You can run the recovery console from the CD. As for a "repair install", you may be prompted that your OS on the hard drive (SP2) is newer than the version on the CD (SP1).
If you live in the US you can request a set of disks from Dell using this form. If you live outside the US you will need to call tech support for your region and request the disks.
Dell will only supply a disk for the original operating system shipped with your computer, so if that was not the one you have now the only thing you can do is learn to slipstream.
Note: The Service Pack does not count as a version. If your original disk was Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 1, Dell will send you a disk for Win XP Pro with SP-2.
Message Edited by JackShack on 03-25-2008 05:06 PM
If you can't get an SP2 CD from Dell, here's a good tutorial to create a slip-streamed CD with XP from your old CD plus SP2 downloaded free from Microsoft.
For clarification, I have all the original Dell disks for Windows XP Professional, Service Pack 1, and any other software, for my Dimension 8300. Through automatic Windows Update I have updated to SP2 when it was first released, and hopefully have all other updates. To do a repair install, can I simply request the updated SP2 disks from Dell (if I can get them) and then do the repair install directly from them?
To do a repair install, can I simply request the updated SP2 disks from Dell (if I can get them) and then do the repair install directly from them?
Yes, if you can get the SP2 XP Reinstallation CD from Dell.
If you try to use the SP1 CD with SP2 on the hard drive, you're going to get an error message that the drive has a later version of Windows than the CD. And even if it starts to do the repair with the SP1 CD, you'll eventually get an error about pci.sys. And the only way around that is to use an SP2 CD.
Rebel9
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March 25th, 2008 18:00
elvis1999
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March 25th, 2008 19:00
Yes, I had seen an earlier post that says a "slipstreamed CD" is required to do the repair installation, but it looks like a major task to create: http://www.dellcommunity.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=sw_winxp&message.id=181133&query.id=88015
Does anyone know if Dell supplies such a CD?
jackshack
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March 25th, 2008 21:00
If you live in the US you can request a set of disks from Dell using this form. If you live outside the US you will need to call tech support for your region and request the disks.
Dell will only supply a disk for the original operating system shipped with your computer, so if that was not the one you have now the only thing you can do is learn to slipstream.
Note: The Service Pack does not count as a version. If your original disk was Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 1, Dell will send you a disk for Win XP Pro with SP-2.
RoHe
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March 25th, 2008 21:00
If you can't get an SP2 CD from Dell, here's a good tutorial to create a slip-streamed CD with XP from your old CD plus SP2 downloaded free from Microsoft.
Ron
elvis1999
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March 25th, 2008 23:00
RoHe
10 Elder
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45.2K Posts
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March 25th, 2008 23:00
To do a repair install, can I simply request the updated SP2 disks from Dell (if I can get them) and then do the repair install directly from them?
Yes, if you can get the SP2 XP Reinstallation CD from Dell.
If you try to use the SP1 CD with SP2 on the hard drive, you're going to get an error message that the drive has a later version of Windows than the CD. And even if it starts to do the repair with the SP1 CD, you'll eventually get an error about pci.sys. And the only way around that is to use an SP2 CD.
Ron
elvis1999
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March 26th, 2008 00:00