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    Swiping a Hard Drive with no Recovery stuff

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by stevenator128, Dec 29, 2006.

  1. stevenator128

    stevenator128 Notebook Evangelist

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    How do you do it? I've got a hard drive that was used in a business computer so it's loaded with a bunch of their crappy software and stuff.

    I'd like to just freshly install windows xp and get rid of all their stuff.

    There are no recovery cd's and no recovery partition as far as I know (haven't checked).

    So, how?
     
    stevenator128, Dec 29, 2006
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  2. zolo

    zolo Notebook Evangelist

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    If you haven't checked yet, there's usualy a recovery partition, otherwise, just uninstall all the crappy stuff and live with it. Since you didn't post ANY specs, I'd assume it has windows xp pro? if it has a sticker beneath the notebook with serial number, then grab a windows pro cd from a friend and use the serial number you have beneath the notebook, the cd has to exactly match the one your notebook came with i.e xp pro, oem, sp1 or sp2.. etc.
     
    zolo, Dec 29, 2006
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  3. stevenator128

    stevenator128 Notebook Evangelist

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    It's a desktop. Forgot to mention that. And I'm pretty sure, since it's a home business computer, they got rid of the recovery partition if there was even one. It's a Pentium 4 2.0ghz 60gb Hard Drive 256mb RAM. Sticker on the case says "Designed for Windows XP," but it has Windows 2000 installed.
     
    stevenator128, Dec 29, 2006
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  4. Jesusfrk611

    Jesusfrk611 Notebook Consultant

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    Look on the back of the desktop. If there is a 25-character Windows XP key, you can get an XP CD and use that key to install Windows with. If there isn't a key, you can get the key off the hard drive with Magical Jellybean keyfinder (Google it).

    EDIT: just reread your post and you said it had Win 2k on the HDD, nevermind getting the key off the HDD.
     
    Jesusfrk611, Dec 29, 2006
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  5. zolo

    zolo Notebook Evangelist

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    How can there be a windows xp key on the back of the PC, when the installed OS is windows 2000? Even if there's a recovery partition, windows 2000 would be stored in it not XP!! Unless it came with XP, and they removed it and installed 2000 for some reason?
     
    zolo, Dec 30, 2006
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  6. Arla

    Arla Notebook Deity

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    As an OEM copy of Windows 2000 (probably) I don't believe you are legally allowed to install it on another computer, as such taking a hard drive and installing that into a completely different computer would probably be against the EULA.

    Having said that, unless the computer has a recovery partition it's unlikely you can, and most corporations that I've worked for/with don't use recovery partitions, they use "ghost images" or the equivalent that are stored with the IT department.
     
    Arla, Dec 30, 2006
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