[Retired Tech]

Where was the product key when you installed it

Otherwise you may need to ask Microsoft for a new key

[Advertisements]

A friend of a friend upgraded the computer to XP when it died for the first time a year or two ago... I was trying to repair with a disk I borrowed. I didn't install XP myself.

[DirePenguin]

A friend of a friend upgraded the computer to XP when it died for the first time a year or two ago... I was trying to repair with a disk I borrowed. I didn't install XP myself.

[Retired Tech]

Can you boot it to safe mode without it wanting to continue the repair

You can get the product key from the drive, provided you can get it to load the desktop

[DirePenguin]

I recieve the error "Windows XP Setup cannot run under Safemode. Setup will restart now."

It was working better when I had it only partially installed. :\

[Retired Tech]

Try this, if it does not run, you are probably looking at putting the drive in to another PC as the slave drive to get the data off, so you can clean install, though that will obviously depend on having a CD with a product key

Is it possible to ask what the product key was from your friend

Start the System Restore tool at a command prompt

1. Restart your computer, and keep tapping F8 during the initial start-up until you get options, select Safe Mode with a Command Prompt then press enter.

2. Log on to your computer with an administrator account or with an account that has administrator credentials.

3. Type the following command at a command prompt, and then press ENTER:

%systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe

4. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to restore your computer to an earlier state.

Look for the most recent system checkpoint created before the errors to restore from

For additional information about the Safe mode with a command prompt, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

http://support.micro....com/kb/315222/


A description of the Safe mode boot options in Windows XP

[DirePenguin]

I cannot enter Safe Mode to run System Restore. I get the "Setup cannot run in Safemode" error.

[Retired Tech]

Did you choose safe mode with command prompt

[DirePenguin]

Yes. I still recieved the error.

[Retired Tech]

Have you got another PC you can put this drive in to

Have you got any data on the drive you need

[DirePenguin]

I have one other computer, a laptop, but it is for work and I don't have administrative access on it.

I'm not sure how much data I need on the computer though... I mostly use it for recreation and gaming.

[Retired Tech]

It would need to be a desktop

Have you got a friend who would let you use theirs

The alternative is to clear the drive and lose whatever is on there

[DirePenguin]

Could you please explain how to do both procedures? As far as I can tell my options are:

Best: Find out the CD Key for the disk my friend let me borrow to repair the computer.

Hardest: Slave the harddrive to another desktop and recover data from it.

Worst: Wipe the drive.

If I wipe the drive, won't I need an OS and a CD key anyway though? If I don't have one, how will clearing the drive help?

[Retired Tech]

Best = the product key for the CD which was used for the install, not the repair

Worst = You will need an OS and a product key

Hardest = Most likely to get you somewhere

The First Step Is an Open Case

Before you open the case on your computer, make sure your computer is completely unplugged from the wall.

Only after you've unplugged should you open it up.

Consult your manual if you need help opening your computer's case.

Before you start poking around inside, make sure you're properly grounded.

Static electricity can short out the delicate circuitry inside your motherboard.

Always have one hand touching the power supply while the other hand does all the work.

Ideally, you should have your computer set up on a grounding mat. To lower the risk of static electricity, avoid standing on carpet.

Once you've opened up the case, it's time to inspect the components.

You want to double-check that you have an extra space in which to insert the new hard drive, an extra spot on the IDE ribbon that's connected to the other hard drive on your system, and an additional four-prong female power supply adapter.

Most computers have ample room for additional hardware. Look directly under or below your current drive.

There should be an empty spot to slide a new drive into.

The IDE ribbon is always gray and has a width of about two inches. Sometimes the gray ribbon will have a blue or red strip.

The ribbon that's connected to your current hard drive is considered the primary IDE.

On the primary IDE ribbon, look for an identical connector like the one that's already connected to your current drive.

This connector is the one you'll use to attach to your new drive.

Follow all the cords coming from your power supply. All you need to find is one four-prong female power adapter.

Most computers have one or two extras to support additional drives (CD-ROM, floppy, hard drive).

This power adapter is what you'll use to supply power to your new hard drive.


Master and Slave Work Together

When using more than one hard drive on a computer, you must designate one drive a master and the other a slave before you install them.

Your PC uses the terms "master" and "slave" to tell apart two drives on the same IDE channel.

In most cases the master is the hard drive your computer will boot from.

The term "slave" refers to any secondary device connected to the same IDE channel.

Before installing your new hard drive, locate the diagram for changing the jumper setting to a slave.

The diagram depicts different sets of pins with a black box around them.

First look on the top of your drive. If it's not there, see if your drive came with printed instructions or check the manufacturer's Web site.

To change the jumper, you may need to have a set of tweezers handy.

Use them to reposition the jumper between the four male prongs and the IDE ribbon connector.

Match the settings depicted in the diagram on top of the hard drive to make sure you do this correctly.

You may want to make sure your original hard drive jumper is set to a master.

Chances are it already is since most hard drives come this way.

You should double-check just to be sure.


Putting In the Drive

Now it's time to proceed with the installation. To install the new drive in your box, follow these directions:


With the power supply still unplugged, place the new drive into its available location.
Mount the drive to the computer by screwing two screws on both sides of the chassis.
Connect the four-prong power supply to the back of the hard drive.
Connect the IDE ribbon to the back of the hard drive.

The IDE ribbon cable should be key, meaning that you can attach it in only one position. If it seems that it doesn't want to fit, don't force it.

You might have it backward.

Also be careful that you're not bending any of the drive pins.
Remove all screwdrivers and additional screws from inside the case before closing it.
Close the case.
Insert your computer's plug back into its power supply.
Now, turn you computer on.
When you turn your computer on, it should automatically detect the new drive.

Watch the monitor as the PC boots up and see if it finds a primary IDE master and another labeled primary IDE slave.

The master and the slave should have the manufacturer's serial number next to each of them.
If the computer doesn't recognize the new drive, then you'll need to go into the BIOS to designate the new drive as a primary IDE slave.

Please consult your PC's manual for guidelines on doing this.

http://www.harddrive...mper_pins.shtml

[DirePenguin]

Thank you. I will attempt to find out the product Key... I'm not sure how long it will take... I don't know the guy who installed it, so I have to ask my buddy who took it to him to get it for me.

If not, I'll do what you just told me.

Once the drive is slaved to another computer, can I access the files from it normally? Once I have it set up, can I tell what the product key on the slave drive is?

[DirePenguin]

And I'm back for today. Still waiting on word of the product key though.