"kitb" wrote in message
...
My question is: I have a retail version of Media Edition XP and want to
use that disk to do a repair install on a laptop running the same. Can I
use this disk and put in the serial # from the bottom of the laptop as
this laptop. has no recovery disk and I can't boot at all as I am getting:
windows\system32\config\system corrupt or missing.

I want to do either a repair install or a fresh install.......which might
be better. Please advise and thank you very much for any and all ans.
that I rec.

KittyKat

First, as far as I can tell, Windows Media Edition was never sold as retail,
only as OEM.

Second, a repair install isn't the appropriate response for the problem
you're experiencing. It may have no impact on the problem at all.

A clean install would sort of fix it, but since you don't have any recovery
disks, you also don't have the drivers that will be required to make the
laptop work properly. You will need to check with the laptop manufacturer
to get these BEFORE starting any kind of install.

The correct directions are he

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545

You can use *any* bootable XP CD to get to the Recovery Console, or you can
attach the drive to another system, or boot with any other CD that
recognises NTFS (including Linux CDs) and complete the tasks mentioned. If
you attach the drive to another system, and understand the directions, you
can pretty much skip thorough the task in about ten - twenty minutes and be
done.

While the drive is attached to another system, take the opportunity to back
up its data!

HTH
-pk