Can I use my xp pro to fix a friends xp home boot problem?

Question

His xp home will not boot up. Can I use the disks I made for my xp pro to revive his xp home?

Answer 1

Most of the time, when XP (Pro or Home) cannot complete its boot process, it is usually because it cannot load a specific module. One way to observe this is to boot into safe mode, as doing so shows you each module as XP attemtps to load it.

To access safe mode, press F8 immediately after reboot. I recommend you press it repeatedly until you hear a beep, and then a few more times, since it is easy to miss the timing moment when XP recognizes it.

Doing this should present you with a menu. Choose "Safe Mode" and watch the modules load. Usually an XP boot problem will result in a particular module freezing, and usually causing a "BSOD", or "blue screen of death", which is XP's error reporting window. It will probably only flash for a moment before the computer reboots.

This is caused one of two ways: either the file containing the module has corrupted, or the sector on the hard drive has gone bad (the sector containing the file(s) for this module). In the former, you need to use a Windows XP setup disc to reinstall the basic drivers. It MUST be the same version as is installed on the computer. You CANNOT use Home for Pro or vice versa.

If the hard drive has a bad sector, you will have problems fixing the data. In the old days, we could identify the sector as "bad" to the operating system, and re-write the file to a good sector. With XP, there's no easy way to do this, so unfortunately you may have to REFORMAT the hard drive, thus marking the bad sectors, and then reinstall Windows XP again.

If this is indeed a bad sector issue, be aware that often times, bad sectors are a sign that the hard drive is near death. If when you reformat the drive, you find LOTS of bad sectors, GET A NEW hard drive before you install XP again!

I hope this answers your question (and then some).

Answer 2

Insert the cd in the cdrom rigidity and restart the pc. shop on with the onscreen training and do a fix set up yet do not format the not undemanding rigidity if asked to. undergo in strategies, formating erases all documents, all put in courses, settings, confiqurations .. each little thing!! additionally, you are able to not do an improve over xp professional with living house it incredibly is why you will could do a fix set up in case you elect to maintain your documents.

Answer 3

Possibly. It really depends on what his problem is. If it is software related, your discs may possibly be used to boot from or run the recovery console.