Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (
More info?)
Dave Neve wrote:
> Hi
>
> Following a major crash, a friend has had a new motherboard installed.
>
> But on startup, he can only get to the password window.
>
> At this time, the mouse and keyboard are not actived (don't know why) and he
> can not enter his password.
>
Normally, and assuming a retail license (many OEM installations are
BIOS-locked to a specific chipset and therefore not transferable to a
new motherboard - check yours before starting), unless the new
motherboard is virtually identical (same chipset, same IDE controllers,
same BIOS version, etc.) to the one on which the WinXP installation was
originally performed, you'll need to perform a repair (a.k.a. in-place
upgrade) installation, at the very least:
How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=KB;EN-US;Q315341
The "why" is quite simple, really, and has nothing to do with
licensing issues, per se; it's a purely technical matter, at this point.
You've pulled the proverbial hardware rug out from under the OS. (If
you don't like -- or get -- the rug analogy, think of it as picking up a
Cape Cod style home and then setting it down onto a Ranch style
foundation. It just isn't going to fit.) WinXP, like Win2K before it,
is not nearly as "promiscuous" as Win9x when it comes to accepting any
old hardware configuration you throw at it. On installation it
"tailors" itself to the specific hardware found. This is one of the
reasons that the entire WinNT/2K/XP OS family is so much more stable
than the Win9x group.
As always when undertaking such a significant change, back up any
important data before starting.
This will also probably require re-activation, unless you have a
Volume Licensed version of WinXP Pro installed. If it's been more than
120 days since you last activated that specific Product Key, you'll most
likely be able to activate via the Internet without problem. If it's
been less, you might have to make a 5 minute phone call.
> He isn't useless infront of a computer and thinks he can get in via DOS.
>
There is no way to reboot a WinXP PC into Real Mode DOS unless
you've set up a dual-boot system. The WinNT family of 32-bit graphical
operating systems, of which WinXP is the latest generation, has never
used, included, or "ridden upon" MS-DOS. The Recovery Console's CLI
(Command Line Interface) is the closest you can come to the old "DOS mode."
> But when he stops the computer from booting by pressing F8 and brings up the
> BIOS on the screen, there is no 'enter DOS' option.
>
Well, no, of course there isn't. A computer's BIOS has absolutely
nothing to do with the OS installed upon the hard drive, or vice versa.
> So, we have two related problems.
>
> 1 Entering the password without a mouse or keyboard
>
Not possible, perform a repair installation of the OS.
> 2 Getting into DOS from BIOS
>
Can't be done. Period.
--
Bruce Chambers
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