I am using the XP Recovery CD to repair a PC.

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.perform_maintain (More info?)

When I boot with the recovery CD it asks if I want to partion the hard drive,
will this remove all my personal files or will it just repair the XP
installation.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.perform_maintain (More info?)

It will completely and permanently erase your hard disk.

Ted Zieglar

"April Floyd" <April Floyd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:EBC27C6D-9870-40E5-B329-EC2AB9B8A9BD@microsoft.com...
> When I boot with the recovery CD it asks if I want to partion the hard
> drive,
> will this remove all my personal files or will it just repair the XP
> installation.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.perform_maintain (More info?)

You definitely do NOT want to partition or format.

Here are some link about how to use the repair option of XP:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315341



http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/repair_xp.htm



http://www.extremetech.com/print_article/0,3998,a=23979,00.asp


If XP can not find any partitions, then the master boot record might be
damaged. If so, try the recovery console instead of a repair install onf
XP. Use FIXMBR once you get into the recovery console. The recovery
console can also copy single files and run CHKDISK, among other things.
Here are some links about the recovery console:

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/win_xp_rec.htm



http://www.wown.com/j_helmig/wxprcons.htm



http://www.xxcopy.com/xxcopy33.htm



If the recovery console asks for a password, it wants the password for the
person you installed XP, not just any admnistrator. If someone else built
the PC, you may need to ask them for the password. However, just hitting
return to signify a blank password is a good guess worth trying. If you can
still get into XP and edit the registry, it is possible to bypass the whole
password problem by changing the following key:



Start à Run à Regedit


Navigate to

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Setup\RecoveryConsole


Set the DWORD SecurityLevel value to 1






"April Floyd" <April Floyd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:EBC27C6D-9870-40E5-B329-EC2AB9B8A9BD@microsoft.com...
> When I boot with the recovery CD it asks if I want to partion the hard
> drive,
> will this remove all my personal files or will it just repair the XP
> installation.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.perform_maintain (More info?)

Hi, April.

There is no WinXP Recovery CD. If you have a Recovery CD, it must have been
provided by the OEM - the Original Equipment Manufacturer who built your
computer. That probably is a major company such as Dell or HP, but it could
be your local computer repair shop. So you might have an HP Recovery Disk,
in which case you should visit www.hp.com to find out how to use it - or
read the manual that came with your computer. Typically, an OEM's Recovery
CD restores the computer to the way it left the store, erasing everything
you've added to the computer since you bought it. That probably is NOT what
you want to do!

If you have a retail WinXP CD-ROM, whether Home or Professional Edition, and
either the "full" or the upgrade version, you should be able to boot from it
and run an "in-place upgrade", as explained by Microsoft in this KB article:

How to perform an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;q315341

and by MVP Michael Stevens here:

How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install
http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

The WinXP CD-ROM has a utility called the Recovery Console, but this is NOT
the same as an OEM's Recovery Disk. If you don't have a full retail WinXP
CD-ROM, contact the vendor who sold you the computer with WinXP
pre-installed.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
rc@corridor.net
Microsoft Windows MVP

"April Floyd" <April Floyd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:EBC27C6D-9870-40E5-B329-EC2AB9B8A9BD@microsoft.com...
> When I boot with the recovery CD it asks if I want to partion the hard
> drive,
> will this remove all my personal files or will it just repair the XP
> installation.