If you have your key Microsoft might supply you with an XP disc. From their forum: Subject: Re: repairing without the cd? 6/27/2006 1:15 PM PST By: Jupiter Jones [MVP] In: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics If the computer was bought used with no CD and not OEM, there is a high probability it is pirated. 2nd hand computers are sold far to often with pirated Windows, almost always without the buyers knowledge. But for now there are insufficient facts posted by you to come to any conclusion about this computer. If your son bought the computer new with Windows installed, it is OEM and legitimate as long as the source is legitimate. Check the manual and/or contact the manufacturer for repair options. Some OEMs provide few options with the only option often being a Clean Installation. Sometimes the OEM can provide a replacement CD. If Windows XP is retail, Microsoft may be able to replace the CD: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=326246 -- Jupiter Jones [MVP] http://www3.telus.net/dandemar http://www.dts-l.org and The product key is the constant. It enables the install (or repair install). The serial number is generated randomly during the install process. So, yes, they're connected but he needs the product key to install or repair install. If he install XP from a retail copy, the product key is included in the box with the CD. If from an oem copy and Windows XP was preinstalled, there should be a sticker with the prodcut key somewhere on the PC. The sticker is placed somewhere on the PC tower for desktop units and found on the bottom of laptops. If a person has their product key, they can use that and any XP cd of the same type (retail or generic oem) to reinstall. If there's a specialized oem CD (HP, Compaq, etc) that has been bios locked to one particular system - it gets tricky. Some of these will only install on the original system. Some will install but require a phone call to activate. Best practice here is to use what the OEM supplied and if a CD is missing, contact the OEM about obtaining a replacement. Some oem systems have recovery/restore procedures that are different or in addition to the methods offered by just XP. For example- pressing F10 during boot time on an HP or Compaq system is likely to start their Oem supplied recovery application. If the system documentation is unavailable to your son, copies are most likely downloadable from the oem. The documentation will inform about any special recovery options that are available and how to use them. -- Sharon F MS-MVP Windows Shell/User ............................................................. I had problems with XP when my hard drive failed and I had to have my product code key...to get help from Microsoft and they had all my info from 2 years back. They verified my copy of Windows and made sure there were no duplicated keys...it took about an hour of waiting. I stupidly assumed that meant the disc. The big deal is the key. Mikie is probably right about active tracking, but they hold on to your registration information as long as the product is supported. The validation tool kinda backfired on them, I don't even know they still use it. Still, you do not want to see that balloon stating that your XP is not genuine. So I'm error, you can use a similar disc if you have your own and enter your personal proof of purchased valid key. My advise is don't get caught sharing keys...if you do... just don't get caught. Microsoft is a bit over the top when it comes to copy protection.

First I have to confess that I have not gotten to backing up the hard drive - or working on the start up programs. Other computer issues in the family took priority - and then we had non-technological family difficulties. So my focus has been elsewhere. The internet connection still sometimes drops. Less often but it happens. I can just buy a wireless dongle. The laptop had been running cooler after getting all the bogus programs off. But lately it's sluggish again and running hot. The hard drive is making a bad noise. Not sure how to describe it but kind of like a car struggling to turn over. It does it just occasionally - some times if it's just trying to perform some action - and just now when I started the laptop. (It has not made the sound since it started up). Since hard drives are mechanical, does this sound like the hard drive might be failing? if it's hardware failure, is there any point in running chkdsk? or any other test? If the hard drive is failing, could that be causing it to run hot and slow at times? seems logical to me but I have no idea. I could inexpensively replace the hard drive. And get a wireless dongle. I imagine all that could be done for under $100 and just a small amount of time. The other troubleshooting I did was partly to learn. Here's what I like about the computer and why I may want to save/keep it: great size - 13", light - but has a great, great keyboard for such a small laptop. like the trackball and no touchpad. includes a free upgrade to Vista (so it could be used after XP is not supported) What I don't like: ongoing wireless adapter problems, sometimes running hot, possible failing hard drive, no web cam. Not sure if I'll put it to sleep soon - or try to resuscitate it. If I decide to let it die a peaceful death, there's no need to back up the HD. If I decide to replace the hard drive (if it needs it) or keep it if the HD's fine, I will back it up and make that a priority. And of course, now that I'm writing this post, it's behaving absolutely fine. Quick, cool, no noise. Thanks. Lynn.

Basically it's safe and the right thing to do, imo. If you don't run the disk check, you would risk writing new photos to a damaged area of the drive. As long the disk's file table is not damaged, probably the worst that would happen is a few bytes or sectors have some corruption, and if you're lucky, you only have one or two damaged or irretrievable photos. If you do lose access to the drive, there are recovery tools specifically for recovering photos, namely "PhotoRec" which works very well. After you get everything working again, you might think about some kind of backup system so you have more than one copy of the photos. This post was edited by kbarb on Wed, Nov 26, 14 at 16:43

Buehl, please do! I was just trying to save something of use. I'd been checking the GW all night, turned my back for 15 minutes to watch the Health Care vote, and whammo! all the posts were gone. I kept refreshing, thinking, "This can't be!"