Downloadable Windows XP CD.
cosmic buttplug
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My 5 year old Dell laptop hard-drive has been suffering recently and looks like it could meet its final resting place soon. Before obtaining a replacement drive I need to create a recovery disk (which I should have done ages back) and therefore require a Windows XP install CD. Would anyone know if it is possible to download this from a safe source? Perhaps I should contact Dell for this – reckon it is something they should provide?
Thanks for any advice.
CB
Thanks for any advice.
CB
0
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Sorry can't be more exact.
Edit: if you can get hold of a copy of XP, the same version as you have ie home or pro and probably OEM then you can use that to install onto a new hard drive so long as you have the COA sticker with the code when you install it.
Just to give a little insight here I obtained the laptop with XP (at some premium) as I wanted to avoid the delights of Vista the prevailing OS at the time. Negligently, I failed to check that the restart cd that came with the package is actually for Vista so is totally useless. Hence the need for the XP installation CD. :mad:
The machine is an XPS M1730 with two 250gb HDDs. For some reason one is made by Fujitsu, the other by Western Digital. It is the latter that has failed, though can be reset to ‘normal’ via the Intel® Matrix Storage Console.
gds: Unable to locate anything that looks like it could be used for recovery.
LION8TIGER: No such luck as a recovery partition, sadly. All a right-click on My Computer does is show is Computer Management (Local) containing System Tools, Storage and Services and Applications. Yes, I realise that I will require the exact same. OS, though I do have the original 20 digit registration code, so this should not be a problem.
S2k: Point noted, thanks.
100andthirty: You’re quite right, I really should have purchased an HDD ages back, so it is my own inaction that has played a big part in this problem. However, as a serial optimist (OK, naive to$$er) I thought I had the kernel of a cunning plan. By setting up another HDD (also from a Dell laptop) housed in a caddy, formatted and connected via the USB I believe that I can create an image from the defective HDD. Once I have achieved this I can then replace the two HDDs in the laptop with the newly cloned HDD, change the boot source and hey presto. The problem here is that I cannot complete the image copy as it fails right at the end of the process – I am using Macrium Reflect (the free downloadable version) for this task. It might be because the drive is simply in too poorer state to withstand being copied from so I may have to abandon the task altogether.
Also I might misunderstand the difference between an ‘image’ and a ‘clone’. Feel free to put me right on this issue or any other outstanding nuggets of ignorance featured above.
@ cosmic - The above is called Seagate Disk Wizard http://www.seagate.com/support/downloads/discwizard/ and it's free but will work only on a system containing a Seagate or Maxtor HDD. I *think* that includes an external drive.
It's a useful piece of software with lots of options including disk cloning but you do need that Seagate or Maxtor HDD on your system. If you get one of these drives, you can then optionally upgrade to the full Acronis software at a discount.
Edit: http://www.ehow.com/how_6594265_make-bootable-disk-recovery-partition.html might help.
Re the previous comment,"the cost of a usb hdd enclosure, you could clone the new drive from the old one provided the old one is still working" it is the BIB bit that is still the problem.
LION8TIGER: Interesting link but I have no such recovery partition nor is there a “Dell Data Safe” folder. Maybe Dell were not compelled to the provide 'full package' with xp machines in 2008? It's a bugger, though.
http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/download/details.aspx?id=25129
That's the Service Pack for Windows Xp - basically all the updates. Th op wants the actual Windows Xp install DVD
being fake and / or packaged with malware / viruses. I have a couple of genuine Windows XP CD images on our server.
I find they are often caused by bad sectors.
If you can run chkdsk on all source and destination partitions beforehand, it may work if you try again.
Alternatively, try the sector-by-sector option imaging / cloning which may work (bad sectors and all).
I often think that people think the torrent community are retarded. And they are really not. They are quite capable of regulating themselves and rating their downloads. it is very possible to download the untouched iso's.
Maxatoria: Not wishing to sound like a snivelling wimp missing a backbone, but I tend to leave the torrent world to those who know what they are doing. Seems a bit of a dark art from my viewpoint so reckon I’m best leaving this particular avenue closed. Thanks, though.
RobinOfLoxley: Yes, I think you’re correct, there. I intend to keep running CHKDSK with the hope that bit by bit it might just rectify the dodgy disc. If this is not possible then I will have to consider an alternative solution. I do not think the sector-by-sector option exists in the Macrium facility which was after all a free download. I suppose that this would be available in Acronis?
All comments much appreciated.
That's really generous of you, DJGM. I may well take you up on that if matey doesn't get there first.
Sector-by-sector is available in Macrium Free.
(See Advanced Options/Compression before you hit Finish to start a backup. They refer to it as copying unused sctors)
any dell xp disk will allow to to rebuild the system, no key is required
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dell-Windows-XP-PRO-SP2-Reinstallation-cd-Drivers-Utilities-Resource-CD-/261213265448?pt=UK_Computing_Software_Software_SR&hash=item3cd1861e28
you will need the link from alan1302 to install sp3 unless you find a cd with xp and sp3,
What was proving to be the main obstacle here, is that the two HDDs have a RAID 0 (striped) configuration to allow for a faster data transfer. Without being being able to ‘correct’ the failing HDD (CHKDSK has not managed this yet despite several runs) I will not be able to create any sort of rescue disc. So it is probably best to bite-the bullet now.
Thanks for all for the advice so far and for DJGM’s kind offer. I’ll keep you posted on the progress.
the xps can also run raid just something else to be aware of.
one more thing does the OP use the Media Direct?
The Dell Factory Image Restore tool be may installed access it from the <F8> boot menu.
which ever option the OP uses he will also need a driver disk or another computer in order to down load the drivers.
the correct order is below.
•Dell™ Notebook System Software
•Intel® Mobile Chipset Driver
•NVIDIA® GeForce® 8700M GT
•Ageia PhysX Processor
•Ricoh® Media Card Controller
•Fingerprint reader driver
•Broadcom® NetXtreme™ 5756M Gigabit Integrated Network Controller
•Wireless driver (if applicable)
•Camera driver (if applicable)
•IDT® STAC 9205 Audio Driver
•MDC driver (if applicable)
•Dell Touch Pad Driver
•Bluetooth® driver and stack