Help! Lost my HP XP Home I386 folder

Hello,

I lost the I386 folder of my HP XP Home Edition.
I believe this was my only source to install XP with the key that came with the laptop.
Is there any way to get it back?

I believe that if I have the following files from the I386 folder, I might be able to creat a new disk.

I shall be most thankful if anyone having HP XP Home Edition which was eligible for free Vista Upgrade can share the folowing files

I386 folder:

OEMBIOS.BI_
OEMBIOS.CA_
OEMBIOS.DA_
OEMBIOS.SI_

Thanks and regards,

Ravindra.

 

Don't you have recovery disks? if you recover the hdd image, then the i386 folder will be recreated.

 

Hello,

I was not interested in the bloaware and wanted my custom partitions and so I did not crest the recovery disks. I was, then, not aware that I still need to back-up swsetup and I386.

Regards,

Ravindra.

 

i wud guess u deleted the recovery partition as well eh

if u havent written anything to the drive then maybe u cud use a recovery program to recover the folder.

if u have XP Home installed use a program like ViewXPKey or similar to get ur product key. U cud also download a OEM version of XP Home and use your key for that. You should also have a key at the bottom of your laptop too.

 

Hello,

I am stuck where I can only clean install. My CD where I had backed up swsetup and I386 would not work. I downloaded the drivers from HP site and need the above files so I can build a cd from a borrowed original which will accept my key. The borrowed cd won't accept my key. I was told I have to replace these files.
I have my laptop sticker with the key. I need only the above keys.
Where can one download the oem XP Home?
regards,

Ravindra.

 

ok i will upload them to something like rapidshare and provide the link for u. I have XP home myself

 

Have you tried the http://www.oembios.net repository?

For a Pavilion, you download and extract the ' HP PAVILION", I think it contains those files you are looking for and maybe a couple of extras. Try for your model, if it is a different one than Pavilion, but still listed.

For help with them:

For Multi-Manufacture Activation Discussion
http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=71016

 

Oh well here ya go anyways

http://www.sharebigfile.com/file/134732/OEMHOME-zip.html

 

My post may not have had exactly what he needed.
I'm sure your post has exactly what he needs.

 

dunno i downloaded your link and seems about right just need to rename them i think or perhaps theyre the de-compressed versions.

in any case if neither works then his best bet wud be to either download or use data recovery

 

Should've made a recovery disk. The I386 directory is crucial to the system as you found out. The SW directory only lists the programs that were loaded in the first place. My best bet is to order the recovery disk for your laptop.. $15 from HP. Otherwise buy a new OS and download all the drivers from HP as needed. The original SoftWares that was included is now lost. I admit some of them did come in handy. Bloatware you can always delete in the add/remove.

 

I believe you can recreate them: http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/web/29/#oembios

Just a note, when there is an _ replacing the last character of the extension, that means its compressed. Thats how its stored on the Installation CDs then during the setup process they are decompressed and put onto your system.