Windows copy...?

[johnnypraze]

Is there any way to make a back-up copy of Windows without an original Windows disc?

Say If I have windows installed in one of my PCs, and I want it installed in the other but lost my installation disc, but still have the reg. key. Is this possible...?

Or if Windows came bundled on my Compaq restore disc, can I get the installation info from that cd...?

Reason I ask, is because I upgraded from ME to XP on this computer, and Id like to install ME on my other machine (currently running linux).

Is this making any sense...?

 

[MichaelM]

I know that some compaqs with Windows 98 had the whole windows disk hidden on the hard drive. Have a look in:

C:\Windows\Options\Cabs

If you can find the setup.exe file, copy that whole directory onto a CD. Boot up the computer to a command prompt (using boot disk) and run the install program. I don't know if it will work with ME but it works fine with my old presario with Windows 98.

You can only run those quick-restore CDs in a compaq computer. It restores the computer to EXACTLY how it was when you first bought it.

 

[johnnypraze]

Theres nothing in my options folder... (XP) and Im showing hidden files.

As for the quick restore cds, is that relevant to all PCS? Theres no way to get windows off of any of them...

 

[avatuar9]

Yes you can. I've done it before. I can't remember exactly what you need to do, but you can search the net for the info on how to do it exactly. I think all you had to do is copy and burn all the contents in the folder "Windows" on to a CD-R. Make sure not to copy the folder "windows" on to the disk, only the contents or else DOS won't know what to do when you type "setup" at the DOS prompt. Hope this helps.

 

[johnnypraze]

Can anyone else commment on this...^

Ive been searching the net, but havent come up with much...

Still searching tho.

 

[jcnoernberg]

why not just copy the hard drive image using symantec ghost or any other backup software?

 

[muskgrave]

well I believe you will at best have major problems with trying this because of the following:

The cd that you have from your compaq most likely does not contain the original windows installation cd files. The companies pay for a license but part of the deal is they can't give you an actual copy of the media. So the way around that is to load up the compaq with their windows, all of the drivers, specific compaq settings, and then make an image of it using ghost or similar. So what you have on your compaq cd is an image tailor-made for a compaq pc. If you try to use it on the other pc it will probably tell you right from the start that this is NOT the computer it was intended for. If you do go ahead and get the image loaded and windows does boot up you will have to go into safe mode and remove almost EVERYTHING out of device manager (it will have all the drivers for the compaq machine) and then let windows find the real hardware when it comes up normally. Assuming you can even get this far you will have a junked up computer already.

So I would not recommend it...