2001-2007 MS-MVP Adward Recipient
Restore XP
Restoring XP to its original state is dependent on how XP was installed.
If XP came Pre-installed from a computer OEM [Original Equipment Manufacturer] with the option to:
- Restore from a recovery procedure you can select
from the boot up menu that will allow either a selective restore, or
a format and restore to shipped state.
Warning!
Because some restore procedures completely wipe out the entire hard drive and delete added partitions and the data on them. If you only have the option to restore to shipped state, make sure you backup your important data, contacts, photos, anything that cannot be restored from other media locations to a location not on the current hard drive. Do not backup to another partition created by third party software on the original hard drive.
- You can restore by booting from the OEM restore
CD disk media included with the system. As in the above recovery procedure,
it can sometimes allow selective restore or format and restore to original
shipped state.
Same Warning applies from above.
- Some OEM's include along with restore media to restore back to original shipped state; a BIOS locked XP CD capable of loading the Recovery Console, or doing a Clean install or a Repair Install.
- The OEM vendor is only obligated to provide a means
of restoring to original shipped state. The OEM has the choice of how
to provide this restore procedure.
Consult your documentation shipped with the computer, OEM specific Help files from Start> Help and Support or the OEM web site.
Microsoft does not mandate any specific method; it is decided by the OEM.
- Some OEM's give instructions on how to burn the
XP setup files to a CD. Look in the manual included with the computer
or in a special OEM Help and Support folder.
Note: Also look for the folders i386 or Options as they will contain the files needed to create a bootable XP CD. You can find instructions on creating a bootable CD from the files in i386 or options from this web site.
This CD can also be used to slipstream Service Packs into original XP CD. In some instances this may require activation by phone. If phone call activation is required tell the activation center you upgraded your computer to the service pack with a slipstreamed OEM XP CD supplied by the vendor.
If you purchased the retail or OEM version you will have the option to restore by doing a Repair Install or Clean Install
Michael Stevens MS-MVP 2001-2007