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Summary: At some point you'll need your Windows installation CD. If you don't have one, you could be out of luck. Be sure to get one and keep it safe.
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I don't have an installation CD for Windows XP - what if I need one? |
There are circumstances where you may have a legal installation of Windows XP without an installation CD. This can cause some panic when you're later instructed to make sure you have the CD before installing some other software or hardware. If you're legal, chances are you're okay though.
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The scenario that seems most common is a manufacturer that pre-installs Windows XP for you and then does not give you a CD to go with it. I think this is a bad practice but I understand that it may save the manufacturer and ultimately you a little bit of money.
Hopefully what that manufacturer has done is copy the Windows XP CD-ROM image to your hard disk. Hard disks are so big these days that doing so takes up very little room and has some advantages I'll talk about in a second.
To find out if the CD-ROM image is on your machine, search for a folder named I386. There may be several but the one we care about will contain close to 7,000 files, two of which will be winnt.exe and winnt32.exe. The I386 directory is typically one of the top-level directories on the distribution CD-ROM but most importantly it is the directory that contains the distributed copy of Windows XP. Winnt.exe and winnt32.exe are the DOS and protected mode setup programs, respectively. (You'd only need those if you were planning to re-install Windows XP from scratch - I use them here as an easy way to identify that we have the right directory.)
So now that you know you have the CD-ROM image, what if some later installation asks for the CD-ROM?
Not to worry, it's actually pretty simple. Typically the "Insert CD" message has only an OK and Cancel button. Press OK, allowing it to fail. The next dialog will typically ask you to provide the location of the CD-ROM; just type in the full path of the I386 directory you discovered above.
That's it. But it gets better.
Windows remembers. Now that you've told Windows where your installation CD image is, it'll remember that. The next time you're in a situation that might require your installation CD, Windows will look there first; if it finds what it needs then it won't bother to ask you for it.
Personally I find that pretty handy - so much so that even though I have my Windows CD I'll also copy it to my hard disk and point Windows to that copy the first time it asks. Then I don't have to think about it or insert the CD again. And this technique works for many other CD-ROM based products including Microsoft Office.
Related:
I have no CD - how do I get at Windows XP setup? If you don't have your Windows installation CD there are still a few things you can do. If you have an image of your CD, you may be able to do more.
How can I get another activation code without paying for another CD? If you lose your activation code you may get help from the product manufacturer if you can prove you have a legitimate copy. That may not be easy.
How can I find the XP installation CD key used on my system without having the CD? There are freeware utilities that will find the installation CD key used on your system for you if you do not have the CD.
Can I install Windows XP using one manufacturer's CD on a different pc? Installing Windows XP using one manufacturer's CD on a different manufacturer's PC might sometimes work but it's not guaranteed at all.
How can I install hardware if I no longer have my Windows XP CD? There are some steps to try if you need to install hardware and do not have your Windows XP CD.
Article C1873 - December 26, 2003
Another related question. I'm want to buy a refurbished IBM laptop. It doesn't come with a Windows XP Pro reinstallation disk. Instead, its specs state the following: "Windows XP Professional Restore Partition on Hard Drive". Do you think that the partition has on it whatever is required to reinstall XP if the copy on the laptop goes south on me?
14-Apr-2009
Hi, my pc warranty is expired, I can`t start my pc,won`t let me start in safe mode, or restore to factory settings. I read somewhere that re-installing windows XP may fix the problem but I have no cd, no money to get an expert either, is there anything I can do?
Posted by: CAROL at April 14, 2009 10:31 AMI'm trying to create a bootable Windows Setup CD, using the instructions at:
http://www.howtohaven.com/system/createwindowssetupdisk.shtml
My Dell laptop didn't come with a Windows CD, so I'd really like to have one, in case a system file is corrupted (which happened to me recently). My problem is that the I386 directory is almost 1 Gig in size, so it won't fit on a CD. I could burn it to a DVD (if I had a blank DVD), but I'd rather have it on a CD anyway. Do you know what files I can delete from the I386 directory to make it fit on a CD?
Posted by: Fred Farner at April 15, 2009 9:57 AMI recieve another message
- can't choose between Ok or cancel but between retry, more information or cancel.
Clicking on it doesn't seem to help, i can't insert the location of the I386-folder.
please help!
Posted by: Bernie at April 19, 2009 6:05 AMGreat original article - many thanks to Leo.
Here's a simple suggestion for those who have a PC with a copy of original XP available in a recovery partition.
Before you try and install XP from the recovery partition, use a secure backup s/w package such as Acronis TI Home to take a copy of the whole drive, including the recovery partition.
If you later have a problem, you can then
1) take complete backup of current system
2) restore only the recovery partition
3) wipe your old C: drive
4) re-install XP from scratch from recovery partition
5) recover your own data from your backup of your original C: drive.
I've had to do this myself in the past for an IBM laptop, and it worked a treat.
Posted by: SimonB at April 23, 2009 1:40 AMHaving run SFC /SCANNOW on my laptop, it reports that I have some files installed that Windows wants to replace with the originals to maintain stability. Onscreen message is asking for XP Pro SP3 CD but I only have my original XP Pro CD that came with the machine. Any advice please?
Posted by: Dave at May 1, 2009 1:20 AMWell if you loose your windows recovery cd, there are many options. First look at the CD key on the side of your computer. You can contact your pc manufacturer and they might send you a copy. If not, you can also contact Microsoft. They will sell you one for 20-30 dollars. You can also buy a backup copy online, I found these webpages when searching dell windows recovery disks google: www.oemsoftwaresource.com and www.windowsrecoverydisks.com
Posted by: John at May 1, 2009 2:22 AMGood luck on finding the disks!
Hey leo im understand what your saying but will i need the drivers disc im scared to do this and the wifi not work and all the drivers or will it all be there and ill be okay... please help leo and thanks or anyone else please help!
Posted by: Daniel at May 13, 2009 11:14 AMyeah i was wondering the same as daniel i havne the folder but no winnt.exe or winnt32.exe or anything close what else can i do?!
Posted by: Jeremiah at May 13, 2009 11:31 AMSounds like great info if I'm looking to add something but I am currently getting the following error message:
Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt
C:\windows\system32\config\system
You can attempt to repair this file by starting windows setup using the original setup CD-Rom. Select "r" at the first screen to start repair. Do NOT use an OEM "Recovery Disc". Only a valid Windows XP media will work or a disc from the OEM that says "Operating System" may sometimes work depending on how the manufacturer labeled the CD.
What can be done in this case? Is there a way of making the disc on another computer and using it?
Thanks.
Posted by: john at May 17, 2009 6:02 AM