New nc8430 - possible to make WinXP CD?

I just got my nc8430 last week. The thing is, I changed out the hard drive so I want to install WinXP Pro that came with the laptop on the new hard drive. However, since no CDs came with the laptop, I'm not sure how to go about this. The only thing I'm seeing is the "Backup and Recovery Manager" which gives me 2 DVDs, but these are actual images of all my settings and files. I want to install FRESH. Is there any way to get a CD of WinXP from this somehow?

Also, I have a previous Windows XP Pro CD, but the product key I get from HP doesn't seem to work on it. Why is this?

 

Do you still have the original hard drive? Swap that drive back in and make the backup DVDs!!!

Those recovery DVDs will install only the basic XP image (as if you had installed it from an OEM or retail disc) and necessary software like drivers and not tweak the installation in ways you do not want it to. All extra software is in the C:\SwSetup directory. I've messed with my nc8430 for almost two months now and I can't tell the difference (if any) between the HP installation and one I would have gotten from a fresh disc.

AFAIK, HP will only ship you the recovery DVDs if you need them.

EDIT: That product key on the HP is a OEM key...which isn't accepted by a retail disc.

 

Im wondering, I have an XP Pro install disc, but if I install it and do a clean install, will that leave me with malfnctioning utilities, such as the camera, and wifi, and things like that? Or should I just keep my xphome.

 

There shouldn't be a problem. Just unplug all that stuff, reinstall, and then plug it all back in while running any software setup CDs (if any) that came with your camera and other devices. If you don't have those drivers (or CDs) and you need them (for things like that integrated webcam), just check HPs Software & Drivers section of their webpage. Navigate to the dv2000t's main page (that has all the specs listed) and look for a link similar to "Support & Drivers."

Drivers for XP Home with work with XP Pro, and vise versa. They are the same OS underneath.

 

night you're always a big help.

I only have CD-Rs at the moment, and it wants 9 of them (!). On which CD will the XP install be on?

 

The HP recovery program will ask for all of those CDs, from 1 to 9, during the restore process (and there is no way to safely interrupt it). Likewise, the Recovery CD/DVD Creator will ask for 9 empty CDs before it exits (it doesn't really give you a choice). It's probably on the first one, but since the restore program needs all of it...

2 DVDs ~ 9 CDs...forgot about that! Check out getting some DVD+R's for cheap; if you can buy then individually that would be nice. Make sure that they aren't RWs (the program will refuse to use them), and also not DVD-Rs (I never read any documentation that said they were supported by the recovery program).

Hope that helps!

 

Ah, I see. OK making the 9 discs now (too lazy to go out and buy DVD+Rs)

Only thing I'm worried about is whether the HP recovery WinXP setup, when I run it on my new hd, will load SATA drivers. Because normal WinXP installations dont, and I had to use a program called nLite to create a custom WinXP install disk with those drivers preloaded. Ahh so many headaches.

 

I never had to disable SATA mode when using those recovery CDs. I believe that those discs are merely a unintended XP install with the SATA drivers, other drivers, and the necessary programs (and SwSetup) slipstreamed into the installation process. I've seen my employer's IT staff do things like that without too much trouble. After all, the business notebooks are supposed to just work...even the recovery process was designed to work without trouble.

NOTE: The only time I've ever had to disable SATA mode in BIOS was when I was doing a system restore with Norton Ghost 10.0. I have too many programs installed (and devices installed) to start from scratch again (unless I really have to).

P.S.: nc8430 = No headaches. Keep that in mind.

 

You can extract Windows Installation from the I386 folder on your old HDD. Check here: http://www.easydesksoftware.com/recovery.htm#XP
and somewhat here: http://www.easydesksoftware.com/I386.htm

 

you can do a fresh install of windows with ur xp cd. you just need to put it in and boot the comp with the xp cd.....

you wont need a cd key then

make sure you download all drivers and software from the hp website first though

 

The nc8430 doesn't come with CDs...it's all on the hard disk.

 

but he does have a winxp cd..... he just doesnt have the code.

if you install windows while booting you dont need a code

 

I'll try this out. There is an I386 folder in there, so it might just work.

I don't quite understand this. Installing from any WinXP CD will require you to put in a CD key, no??

The weird thing is that I changed the setupp.ini file in my Windows XP CD to have a product ID of an OEM install (I read on a bunch of sites that if you do this you can switch a retail CD to act like an OEM CD) but the CD key on the bottom of my laptop doesn't work with this, either

Very frustrating...

 

hmmm
iv had the exact same problem as you and installed xp with the cd from my old laptop

u put the windows xp cd in and restart your computer

before windows starts there will be a screen tht says "press any key to boot from cd"

press any key to boot from the cd

if this doesnt come up change your boot setup so tht cds boot before the harddrive

once u press the key windows will be set up and a fresh install will be done. u can format and partition ur HDD during this time.

when you chose to set up windows in this manner it does not ask for a product key. also it is detected as genuine(which it is!!) when u run the windows genuine advantage wizard.

however if you try to setup windows from my computer it will ask you for your cd key.

 

Just FYI,

Using 9 cd's, instead of (1) or (2) dvd's is setting yourself up for a problem later on...

If (1) of the set is damaged, you're not going to be happy..
(I would assume you're aware of that, just a fyi for people who may not be going to do a fresh install, use Nlite to make their own install disc, and are really "needing" those recovery disc to work later on.)

