rebooting windows xp?

[Big Country]

Just as DABhand says. Either you can make a backup CD from a program that HP put on your computer or it would have come with the computer. It may not say windows on the disk. Maybe something like System Restore Disc. I just bought a Sony Vaio laptop and you have to make your own backup with the program provided. It tells you how much data there is to backup and how many discs you need. I think it does a backup of the entire drive as everytime I install something the backup size gets bigger.

[Burnie Burnerson]

Yeah my product code is on the side so what steps would I need to take? I can't use my HP system restore because I got rid of all that HP OS crap and now I can't reboot from those discs. I should still be able to restart my windows or not? Have you guys rebooted windows before? Where do I start?

[Big Country]

Well since you don't have a restore disc and you got rid of the program to make one you will have to contact HP for a new disc. You can't install Windows without it.

[Burnie Burnerson]

Unfortunately when I bought this PC it only came with a 128mb intel integrated graphics. So I called HP and said "look I like this PC but its fundamental problem is no open graphics slot" when I informed them I was having the motherboard replaced their response was we dont want anything to do with this PC after this. Which was OK from my perspective because it had only a ****ty 3 month warrenty. What if I use my windows system restore point for a few months back when I had way less files on it and erase eveything from there?

[DABhand]

There is only one option left, and thats to purchase a Windows XP disc, bear in mind that Home is cheaper than Pro.


If you do have any CD's that came with the PC, if I remember correctly through my shop workings, I think you press F11 during Post to start the Restore Boot Up with the CD in the drive.


Most of the time, companies like HP split your HD partition into 2 parts a huge 95% for normal use and a 5% backup partition, if you have lost that also then it will be difficult to restore.

But if you have the CD try the F11 option during POST (i.e when PC has been started)

[Burnie Burnerson]

DABhand like you were saying I have a product key for XP. Could I use like nero or something to copy XP right off my HDD?

[DABhand]

No..

If your XP is on your hard disk it will be fragmented with your i386 folder and setup files all over your HD.

The only way of putting on the cd is to use the restore option that HP machines come with, in windows under the Start > All Programs..


If its not there then its lost.


But you did say you got a new Motherboard, so how did that windows get installed (the one you have now) onto your machine?