windows xp home re-install question

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hi all,
I'm looking at trying to fix someones laptop. it's fairly old but surfices for browsing the web, documents etc. They started getting BSOD at random times and then windows stopped loading so i said i'd take a look. It looks like a critical file or two has become corrupt so hardware failure aside, my first port of call is to extract what files i can and re-install.
Now, they have XP Home installed on there and the key sticker is on the laptop itself but they can't find the XP disc.
Can I get hold of any XP Home disc and install it with the key from the sticker on their laptop? Any problems I should look out for?

I'm figuring if this doesn't work it's a hardware failure of some kind (HDD, mobo, memory).
 
hi all,
I'm looking at trying to fix someones laptop. it's fairly old but surfices for browsing the web, documents etc. They started getting BSOD at random times and then windows stopped loading so i said i'd take a look. It looks like a critical file or two has become corrupt so hardware failure aside, my first port of call is to extract what files i can and re-install.
Now, they have XP Home installed on there and the key sticker is on the laptop itself but they can't find the XP disc.
Can I get hold of any XP Home disc and install it with the key from the sticker on their laptop? Any problems I should look out for?

I'm figuring if this doesn't work it's a hardware failure of some kind (HDD, mobo, memory).

As long as the reinstallation media matches the licence dictated on the sticker (Known as the certificate of authenticity, COA) you'll be ok, ie:

Windows XP Professional OEM disc with an Windows XP Professional OEM COA
Windows XP Home Edition retail disc with an Win XP Home Edition retail disc

Just backup whatever is worth saving onto a USB hard drive, image the current installation and then reinstall using the correct media & the serial key listed on the COA :D.
 
Last edited:
If you get hold of a copy of the manufacturers disk it will install without the need to put serial no. in. I have a dell disk for the dell PC's and laptops I maintain. These were originally corporate machines but beyond their sell by date so I have volunteered them to the community.
 
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