PS: You asked about SATA drivers, if the recovery discs re-install them...I haven't used it, and can't confirm, but running recovery should install SATA drivers. I would think it would since I think the recovery app is just restoring an "image" back to the drive, and not do an "install"

I do know that the $10 OS re-install disc, an option on a order I placed thru on www.COSTCO.com back in April-2006 was a pure OS install disc, with the serial number already emedded (no need to enter key)... and it must have had the needed SATA driver slipstreamed in... as I have several OS install images with all my apps already slipstreamed in.(by someone else).. and they wouldn't install... but yet the HP provided disc installed smooth as silk.

 

I also saved ISOs to a separate hard drive (the program gives you that option). That way I'm still covered. Sorry I forgot to mention that.

 

So are you saying that if I already have genuine HP-installed Windows running, if I go and put in my Windows XP CD, boot from it, reformat and install, it wont ask me for a product key? It'll automatically take it from the previous install?

 

ittl be a fresh install ......

 

but remember do download all your drivers and put them on a cd before that

 

I dunno, I'm beginning to get a little worried. I ran a program to check the CD Key of the HP factory-installed WinXP installation, and its a different key than what I have on the bottom of my laptop. I read this is likely due to the factory using their own volume key when setting up laptops. Fine. So then I used a utility to change the product key to the one I have attached to my laptop, but this key is refused (says its "invalid"). If I can't use this key ANYWHERE, why the hell do I even have it glued onto my system? I can't use it with HP's installation, and I can't use it with OEM / retail / volume authentic Windows XP CDs...

I'm just getting a little frustrated because all I want to do is be able to reinstall windows whenever I want cleanly, without having to spend 3 hours going through 9 CDs to do so (and even then its not a completely clean install). Khanak i'm not sure if your method will work because I see online that even during reinstallation, windows will still ask for a cd key. Also, copying the data from the i386 folder to make my own CD wont work because there are about 15 files in that folder, all packaged in HP's proprietary files, so its useless.

 

iv doen this several times.....but its your call whether you want to try it or not.

 

The same thing happened to me but I had not checked beforehand that the installation key was different from the one at the bottom. I reinstalled and it would not work. I mean I installed Windows but it rejected the product activation, "invalid key". I had to call Microsoft and they told me a phone activation code.

Furhter you can use the code you have (the bottom of the laptop) only with OEM versions of winXP!

 

First, you dont by any chance still have the number you called do you? I really dont want to try to dig up phone numbers for Microsoft. If you do, I think I'll just call that and try to get a working key for my CD out of them.

Also, yea I know the key on the machine is an OEM key. I changed my authentic retail CD to be accept OEM keys (its just a small change to one of the files on the CD), and it STILL wont accept the key. You have no idea how many CDs I wasted trying to get it to accept my key somehow. Nothing worked

 

I could be wrong, but I don't see how after a format it's not going to ask for a serial "if" you're using anything other than a OEM disc... or a install disc that's been edited to act like an OEM disc...

I think khanak is talking about using a install disc that has an embedded serial number, either an OEM disc, of an XP image that has had the info added to make an unattended install.

He's also talking about booting your machine from a COLD boot (or a restart)... Power up your machine from a COLD boot, set bios to read dvd drive, and if the XO install disc is "bootable" it will read the disc, then go into the install.

(If you make your own XP install disc you need to make it "bootable")

An OEM disc should already have the serial number, wpa? info already embedded. (and yes the serial will NOT match the serial on the bottom of the machine)

Retail disc is going to ask for the serial... unless it's been edited.


.

 

yea....thts wht i was trying to say

 

I know how to make a retail cd act as an OEM CD, but I have no idea how to embed a cd key into it. Also, as I mentioned before, even making the CD act as an OEM, it STILL wont accept my CD key. I think the only plausible solution is to call MS and get a key that will work.

Also, I am trying out another method I found archived away on these boards of using a program called bcd to make a Windows CD out of the original I386 folder (as mentioned earlier in the thread). This method doesn't embed the CD Key either, but at least it might make me a CD that I can use with my key. I'll update it if actually works.

 

i know how to but i cant tell ya id get in trouble

 

I called Microsoft in Bulgaria, so I doubt the phone number will be any help to you
why don't you just use the key in your current XP installation with the CD that you'll make from the i386 folder.
Different OEM keys will not work on one OEM disk because the OEM activation/registration is locked to the BIOS and Hardware of your laptop. Pretty clever, isn't it . HP advised me to upgrade BIOS as this might help..it did not but MS turned out really nice fellows.

 

I FINALLY got it to work! Here is what you need to do if you want to create a fresh Windows XP CD ONLY and not have to deal with the whole restore system that HP has set up:

Goto to this site, and basically just follow the instructions. Its very clear cut and easy to use:

http://www.4saad.com/WhatsNew/Fresh_XP_Install/index.htm

There are three - yes, three - CD keys that potentially can come with an HP system. One is obviously the one affixed to the laptop itself. Another is found in a file called UNATTEND.TXT in the I386 folder. Yet another can be attained by using a CD Key finder program in your installed version of windows - HP uses their own generic key to set up your windows, not your real CD key.

Once I made the CD using the site above, I used the CD Key attached to my laptop and it worked. Note that this was the only time I was able to get this key to work. I don't even know why HP puts this key on the laptop at all. The ONLY way to use it is to use the guide in the site above and make a fresh CD completely on your own. If you use HP's recovery system, it'll just use the generic key that HP uses, not your actual key.

Anyways, dunno if anyone wanted to do this. But at least now you can