Hi all,
I keep having this random problem where my computer locks up at completely random intervals and only the power button will make it shut off. (AMD Duron 1000, 384 MB RAM, 40 gig partitioned HD, nothing special).

Anyway, I've got no idea what is causing it to happen, so I'm going to try re-installing Windows XP. However, when I bought this thing, it came with XP pre-installed with a "questionable" Win XP key code.

Question 1 - I've borrowed a disc from a buddy to install XP but I've heard you have to "activate" windows by calling someone. Will I get my friend in trouble if I call some Microsoft techie and they figure out it is the same key code? The disc came with his Dell if that matters.

Question 2 - The Biggie - I've got my hard drive partitioned into a C: and D: drive. "C" is where I have all my programs installed, and "D" is all my MP3 files. I *really* don't want to lose my music. If I install XP on C, will that wipe out my D drive???

Thanks in advance. I wish I knew as much about computers as I do cars...

 

If you install XP on C, it will not touch the D drive. I don't know about the first question, because I have the "corporate" edition of XP which does not make you call in.

 

after you get it working, upgrade to an Intel chip, you wont have these probs anymore

 

That is the most ignorant statement I've read on this board.

Yeah a Duron sucks, but so does a Celeron. Cache is helpful.

Glad to see Chipzilla still has the ability to keep the ignorant, ignorant.

I've been running AMD chips on 8 different machines for 6 years now and have never had an issue with compatability or crashing. Any statements otherwise are false and inflametory.

I'm not saying AMD is the best, because I plan on building a machine for video rendering and it will be a P4. But for everyother spec, the price and perfomance of an Athlon wins hands down. And lets not get started with the Athlon 64 and Opteron.

And if Intel was so smart, why are they copying the x86-64 instruction set extensions that AMD designed? Maybe because Itanium really sucks.


Anyway Grimace,

Most people of the IT persuasion tend to reinstall our OS's ever few months or so.

Windows, tends to get corrupted or just hosed up after time. Those questionable keys are something you should worry about if SP1 doesn't load. If you have to activate, well there is another issue you don't want to deal with, because you can't use the same key on different machines.

 

Oh yeah, if you are really worried about the D drive, then disconnect it during your reinstall.

EDIT: Forgot it was a partition. BACK IT UP. Use a bunch of CD's or something. I have triple backups of all my stuff. I've lost too much over the years.

 

when xp is preinstalled, you just need to run the recovery cd and you're set. it won't ask you for a cd key or something like that, since the cd can read parameters from your computer to know that you really own the correct computer.


installing the operating system on C: will not affect D:, as someone has already mentioned.


btw before reinstalling the o/s, try upgrading the bios first. i was having video card problems which would make my o/s crash when displaying graphics, but it was fixed by upgrading the bios. make sure you reset the CMOS after flashing the BIOS.

good luck.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by RazorV3
when xp is preinstalled, you just need to run the recovery cd and you're set.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by alpines2k
Oh yeah, and sometimes those Dell Windows discs won't work on other computers.

 

Grimace,

#1.
I don't believe you should have to call Microsoft to activate Windows XP. I've never heard of that.

#2.
Installing Windows XP *should not* touch the D: partition. Of course, half the fun of computers occurs when things don't go as they should, do if you're worried about it, then back up the contents of your D: drive.

I also agree that the Dell CD probably won't work with computers other than the one it came with. I ran into that issue with the XP CD that came with my Dell.

If you want to get XP for free, then you'd be better off getting the pirate version of XP rather than trying to use a Dell CD. There is a pirate version that has SP1 already incorporated.

Beware of getting the early pirate version that does not incorporate SP1, because supposedly the SP1 that you normally download from Microsoft will refuse to install on it.