Find the correct Drivers on the CD/DVD Drive after the Recovery Disc has been inserted.

If you need any help just post back here or Peer Mail me for a faster response.

Col

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