[mreasyrider]

Hi and thanks for reading. I have followed the instructions posted here. I am using a Copy of a genuine XP CD that I slipstreamed SP2 onto. I am doing a repair install and everything looks good until it pops up a RESTORE screen with an OK button at the bottom right corner. I can click ok until I am blue in the face and nothing happens. I have tried several time to run the repair install again with the same results. Has anyone here ever run into this? I have checked the boards at Bleeping Computers with no luck. Yes I do have the CD key but it never goes that far. I have swapped the memory out with no difference. I went into the recovery option at the first part of the setup and ran the chkdisk with a return of no errors found. I am stumped as I have never seen a RESTORE screen come up during a repair installation.

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Did you use nLite to slipstream SP2 or did you use Autostreamer?

I would recommend using Autostreamer and slip streaming SP2 then SP3.

Create XP CD slipstreamed with SP3:

The simplest way to create a Bootable Windows XP Pro or Home Installation CD Slipstreamed with SP3 is to use Autostreamer. You point to your XP Pro/Home CD, the SP3 Service Pack .exe file, give it a path to write the .iso file to and off it goes. In 5 or 10 minutes you have a .iso file that you can burn to CD with almost any CD burner program you want to use. I used Roxio 7. There is also a good freeware burner called ImgBurn which will do this for you.

Here is the link to Autostreamer: http://www.softpedia...ostreamer.shtml

You can download the SP3 .exe here: Windows XP Service Pack 3 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and Developers

If you have an original XP Install CD with no Service Pack applied, not even SP1a then you will need to do the above in two steps. First you will have to splistream SP2 then repeat for SP3.

You can download SP2 .exe here: Windows XP Service Pack 2 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and Developers

An excellent alternative is nLite. It allows you to merge SP2/SP3/Windows Updates into a new XP CD image that you can install from. Takes a bit of fiddling with but worth the effort since it also allows you to pre-answer all the questions asked during install so all you have to do is boot the new CD, select where you want to install, format or not and go to lunch. When you come back the install is finished and your are at the latest Service Pack and Update level. See here:
http://www.nliteos.com/

If you have Vista, then give Vlite a try:
http://www.vlite.net/

Use this site to get the MS updates: http://www.softwarepatch.com/windows/

You can also get updates from an MS site but it takes more work: http://windowsxp.mvp...saveupdates.htm

[Ztruker]

Did you use nLite to slipstream SP2 or did you use Autostreamer?

I would recommend using Autostreamer and slip streaming SP2 then SP3.

Create XP CD slipstreamed with SP3:

The simplest way to create a Bootable Windows XP Pro or Home Installation CD Slipstreamed with SP3 is to use Autostreamer. You point to your XP Pro/Home CD, the SP3 Service Pack .exe file, give it a path to write the .iso file to and off it goes. In 5 or 10 minutes you have a .iso file that you can burn to CD with almost any CD burner program you want to use. I used Roxio 7. There is also a good freeware burner called ImgBurn which will do this for you.

Here is the link to Autostreamer: http://www.softpedia...ostreamer.shtml

You can download the SP3 .exe here: Windows XP Service Pack 3 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and Developers

If you have an original XP Install CD with no Service Pack applied, not even SP1a then you will need to do the above in two steps. First you will have to splistream SP2 then repeat for SP3.

You can download SP2 .exe here: Windows XP Service Pack 2 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and Developers

An excellent alternative is nLite. It allows you to merge SP2/SP3/Windows Updates into a new XP CD image that you can install from. Takes a bit of fiddling with but worth the effort since it also allows you to pre-answer all the questions asked during install so all you have to do is boot the new CD, select where you want to install, format or not and go to lunch. When you come back the install is finished and your are at the latest Service Pack and Update level. See here:
http://www.nliteos.com/

If you have Vista, then give Vlite a try:
http://www.vlite.net/

Use this site to get the MS updates: http://www.softwarepatch.com/windows/

You can also get updates from an MS site but it takes more work: http://windowsxp.mvp...saveupdates.htm

[mreasyrider]

I used Nlite

[Ztruker]

nLite is a good tool but you can get carried away making changes and end up with a useless or not fully functional installation disc (voice of experience). You might want to try again using Autostreamer.

[mreasyrider]

Used Autostreamer with the same end result. I am just plain baffled

[Ztruker]

Rats, I hoped that would fix it for you.

When you say it pops up a RESTORE screen with an OK button at the bottom right corner, what do you mean?

I don't remember seeing any RESTORE screen doing a Repair Install. Can you post a link to the instructions you are following please?

[mreasyrider]

http://www.geekstogo...indpost__p__489

Sure as I am sitting here a RESTORE screen comes up with a OK button located at the right bottom corner. First time I have ever seen it.

[Ztruker]

Can you take a picture of the screen with a digital camera and post it?

[mreasyrider]

I gave up and just done a clean install

[Ztruker]

Sometimes that's the quickest and easiest fix.

Once you have everything up to date and all your software and data restored, do an image backup so if something like this happens again you can just restore the image and you're up and running. If you keep the image current all the better.

I use Acronis True Image and backup to a 2nd internal hard drive. It runs every night at 10:30 and shuts down when it finishes.

You may want to look into getting an external USB 2.0/3.0 hard drive and backup to it once a wekk or so.