XP Repair Installation from Recovery CD?

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mobilepilot · #1 Post by **mobilepilot** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 6:14 am

I have a problem of corrupt fonts and themes on my T42p WinXPSP2 box. I have tried reinstalling the fonts and the themes as well as XP's System Restore but neither has worked.

I understand that a repair install of XP should fix the problem. Is there a way to do a repair install using the recovery CD and without affecting the additional partitions I have created?

How about these options?

If I were to reinstall SP2 in the hope that it might fix the problem, would it overwrite all the other fixes applied since?

I have access to a WinXPSP1a CD which I could slipstream with SP2. If I were to do the repair install of Windows from that, what would happen to all the preinstalled ibm drivers?

#2 Post by **GomJabbar** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 7:14 am

If you go to microsoft.com, they have a free Windows add-on called Power Toys. Power Toys is composed of several parts. Download Tweak UI. Tweak UI has an option for rebuilding the icons.

EDIT: I just reread your post, and I see the above probably doesn't apply.

mobilepilot · #3 Post by **mobilepilot** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 8:02 am

No. TweakUI is a useful app but it can't fix these problems.

#4 Post by **GomJabbar** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 10:44 am

Why don't you try this:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.as ... -us;310747

I did a search in Help & Support for 'corrupt fonts and themes' and the above came up.

mobilepilot · #5 Post by **mobilepilot** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 7:06 am

GomJabbar,

Thanks. That was one of the first things I tried. The main problem that's driving me crazy is that the menu/dialog box/title fonts in applications have become very small and are of a different type to the defaults.

#6 Post by **GomJabbar** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 8:02 am

Try right clicking on an open area of the desktop. Choose Properties > Appearance (tab) > Advanced. There I believe you can change the settings you are looking for. I think you have to be logged on as Administrator to make changes here.

mobilepilot · #7 Post by **mobilepilot** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 8:25 am

GomJabbar, thanks again but it isn't that. PM sent with further details.

pogik · #8 Post by **pogik** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 12:22 pm

please could someone answer mobilepilot's first question? will "restore factory defaults" erase additional partitions or not? if it does, how can i restore "just system into C: partition without affecting any other partition"?

#9 Post by **GomJabbar** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 6:07 pm

pogik wrote:please could someone answer mobilepilot's first question? will "restore factory defaults" erase additional partitions or not? if it does, how can i restore "just system into C: partition without affecting any other partition"?

If you restore your hard drive using the Recovery Disc Set, you will remove all existing partitions on the hard drive. You will end up with the hidden service partition and the C: partition with all the software as it came from the factory.

If you restore the hard drive using the service partition (accessed by pressing the blue Access IBM button at the beginning of the boot sequence), you will be given the option to restore the C: partition but leave the other partitions intact. It will of course delete everything that you have on your existing C: partition. This is what I have read. I personally have not tried it.

pogik · #10 Post by **pogik** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 2:55 am

GomJabbar wrote:If you restore your hard drive using the Recovery Disc Set, you will remove all existing partitions on the hard drive. You will end up with the hidden service partition and the C: partition with all the software as it came from the factory.

If you restore the hard drive using the service partition (accessed by pressing the blue Access IBM button at the beginning of the boot sequence), you will be given the option to restore the C: partition but leave the other partitions intact. It will of course delete everything that you have on your existing C: partition. This is what I have read. I personally have not tried it.

I didn't see that option there, my fault (I allready tried to restore factory defaults immediatelly after recieving my new thinkpad). I'll look for it. So, thank you.

egibbs · #11 Post by **egibbs** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 6:03 am

To answer the original question, you need an XP CD to perform a repair install - a recovery CD won't do it.

But the XP SP1 CD you have should work fine.

Ed Gibbs

pogik · #12 Post by **pogik** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 9:35 am

that's the problem. I didn't get any Windows CD, just a product key sticker at bottom of my thinkpad and that hidden partition, which I can use to restore my system. What should I do? I don't like the idea that I have to use somewhere-downloaded XP H install cd...

egibbs · #13 Post by **egibbs** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 10:43 am

If you poke around a bit on here you'll find many threads describing how to build a Windows install disk from the files on the machine. I think there is also a Microsoft Knowledge Base article that describes how to do it.

Otherwise borrow one from someone and use your Serial Number from the sticker on your machine.

Ed Gibbs

Zeitgeist · #14 Post by **Zeitgeist** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 5:49 am

egibbs wrote:If you poke around a bit on here you'll find many threads describing how to build a Windows install disk from the files on the machine.

For example:

http://www.4saad.com/WhatsNew/Fresh_XP_ ... /index.htm

XP Repair Installation from Recovery CD?

XP Repair Installation from Recovery CD?

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