Guest Mikey Posted September 8, 2007 Posted September 8, 2007 One of the people at work brought in kid's computer, saying it wouldn't boot. After BIOS messages, I just get a black screen, so I thought a repair install would do the trick. Now the fun starts, they think it's running XP, & don't know if it's home or pro, much less SP1 or SP2! I booted off of 2 different Pro disks, SP1 & SP2, but wasn't given the option of chosing which XP installation I wanted to repair. Should I take this as an indicator that it's running Home? I would just try booting from a Home disk, but I don't have one of them. I can boot off a Knoppix CD & see the HD & all its contents. Is there a way to get the product key when accessing from another computer, whether booting from Knoppix disk, or putting into working computer as a slave drive? Thanks for any advice.
Guest LVTravel Posted September 8, 2007 Posted September 8, 2007 Re: Home or Pro? Are you getting any error message on the screen about can't find NTLDR or any other error messages at all or does the XP screen show? What is the last line on the screen before it goes blank if in fact it does go blank? There should be something after the bios has finished displaying. "Mikey" <texan767@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:1189214201.953622.231030@22g2000hsm.googlegroups.com... > One of the people at work brought in kid's computer, saying it > wouldn't boot. > After BIOS messages, I just get a black screen, so I thought a repair > install would do the trick. > Now the fun starts, they think it's running XP, & don't know if it's > home or pro, much less SP1 or SP2! > I booted off of 2 different Pro disks, SP1 & SP2, but wasn't given the > option of chosing which XP installation I wanted to repair. > Should I take this as an indicator that it's running Home? I would > just try booting from a Home disk, but I don't have one of them. > I can boot off a Knoppix CD & see the HD & all its contents. > Is there a way to get the product key when accessing from another > computer, whether booting from Knoppix disk, or putting into working > computer as a slave drive? > Thanks for any advice. >
Guest Bruce Chambers Posted September 8, 2007 Posted September 8, 2007 Re: Home or Pro? Mikey wrote: > One of the people at work brought in kid's computer, saying it > wouldn't boot. > After BIOS messages, I just get a black screen, so I thought a repair > install would do the trick. > Now the fun starts, they think it's running XP, & don't know if it's > home or pro, much less SP1 or SP2! > I booted off of 2 different Pro disks, SP1 & SP2, but wasn't given the > option of chosing which XP installation I wanted to repair. > Should I take this as an indicator that it's running Home? No, not necessarily. > I would > just try booting from a Home disk, but I don't have one of them. > I can boot off a Knoppix CD & see the HD & all its contents. > Is there a way to get the product key when accessing from another > computer, whether booting from Knoppix disk, or putting into working > computer as a slave drive? > Thanks for any advice. > Why not just have the computer's owner provide you with the disk that they got with the computer? -- Bruce Chambers Help us help you: http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell
Guest Mikey Posted September 8, 2007 Posted September 8, 2007 Re: Home or Pro? Nothing. After BIOS message, screen goes black, like right before XP splash screen comes up, but never gets to that point. On Sep 7, 9:01 pm, "LVTravel" <no...@nothere.com> wrote: > Are you getting any error message on the screen about can't find NTLDR or > any other error messages at all or does the XP screen show? What is the last > line on the screen before it goes blank if in fact it does go blank? > > There should be something after the bios has finished displaying. > > "Mikey" <texan...@hotmail.com> wrote in message > > news:1189214201.953622.231030@22g2000hsm.googlegroups.com... > > > One of the people at work brought in kid's computer, saying it > > wouldn't boot. > > After BIOS messages, I just get a black screen, so I thought a repair > > install would do the trick. > > Now the fun starts, they think it's running XP, & don't know if it's > > home or pro, much less SP1 or SP2! > > I booted off of 2 different Pro disks, SP1 & SP2, but wasn't given the > > option of chosing which XP installation I wanted to repair. > > Should I take this as an indicator that it's running Home? I would > > just try booting from a Home disk, but I don't have one of them. > > I can boot off a Knoppix CD & see the HD & all its contents. > > Is there a way to get the product key when accessing from another > > computer, whether booting from Knoppix disk, or putting into working > > computer as a slave drive? > > Thanks for any advice.
Guest Mike Posted September 8, 2007 Posted September 8, 2007 Re: Home or Pro? "Bruce Chambers" <bchambers@cable0ne.n3t> wrote in message news:%23Kmr1dc8HHA.4476@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... > Mikey wrote: >> One of the people at work brought in kid's computer, saying it >> wouldn't boot. >> After BIOS messages, I just get a black screen, so I thought a repair >> install would do the trick. >> Now the fun starts, they think it's running XP, & don't know if it's >> home or pro, much less SP1 or SP2! >> I booted off of 2 different Pro disks, SP1 & SP2, but wasn't given the >> option of chosing which XP installation I wanted to repair. >> Should I take this as an indicator that it's running Home? > > No, not necessarily. > >> I would >> just try booting from a Home disk, but I don't have one of them. >> I can boot off a Knoppix CD & see the HD & all its contents. >> Is there a way to get the product key when accessing from another >> computer, whether booting from Knoppix disk, or putting into working >> computer as a slave drive? >> Thanks for any advice. >> > > > Why not just have the computer's owner provide you with the disk that they > got with the computer? > > > -- > > Bruce Chambers > > Help us help you: > http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm > http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html > > They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary > safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin > > Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand > Russell I tried that & got a cd case full of games!
Guest Bruce Chambers Posted September 8, 2007 Posted September 8, 2007 Re: Home or Pro? Mike wrote: > >>> >> >> Why not just have the computer's owner provide you with the disk that they >> got with the computer? >> >> >> -- >> >> Bruce Chambers >> >> Help us help you: >> http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm >> http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html >> >> They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary >> safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin >> >> Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand >> Russell > > I tried that & got a cd case full of games! > > Try Again. Or ask the computer's owner to look on the original invoice (which he surely would have retained for warranty purposes) to see which OS license was purchased. Also, if the computer had an OEM OS installation, the CoA label affixed to the computer will clearly state the specific WinXP edition, as well as the Product Key. -- Bruce Chambers Help us help you: http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell
Guest LVTravel Posted September 8, 2007 Posted September 8, 2007 Re: Home or Pro? Try this, Go into the bios (the key or key combination will appear on the screen for a second or so during the bios scan. If you press the key you should go into the bios setup. If you get into the bios successfully look for something that says default settings (normally under the exit menu option but depending on the bios can be almost anywhere). Click on that and then Save & Exit. "Mikey" <texan767@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:1189221864.878458.321660@k79g2000hse.googlegroups.com... > Nothing. > After BIOS message, screen goes black, like right before XP splash > screen comes up, but never gets to that point. > > > On Sep 7, 9:01 pm, "LVTravel" <no...@nothere.com> wrote: >> Are you getting any error message on the screen about can't find NTLDR or >> any other error messages at all or does the XP screen show? What is the >> last >> line on the screen before it goes blank if in fact it does go blank? >> >> There should be something after the bios has finished displaying. >> >> "Mikey" <texan...@hotmail.com> wrote in message >> >> news:1189214201.953622.231030@22g2000hsm.googlegroups.com... >> >> > One of the people at work brought in kid's computer, saying it >> > wouldn't boot. >> > After BIOS messages, I just get a black screen, so I thought a repair >> > install would do the trick. >> > Now the fun starts, they think it's running XP, & don't know if it's >> > home or pro, much less SP1 or SP2! >> > I booted off of 2 different Pro disks, SP1 & SP2, but wasn't given the >> > option of chosing which XP installation I wanted to repair. >> > Should I take this as an indicator that it's running Home? I would >> > just try booting from a Home disk, but I don't have one of them. >> > I can boot off a Knoppix CD & see the HD & all its contents. >> > Is there a way to get the product key when accessing from another >> > computer, whether booting from Knoppix disk, or putting into working >> > computer as a slave drive? >> > Thanks for any advice. > >
Guest Peter Foldes Posted September 8, 2007 Posted September 8, 2007 Re: Home or Pro? You will not have an indicator which version to Repair when doing what you did. What you can try and hopefully it can work is to follow the link from MS below. This fix for the Registry is the same for all Windows XP versions. See if you do this if the computer will boot after. You will do no harm and if it is not his issue then look somewhere else http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;q307545 -- Peter Please Reply to Newsgroup for the benefit of others Requests for assistance by email can not and will not be acknowledged. "Mikey" <texan767@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:1189214201.953622.231030@22g2000hsm.googlegroups.com... > One of the people at work brought in kid's computer, saying it > wouldn't boot. > After BIOS messages, I just get a black screen, so I thought a repair > install would do the trick. > Now the fun starts, they think it's running XP, & don't know if it's > home or pro, much less SP1 or SP2! > I booted off of 2 different Pro disks, SP1 & SP2, but wasn't given the > option of chosing which XP installation I wanted to repair. > Should I take this as an indicator that it's running Home? I would > just try booting from a Home disk, but I don't have one of them. > I can boot off a Knoppix CD & see the HD & all its contents. > Is there a way to get the product key when accessing from another > computer, whether booting from Knoppix disk, or putting into working > computer as a slave drive? > Thanks for any advice. >
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