OT? Win XP backup hassle

[non-fiction]

Installing any MS product is a game so I think it is still on topic - and it is a cd backup query.

I've tried to do a system refrsh today to sort a few problems I'm having using my backup CD of XP pro.

But I cant install from it - the option is "greyed out" and I can't find anyway around it. You can't even copy the cd to HDD and install from there, (like I used to with 95/98/me - in fact I kept a permanent image on a dedicated partiton). I just get the same problem - greyed out options & setup.exe won't run manually.

In the end I had to dig out my orig cd, but that kind of negates the point of a backup. anyone know what kind of protection this is & a way around it - would mounting the image in alcohol do it?

With this kind of protection how could I setup an installable XP Partiton on my HDD

thanks to those who think.
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non-fic