OEM XP Key

[Ingah]

My laptop died recently - it blue screens on start-up (UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME) and won't load even safe mode, and i've yet to test it but this may or may not have been caused by hard drive dying (according to google anyway).

I have misplaced my recovery CDs (the laptop is a 2nd hand Fujitsu and long out of warranty so i can't ask the manufacter either), but i do have various versions of XP CDs lying around, and a CD key printed on my CoA sticker under the laptop. The thing is this is almost certainly going to be an OEM CD key IIRC therefore i don't think it will work even if i am able to get the hard drive to format successfully.

One question is if i can get my ultimate boot CD to work on it (need to go get it first as it's in my other flat), is there a program i can use to retrieve a working/useable CD key from the hard drive (i'm also aware that if it's possible to copy the C:\Windows\i386 folder i cab use it with the CD key, if the damn laptop will let me of course!). Or will this not work either? Do OEM versions of XP CDs even exist as id've thought this would work with the CD key under the laptop.

Is there a way out of this? (Apart from the expensive of option of buying XP again as i can't really afford that, assuming it's even still available, and besides which i've paid for it once!)

[Raa]

You'll need to use an OEM XP CD in combination with the key on the bottom of your laptop.

Retreiving the key from the laptop hdd will be pointless as it's a special key used by the manufacturer usually.

Also copying the i386 folder from the HDD wont usually work as it doesnt include every file needed for setup.

Lets try and focus on fixing the BSOD - maybe it's something simple. What stop error code is it giving you exactly?

I've had a few over the last few weeks, all fixed successfully.

[JoeyF]

Have you tried running CHKDSK yet? You do not need a CD key to run CHKDSK, and there is a chance that it can fix an unmountable boot volume.

1) Boot off a Windows XP CD

2) At the first prompt, press R to enter the recovery console

3) once the console loads, type "CHKDSK /R"

That won't reinstall Windows, but if it works, it may allow you to boot back into your current Windows installation (provided you didn't format the drive yet)

[VPuccetti]

There are programs out there that will let you find ur cd key but your OS needs to be up and running.

When you use the OEM cd to boot up and if a chkdsk /R wont work then you should scan to see if a windows path is even set in your boot path. You can do this by entering bootcfg /scan in the recovery console. You can then do the /add switch if it found a windows path.

Remember you can still try a fixboot and fixmbr in the recovery console as well *be aware that a fixmbr MAY destroy your partition*

i just had a clients computer give me the unmountable boot volume and it turned out the hard drive was toast :( run ubcd to make sure that the hard drive is still in good condition :)

[colealtdelete]

If you can get any XP cd - you can run chkdsk /r to repair that issue.

It MUST be the same type (Home = Home, Pro = Pro, etc.)

[conna]

All good advice. You can run chkdsk /r using a home xp cd (using recovery console) on a xp pro install. Just saying.. If the i386 was copied off of the OEM install media then you are in a good spot. Copy it off your hard drive and burn a copy. You can make a slipstream disk with it or reinstall using it later. fixboot and fixmbr after you run chkdsk might help. Also copy the MSOCache (hidden) as you can do a reinstall of office from it later. Its like a i386 folder for office. With just a working I386 and MSOCache folders you could reinstall.

There are programs out there that will pull the key off an EXTERNAL hard drive that had windows installed. The one I use with success even gets the rest of Microsoft's products like SQL server and Office.

ProduKey v1.40

Copyright ? 2005 - 2009 Nir Sofer

Web Site: http://www.nirsoft.net

[os2fan2]

If ye did not get an OEM setup for your laptop, you can visit something like this forum, which has details on how to make a disk suitable for installing on a particular vendor's hardware. I used it on my IBM laptop, which came with no such disk.

http://forums.mydigitallife.info/index.php

[sc302 Veteran]

If you call up the manufacturer of the computer they will usually sent u the recovery cds on the cheap. As little at $15.