IBM-DELL Windows XP Pro mixup - Please help

[leowiz]

Hi all,

My first post here !

My T43 is now 1 year old and last month it was having problems. It just wont shutdown most of the time and hang with the windows logo after the desktop disappears. I suspected it could be a windows problem and so decided to repair windows. Since IBM didnt give me a CD, I used my friends DELL XP Pro cd to do the repair.

BUT, after reinstalling the windows component, it refused to accept the windows key under my thinkpad. So I called microsoft and got the key that worked. But now I can not install the service pack 2, my windows media player does not work, i can not access the control panel etc ... Moreover, it still does not shutdown most of the time. While installing SP2 it hangs where it says checking product key, so obviously there is something to do with the DELL CD I used.

So basically, I want a way out without having to reformat the harddrive.

Any help !!!!

Thanks

[BillMorrow]

heh..
welcome to the world of windows..

your T43 SHOULD have the recovery partition..
which SHOULD have the ability to recover the system to the original factory preload..
that is if you did not delete it or some fool thing like that..

not being sure what state your thinkpad is in NOW, try pressing F11 when doing a cold bootup..
the "thinkpad" button should produce the same result under normal conditions, but these are not normal conditions since you are dealing with a DULLpad and not a THINKpad..

be sure that you back up your data before running the restore..
if you still HAVE the restore..

[leowiz]

Thanks for the reply. I basically do not want to do a complete system reinstall. I have softwares and stuff which I do not want to loose. Moreover, I hve to pay $45 now to get the recovery discks which I dont want to do. I was hoping there would be some simpler method ????

Any ideas ?

also, can i somehow backup the softwares i have installed ??? I have some scientific softwares which are installed and if i lose them , it will be a pain to get them back since my advisor is no longer the director of my centre and the tech support now dont care about us.

Anyway, any ideas .... the IBM hidden partition does not exist !!!

[leowiz]

Anybody !!!!

[AssPenny]

Unfortunately, your probably screwed. (not beating around the bush)

You have lots of system files corrupted, missing, etc..... This is more complex than anyone saying "just try this" without just telling you to reformat and start over.

Try doing a system restore to a previous point, maybe a better condition exists. Try some performance software like a registry fixer and such.

Personally, i would just restore and try to get the scientific software again. Even if you [censored] the system to get it up and usable, it still wont be that good. Time to cut your losses i would guess.

Teaches the lesson of backing up eh?