BleepingComputer.com: Installing XP on desktop

First off, to the Moderator: if this topic fits somewhere else in the Forum, please move it there for me.

Situation: I bought an older XP desktop off CraigsList for $50.00. It is a no-name brand, Premio, and it appears to be a corporate machine. It has that box that pops up on start-up or with CTR-ALT-DEL requiring username and password. It won't let me download anything or even get past this CTR-ALT-DEL box to use the unit.

A computer tech friend gave me a disc with a generic retail version of XP on it, but the computer won't see the disc. On his advice, I went into BIOS and change the boot order (or so I thought) to boot from CD first. Same problem: it still boots to the HD first.

Is there a simple or easy way around this, short of buying a new HD? What am I doing wrong? What could I try differently?

Thanks Very Much,
EducatedGuess

I don't know what your friend gave you, but I'm guessing it is not a legitimate, original XP CD. Assuming I'm right, I'd guess that's your problem. You'll need to purchase an OS.

Premio is a brand, not as big as HP or Dell to be sure. I have seen them however.

IS this the one? http://premioinc.com/pc/

Premio User Manuals @ http://premioinc.com/pc/service/?pg=8

<<...but the computer won't see the disc>>

If you changed the boot options and the optical drive works properly...and the disk is bootable...it should boot.

Mysterious system from former owner...mysterious disk from "friend"...equals too many unknowns for me to even begin to guess what iw going on.

I suggest...finding a bootable CD without issues...inserting it...and seeing if the optical drive works...as a first step. Alternately, test your CD your friend gave you...on a system that functions properly...to ensure that it truly is bootable.

I hope that your friend...also gave you a license to accompany that disk...or that you know the license data for this system that doesn't seem to work properly.

Can you boot into the existing version of Windows on the system?

Louis

Thanks to everyone who responded. I will try the CD in another XP unit to see if it boots. I did change the boot options to boot to CD first, and saved those settings on exit.

Might it be just as easy to buy a new HD and install that way? The drive in there is less than 100GB.

Thanks, and I'll keep everyone posted.

Louis:

I can log in and use the current OS just fine. The problem is the system won't let me add any programs or applications because I am not the "administrator". Is there around this without having to install a new OS? In other words, is there any way to become the administrator, or for the computer to see me as the administrator, so that I can install and download additional programs to the existing OS, which is running on XP just fine.

Thanks Very Much,
Educated Guess

Well...I guess that I don't understand how you can login if you don't have admin privileges as a user...unless you are using the guest account.

I would normally say that you should create a new user account in your name...with admin privileges...but I doubt that you can do such if you cannot even install programs.

I'm having a hard time grasping the utility of a system where you cannot do anything with the existing structure...and you don't seem able to do a clean install. I would have to wonder about the functionality of the hardware, without being able to pinpoint a particular item.

Louis

Personally I would want to wipe it clean just in case it is infected with Malware.

Have you tried starting in safe mode and seeing if Administrator is available?

While it is working is the time to go into device manager and make a note of all the hardware to make it easier to find drivers later if you do format it.

If it won't boot off of a CDrom / DVDRom then either
the drive is bad
The disk isn't bootable
Computer isn't set to boot from CDrom first.
And of course if you try and boot off of a DVDRom and the drive is a CDRom then fail too.

This post has been edited by rotor123: 28 January 2012 - 10:57 AM

Louis:

Let me see if I can clarify a little here. I was given a workable username and password by the gentleman who sold me the unit. I can log in no problem from the CTRL-ALT-DEL and use all the applications currently on the HD just fine. So MS Office, Word, Excel, Adobe, all that works fine.

However, once I try to install anything new, I immediately get an error message that says "Only Administrator Can Install New Programs" or "You Don't Have Administrator Privledges," or something like that. It won't even allow me to install a new printer. Obviously, the company who owned this unit before didn't want employees tampering with any of the settings, installs, etc.

I don't need the unit to do much more than it does, but I would certainly like to at least be able to install a new printer. I'm also a writer, and it won't let me install Final Draft, which is a very simple Windows-based screenwriting software.

Rotor:

Thank you also for responding. Is it possible I can get into the settings while in SAFE MODE and make myself the administrator, thus avoiding a complete reformat? Is this doable or possible? Everything seems to be running fine.

Thanks to both of you for your help!

No but if you can log in as Administrator then you can either add a new administrator user or edit a existing user. Safe mode should make administrator visible or when you hit CTRL-ALT-DEL try changing the user name to Administrator and no password to log in.

Rotor:
Thanks so much. I will try this within about 24 hours and let you know. Appreciate it....