BleepingComputer.com: Health Test For ODD?

Is there some kinda health test for an ODD? I was trying to install XP on some older hardware when I would get:

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I assumed the ODD was at fault & replaced like for like with a beige affair I had lying about. This seemed to solve the problem, but then the replacement drive threw up same errors after some use.

Am I right to expect ODD? I'd hate it to be the mobo/CPU itself. I ran 2-3 passes of Memtest86+ with no errors (though I cannot disable the CPUs cache in BIOS, so essentially just testing the cache & not RAM itself.) HDD passes Maxtor long self test & I am sure media is sound.

Anyway I've ordered a new PATA ODD as they are very cheap, but if it threw up same error/s I would be at a loss to trouble shoot?!?

Yours hopefully...

This post has been edited by fleamour: 08 September 2010 - 07:22 PM

I'm assuming that you are calling a CD an optical digital disk. And that this is the installation disk for your operating system?

Could you please provide us with a little background information, like what prompted you to use the disk.

Does this optical drive recognize other CDs?

Is this copy of XP a single use license? And has it been already installed in another machine?

By ODD I mean optical disk drive. I am trying to load XP OS afresh & yes other CDs have given at best mixed results, freezing & such like.

Sounds like the CD has some damage to its surface.

Pretty sure it's not the CD media itself, just tried with an identical used once, perfect Dell XP disc.

You have indicated that you have used this installation on more than one computer. To further help you in this instance would be a violation of our forums rules.

No subject matter will be allowed whose purpose is to defeat existing copyright or security measures. If a user persists and/or the activity is obviously illegal the staff reserves the right to remove such content and/or ban the user. This would also mean encouraging the use or continued use of pirated software is not permitted, and subject to the same consequences.

I have indicated no such thing.

I happen to have two identical XP Pro Dell disks, each with separate COA, one for my mothers computer & one for my own.

The (third) computer in question has it's own legal XP Pro COA but no disk/restore media came with it.

This post has been edited by fleamour: 09 September 2010 - 04:05 AM

If the media works fine in other computers and two different optical drives are giving problems, you may want to try swapping out the PATA cable or, if possible, connect to a different PATA header on the motherboard. This assumes, of course, that the drives work fine in other computers.

And DC3, you can use the actual media for Windows (and Office for that matter) to install on an unlimited number of systems as long as you have the appropriate license for that system, in most cases outside the corporate world this means having the CD key and CoA for that system. After all, Dell and HP (and others) don't even give you actual media when you buy their computers. The important (and in the OEM world non-transferable) piece of the equation is the CD key/CoA.

You can only make one installation unless you have a multiple license. From the way that the information was posted it appeared that you were making multiple installations from a disk that came with a Dell which is intended for only one installation on one computer. There are extenuating situations where this does change, for instance, if you have to replace the motherboard. In this case you will need to call Microsoft and explain this and they usually won't have a problem acknowledging this and activating it.

For the record, if you have the product code for a windows operating system, I don't see any problem in using another disk other than the original one to reinstall the operating system. You paid for that operating system after all.

Well I know I had Windows XP home edition on one computer and I installed this same retail disk on another computer.

Of course during activation, Microsoft red flagged my activation as pirated and offered a link to purchase another license key, which I promptly did.

Using my credit card, Microsoft activated my pirated copy of windows, sent me an email with my new license key, and within two weeks sent me a Genuine Advantage Windows XP installation CD along with an insert saying: Thank you for licensing your pirated Microsoft product.

Now I am against pirating software, so my attempt was not to do that, which is why I purchased a legal license key and now my copy is now a legal authentic genuine supported copy.

So yes basically you can use the same cd twice.

Also, I am not sure how Microsoft knows this, but when I upgraded my Windows XP to Windows 7 and removed the original copy of Windows XP from the hard drive, it allowed me to install that copy of Windows XP on another computer and activated the license key with no problems.

I am not sure how they would have known that the original copy on my other computer no longer existed. But like I said, it was legally activated by Windows Mircosoft genuine activation service.

Bruce.

This post has been edited by MrBruce1959: 09 September 2010 - 11:16 AM

IMO...it all depends on the origin/nature of the disk.

As dc3 says...what we consider OEM manufacturers (Dell, HP, IBM, etc.) make their disks for that particular system.

OTOH...MS Genuine XP OEM/System Builder CDs...are generic, can be used with any appropriate license to effect an install. I have several MS OEM/System Builder disks and licences...any disk can be used to install, as long it matches up with a corresponding license for that version of Windows.

Today, it seems that most users with problems...have disks issued by OEMs (HP, etc.), rather than MS Genuine XP CDs.

Louis

Hamluis and dc3, you are both correct with the statements you made concerning the OEM versions of the windows installation disks.

I just wanted to let you both know my post above was not posted in relation to the OEM copies of Windows installation disks.

But it is possible to make several legal installations off the same retail copy of windows as long as you purchase a new legal license key from microsoft for each installtion you make.

Bruce.

This post has been edited by MrBruce1959: 09 September 2010 - 03:28 PM

"Using my credit card, Microsoft activated my pirated copy of windows, sent me an email with my new license key, and within two weeks sent me a Genuine Advantage Windows XP installation CD along with an insert saying: Thank you for licensing your pirated Microsoft product."

Point made.

Yeah I know they made me feel like a crook, but the other alternative was to buy a downloaded version of the OS from their web site, which I am not into making purchases like that, because I prefer to have the installation software on a disk.

But as I said I would have to have waited 2 weeks before the other disk came in from Microsoft anyways and I didn't want to wait that long to get that computer up and running.

So it worked out for the best, but I still wanted to point out that they sent me that insert making that statement I posted above using the key word pirated.

Bruce.