Operating system problems

**Bartender** · 03-13-2007, 08:16 AM

You've gotta be kidding me

Tinybeast is some sort of stripped, pirate version of XP.

Read the Forum Guidelines. You want to install illegal software that's your business but the TSF moderators will not allow you to discuss the problems caused by doing so.

Good luck with your screwed up PC. I'm guessing you probly don't have a legal copy of W2K either.

BatidoDeCarne · 03-13-2007, 01:25 PM

Actually windows 2k was legal. If you don't support that stuff than just tell me how to revert it. The disk was only to install on new computers or something and we have a little certificate to say that it was legal.

Okay the pirated thing was stupid, but don't tell me how to use it then. Tell me how to get rid of it.

Edit: I can scan the little certificate thingy if you want... but if you really have a problem with pirated software do you want me to keep using it or do you want me to be able to get rid of it? And I will. I have this quirk that some people call honesty.

I didn't really think about what I was doing; just that it took up a very small amount of space and I thought it would run faster, which would be nice.

**Bartender** · 03-14-2007, 09:42 AM

Batido -
Here's the deal. TechSupport Forums needs to stay on the legal side of things. If in doubt, they'll kill your thread and ban you. I'm kinda surprised one of the mods hasn't stepped in already.
You say you have a genuine W2K CD, and the shiny little sticker with the 25-character key code? Do you have broadband? Reason I ask is W2K has gone thru 4 Service Packs now. If yours is an old W2K CD and you start over there's gonna be a ton of downloading to get it updated.
You think that W2K is still on HD1, right? And TXP is on HD2? Unplug HD2 and restart the PC. What happens?
Leave HD2 unplugged. Do a search for "Repair" or "repair master boot record". If you have a genuine Windows W2K CD, not a "Recovery CD" from Dell or HP or whoever, you can try to Repair the installation. Directions can be found on TSF, or at Kelly's Corner or Elder Geek etc. etc.
My guess is that installing TXP messed up your master boot record. That's the first thing I'd try.

If you make no headway at all, then another option (you'll need to borrow someone else's PC) is to download/burn a PCLinuxOS CD. Yes, Linux.

First, wipe HD2 clean using dban or a copy of GPLCD. GPLCD may come in handy for your partitioning projects so you might want to look at that anyway. Using GPLCD you can format HD2 as NTFS or as FAT32.

Boot from the PCLinuxOS CD and you should be able to look at the HD's contents. If you have important data to save, try plugging in the wiped and formatted HD2, then try moving the important Windows data to that drive.

When you think you're done, remove the PCLinuxOS CD, restart the PC, put the W2K CD in, and reinstall it to HD1. Get ZA (firewall), a-squared free (anti-spyware) and AVG (anti-virus) installed via a thumb drive so that you're not online without protection. Then get the latest drivers for your motherboard chipset, video, audio, LAN, etc. and install. Then update Windows. Then see if you can import your data from HD2.

Then if you're still feeling experimental install PCLinuxOS to that second HD.

03-13-2007, 08:16 AM	#1 (permalink)
Bartender Mentally divergent Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Chehalis, WA, USA Posts: 1,285 OS: W2K, Ubuntu 8.04	Re: Operating system problems You've gotta be kidding me Tinybeast is some sort of stripped, pirate version of XP. Read the Forum Guidelines. You want to install illegal software that's your business but the TSF moderators will not allow you to discuss the problems caused by doing so. Good luck with your screwed up PC. I'm guessing you probly don't have a legal copy of W2K either.

03-13-2007, 01:25 PM	#2 (permalink)
BatidoDeCarne Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 5 OS: sort of XP	Re: Operating system problems Actually windows 2k was legal. If you don't support that stuff than just tell me how to revert it. The disk was only to install on new computers or something and we have a little certificate to say that it was legal. Okay the pirated thing was stupid, but don't tell me how to use it then. Tell me how to get rid of it. Edit: I can scan the little certificate thingy if you want... but if you really have a problem with pirated software do you want me to keep using it or do you want me to be able to get rid of it? And I will. I have this quirk that some people call honesty. I didn't really think about what I was doing; just that it took up a very small amount of space and I thought it would run faster, which would be nice. Last edited by BatidoDeCarne; 03-13-2007 at 01:48 PM.

03-14-2007, 09:42 AM	#3 (permalink)
Bartender Mentally divergent Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Chehalis, WA, USA Posts: 1,285 OS: W2K, Ubuntu 8.04	Re: Operating system problems Batido - Here's the deal. TechSupport Forums needs to stay on the legal side of things. If in doubt, they'll kill your thread and ban you. I'm kinda surprised one of the mods hasn't stepped in already. You say you have a genuine W2K CD, and the shiny little sticker with the 25-character key code? Do you have broadband? Reason I ask is W2K has gone thru 4 Service Packs now. If yours is an old W2K CD and you start over there's gonna be a ton of downloading to get it updated. You think that W2K is still on HD1, right? And TXP is on HD2? Unplug HD2 and restart the PC. What happens? Leave HD2 unplugged. Do a search for "Repair" or "repair master boot record". If you have a genuine Windows W2K CD, not a "Recovery CD" from Dell or HP or whoever, you can try to Repair the installation. Directions can be found on TSF, or at Kelly's Corner or Elder Geek etc. etc. My guess is that installing TXP messed up your master boot record. That's the first thing I'd try. If you make no headway at all, then another option (you'll need to borrow someone else's PC) is to download/burn a PCLinuxOS CD. Yes, Linux. First, wipe HD2 clean using dban or a copy of GPLCD. GPLCD may come in handy for your partitioning projects so you might want to look at that anyway. Using GPLCD you can format HD2 as NTFS or as FAT32. Boot from the PCLinuxOS CD and you should be able to look at the HD's contents. If you have important data to save, try plugging in the wiped and formatted HD2, then try moving the important Windows data to that drive. When you think you're done, remove the PCLinuxOS CD, restart the PC, put the W2K CD in, and reinstall it to HD1. Get ZA (firewall), a-squared free (anti-spyware) and AVG (anti-virus) installed via a thumb drive so that you're not online without protection. Then get the latest drivers for your motherboard chipset, video, audio, LAN, etc. and install. Then update Windows. Then see if you can import your data from HD2. Then if you're still feeling experimental install PCLinuxOS to that second HD.