installing windows xp

[neon]

Morning all,

 

Just looking for a bit of help. I have an old advent laptop that I have aquired, no system disks etc etc... and will not boot. I want to put windows xp back onto it as a fresh install, the laptop has a coa on the bottom but when ever I have tried banging a xp disc in and installing I have never been able to get past the product key page...

 

Can someone point me in the right direction please?

 

Thank you.

[tommccann]

are you using the same version of XP as the key?? if your using a pro disk and the key is home for example it wont accept it. Also only OEM discs except all keys

[laserblazer]

You may struggle to find drivers for Advent computers.

[tommccann]

boot it up from a cd (like hawk-pe), then use the driver ripper! easier than finding them all again on the net

[neon]

it is a disk that my friend has given me, i have a volume licensing disc, but obv cant use the keys from work for a laptop that isnt legit. So basically unless I have oem disc then it cant be done?

[SYNACK]

You can tweak your volume disk into a retail or OEM one easily enough, it is just three characters in a text file:

 

How to Change Windows XP Version Between Retail, OEM and Volume License Channel My Digital Life

[Jamo]

Its not true that all OEM disks will activate either, they will accept the key but usually will fall short of actually completing the Genuine Windows activation. It basically depends on the Manufacturer key embedded in the OEM disc. On the COA you will probably notice it says

 

Microsoft Windows XP Home / Pro etc

Advent or DSG

 

Or something along those lines, they are basically PC World / DSG own brand....

 

Saying all that though, the OEM disk is the place I would start, and if not take it to PC world as they usually have a collection of Advent discs which they may be able to use to fix it (ASK FOR A QUOTE BEFORE LETTING THEM DO WORK!!!!)

 

Drivers for Advent PCs are a bit random as they are often rebranded other models.

 

Support.PCWorld.co.uk has a lot of them but they are often wrong lol 99% of the time I managed to find the drivers required on this site or other manufacturers sites, when I worked there (PC World) though.

[Michael]

Before you format and start again, extract the hard drive and install it another workstation as a secondary drive. Some OEMs (and indeed all machines I build) create a C:\Drivers folder or similar which contains all required drivers. It can save you a lot of time!