Format PC

Drinda

My son's PC kept crashing so his friend formatted it using his own copy of Windows not the recovery disc that came with the PC and now we can't get the correct one to load, is there a way to reinstall the correct Windows recovery disc or will we have to take it to the shop.

albertross_2

what happens

Drinda

IT JUST will not run the correct virsion so he had to put his friends one back on and the it works. but then his DVD drive won't work and he can't down load media player ect because it sees it as a elegal copy.
thanks for your help.
Drinda

albertross_2

You'll have to be more specific, you put the dvd in and boot from it presumably? What happens then? Do you have a microsoft serial no sticker on the case?

Drinda

Yes he has the serial number on the case,
He removered the wrong copy from his PC and then tried to install the correct one but it just won't install, but he can reinstall the wrong one and it installs OK.

albertross_2

you can either install the wrong one with your serial no, and then install any extra drivers manually.

or provide more info on what happens when you try to use the correct disk, "it just won't install" doesn't tell us much to help diagnose why and what is happening

Drinda

Dear Albertross, sorry I did not reply last night, son suffers from MS and had taken his meds so had to go to bed.

WE have tried as you said to load the wrong windows with the number from the side of the case but that did not work.

We have just noticed that this copy is Windows XP pro and the correct one that came with the PC is the home addition, perhaps this is why.

ever since his friend installed this XP Pro the DVD drive does not work.He has a Liteon DVDRW LDW 451s and when he tries to use it it says a codec is missing, when he tries to download codecs it won't let him and say's he has a ilegal copy of XP, and it is causing other problems, that is why he would like to reinstall his own XP Rcovery disc that came with the PC.

When he tries to install from HIS recovery disc it does not even ask for the number so he does not know how to get beyond that.

I hope I have explaind it OK.
Drinda.

albertross_2

Could post exactly what happens when he tries to install his version?

What brand/model of PC is it, what does it say on the cover of the disk he is using?

Drinda

His PC is
EI System 5030
EP INTEL Pentium 4
512 MB DDR 40 gb HDD
ON Board SIS 651

The disc say's IE System Recovery CD ROM
This software is preinstalled on your PC and can be used for backup or
recovery only on this system.

He can go into properties and see what is on the disc, but it will not
install and does not even get as far as asking for the code.

Does this help.

ritz55

Hiya, did the PC come with a recover CD/DVD, use this to boot the PC from and reinstall Windows. If you do not have the recovery CD/DVD, contact the manufacturer of the PC and request one from them, they may change a small fee for the cost of the media. Other option is to borrow a friends Copy of XP Home but it must be an OEM CD and reinstall windows using the product key on the side of the PC.

By default windows does not come with a DVD Codec, as the codec is patented and the patent owner requires a small fee for the codec. Normally the PC manufacturer installs a DVD player which includes the codec, once the right codec is in place DVD's can be played in Windows Media Player. Good DVD players if required include WinDVD, Nero Burning Rom(Which includes Nero Vision) PowerDVD, a license would need to be purchased. There are many other options.

If you manage to get hold of the original recovery CD, this will more than likely already have the DVD software included.

Drinda

YES this is the original RECOVERY disc that came with the PC, but as I said it does not install or even get as far as putting in the code number.