I am trying to fix a corrupt WinXP. It starts up to the light blue screen
with the WinXP logo and locks (this is just before the "Windows is now
starting" message which is followed by the Welcome screen).

I don't have the original XP Home CD with a matching Product Key, but I have
other XP Home CDs. If I try to repair Windows using another XP Home CD, I
will have a Product key mismatch issue (right?).

I am pretty sure that I could fix the problem with System File Checker
(sfc.exe), but that only seems to be allowed to run under a working Windows,
and this one isn't.

I was able to run chkdsk using a bootable Win disk created kind of like a
bootable Linux disk, but it won't support running sfc.

Can anyone offer any suggestions as to how I can run sfc without a working
Windows environment, or offer another way ho handle this without pulling off
all the data. buying a new XP copy, and refromatting?

Thanks,
Mike

Mike wrote:
No. All the CDs are the same (assuming identical SP level). Use your
product key with whichever CD you have to hand.

If he's running an OEM install on a purchased PC, and tries a repair install
with a retail CD (for example) The OEM key will not work.

"Mike Williams" <mikew@m-v-p-s.org.null> wrote in message
news:4428516C.5070905@m-v-p-s.org.null...

1) I've done Repairs before, and I thought you have to enter the Product Key
during the repair process.

2) I am not sure which SP level this PC had at install (probably original),
but it has SP2 now.

3) Which SP level do I need to match, when it was originally loaded, or what
it has now?

Thanks for the quick reply.

Mike


"Mike Williams" wrote:

You will need to enter the product key during the repair.
If your booting off the CD, you don't have to match the SP level, you can
repair an SP2 install with an SP1 disk, just remember to do the updates when
your finished. You do have to match the CD you use with the original
install, i.e. OEM, retail, full, upgrade.


"Mike" <Mike@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:CBF7199A-6943-4FAD-86DC-C2659F4C56E3@microsoft.com...

Mike wrote:

As long as the XP cd you have matches your installation (OEM/OEM;
retail/retail, etc.) then you will be fine. Use the product key on your
computer.

Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

Thanks to everyone who responded to this.

It worked to do the repair using a CD i had that was OEM and the original
release, then using the Product Key for the machine I was installing it onto.

Thanks again for the advice,
Mike

"Malke" wrote: