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Solve : Restore XP from overwritten OS on Dell? |
| Answer» <html><body><p>Problem: Dell XPS: XP Home operating system was overwritten by owner with new XP Home install (no, I don't know why they went this way). Now the computer boots to the screen where you select the OS, it lists three: The new XP Home install with no programs recognized, the old XP system, and the restore system <a href="https://interviewquestions.tuteehub.com/tag/partition-238933" style="font-weight:bold;" target="_blank" title="Click to know more about PARTITION">PARTITION</a>. The only one that's bootable is the new install with no programs/drivers. All the data/users/files are visible, but programs aren't valid. Also, I cannot restore the machine using the Dell restore utility as the option is no longer available under the new OS install. <br/>Question: Is the old XP install still recoverable? Any ideas on how to recover the old installation? is it a matter of fixing the <a href="https://interviewquestions.tuteehub.com/tag/mbr-547044" style="font-weight:bold;" target="_blank" title="Click to know more about MBR">MBR</a>, Bootcfg, or other INI file?<br/>Or is it toast and ready for a wipe and full reinstall? <br/><br/>System: Dell XPS Core 2 Duo Desktop<br/>P965 Chipset, 1 GB Ram, Nvidia 7300 LE PCI-E, 250 GB SATA, <br/>XP Home SP2<br/>My best recommendation. Get another hard drive of the same size and type. Clone the original. Do your <a href="https://interviewquestions.tuteehub.com/tag/experiments-249771" style="font-weight:bold;" target="_blank" title="Click to know more about EXPERIMENTS">EXPERIMENTS</a> on the clone copy. If things fail, you still have the original.<br/><br/>Do that first. Then somebody here will tell you want is the next step.Boot to the bootable OS and take ownership of the folders and files in the the old installation (<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/kb/308421">http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308421</a>). Copy them to off disc media then format and start from scratch.Great tips; thanks for the quick response. I have privileges on the original folders/files, so that's not a <a href="https://interviewquestions.tuteehub.com/tag/big-896707" style="font-weight:bold;" target="_blank" title="Click to know more about BIG">BIG</a> issue. What I'm really after is access to the restore partition if I can't point the Bootcfg.ini file to the original os install. I'm not sure what XP backs up under a new install over an existing operating system. If it's just a new set of config files then one should be able to undo the damage (theoretically). Failing that, access to the restore partition would save a whole lot of time/effort as I have the Dell OS Install disk, but not the other driver/program/restore disks as they dump all that on the restore partition. Which is, unfortunately, not accessible. <br/>Thanks again for the assist. When you first run on the computer, CNTL-F11 will give you access to the Dell Recovery Partition.<br/><a href="https://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/document?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&docid=DC47E7957E35BBC0E030A68F27280D16#Issue3">http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/document?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&docid=DC47E7957E35BBC0E030A68F27280D16#Issue3</a>Do not use the recovery partition until you recover the files you want to save per my post above.Thanks again for the replies. the Control + F11 does not work as the new OS install overrode access to the original Dell OS installation and recovery partition. The only viable OS on the machine right now is the new, <a href="https://interviewquestions.tuteehub.com/tag/generic-468117" style="font-weight:bold;" target="_blank" title="Click to know more about GENERIC">GENERIC</a> XP install without programs or drivers. I've backed up the files (Great suggestion on the cloning! Thanks for that!), so I'm no longer worried about this install if things go awry. <br/>Any clues on re-recognizing the overwritten OS?<br/>Thanks again.<a href="http://www.goodells.net/dellrestore/fixes.htm">Troubleshooting the Restore Process</a>Thanks for the great site. I attempted the fix using the bootable CD option, but after two coasters I determined the ISO file must be corrupted. Managed to boot from a USB drive and the DSRFIX program did find and fix the faults in the MBR. Unfortunately, nothing has changed with the hard drive boot sequence or available partitions. I'm going to find a floppy and download a DSRFIX dumpfile to the author and see what he makes of it. <br/>Curious as to what could have gone wrong since many people rave about the program and reading the testimonials there are people who have fixed exactly the problem I'm having. <br/>Thanks again for the great link.<br/>Just an update; looking at the partitions using Partition Wizard and finding all the files intact, just not reachable using Cntrl + F11.<br/></p></body></html> | |