Factory Settings

Hi folks, I hope someone can help.

Here goes, I downloaded Windows 7 but I didn’t like it so I opted to go back to my factory setting (XP home which has been factory installed). The problem is that when I put my recovery disk in my computer it just hung looking for to boot of a disk and didn’t go back to my factory settings. I have ghost so I put that in(floppy and CD ) and it loaded up windows 98. I tried my recovery disk to see if I could get back to factory settings but had the same problems as above. A friend of a friend gave me a loan of a XP pro disk, so I loaded it up and everything was ok until I went to windows update. The XP Pro key is a counterfeit. Can someone tell me how I can find my original XP home so I can use it.

Hoggie

 

hi Hoggie & welcome to HWF

basically i don't think you can downgrade XP Pro to XP home

unfortunately you'll have to buy a new license, however, it wouldn't hurt to ring MS on there activation number
do you still have the old XP home installation, maybe you could retrieve the XP home key from there?[ot]sorry i don't know the number because i use Debian (Linux)[/ot]

 

The Key for your original XP home disk should be attached to the side of your computer.

 

:doh: of course it is, Donkey is a plank

 

LOL...Donkey is actually someone that I like...Like me...he does not have old timers...May I suggest some timers.:chk:

 

yes my key is on top of my tower. My home edition was factory installed so I don't have a disk. The problem is that I was told that the cd I go from a friend was legit and it turned out to be xp pro not home. All I want is to go back to my factory settings with xp home, any ideas???
I was looking on ebay at boot recovery cd's would they help?

 

probably not, generally manufacturers ship recovery CD's with the systems they sell

and i think they only work on the system they were supplied with, however,
in theory it should be possible to use a recovery CD if you restore data onto the exact make & model of HDD, assuming you have all the relevant drivers

as the system your restoring will NOT be exactly like your system (different hardware drivers)

Edit:

so, all you need is a replacement XP Home CD, MS will be able to provide one, probably for a nominal fee, personally i'd try to borrow one & activate it with your key

 

You won't be able to go back to factory settings,Unless you have a recovery disk or the original windows Xp home disk.. you are going to have probably install Xp pro, with your friends serial or reinstall Windows 7...

 

Personally I think that will work.

 

Do you have access to DSL ? IF yes, then email me...
Do you want XP home with SP2 or SP3 ?

 

Alternatively you can contact the manufacturer of the computer and they can ship you a brand new set of recovery discs. They usually cost 20-50 dollars.