I need to reinstall Windows XP on an older Gateway desktop PC after it's hard drive crashed. Does anyone have the reinstall software for Windows XP Pro? I have reinstall software for most other makes but unfortunately not Gateway. I tried Pirate Bay but found nothing. Needs to be the kind of disk that installs and activates on any Gateway PC, just like the software that Gateway would provide. Not looking for any cracked or modded stuff or with anything removed - just a plain Gateway reinstall software for Windows XP Professional - just the way you would get it from Gateway. I looked into creating my own but don't have time at the moment to do that. If anyone knows where I can get it or download it for free (torrent site), please let me know. Thanks.
If you need to get it done quickly then just alter one of the current OEM:SLP cd's you have just delete $OEM$ folder and replace oembios files in i386 with gateway one and alter serial number in winnt.sif file by changing it to microsoft one. or just use one of those cd's to install windows then use oembios changer to add gateway oembios files and serial number. At the end of the day if no one has a gateway cd then they would have to make one up for you then upload it when you can alter one of your own in probably under ten minutes.
Are there any step by step instructions somewhere on how to do this? I mean, which files in I386 do I replace? And where is winnt.sif located? I guess the product key is what I change in there right? I assume it would be in a txt file. Step by step instructions would be best on how to do this. Thanks
Ok. I downloaded the rar file. How do I use this for my situation? Is this to change one of my existing OEM disks to a Gateway like discussed previously or are these files used to actually install Windows. I don't understand.
Tito: I read the txt files and found the download link for Gateway. There are six files in total - five are 100 MB each and the sixth is 41 MB. I assume those six make up an installation CD for Gateway PCs. How do I put them together to create a disk that will boot and install without problems? Also if I use an SLP key for Gateway (not the key in the machine), will the installation automatically activate itself once installed?
Also...I am having problems downloading the third file. I have only downloaded the first two and they went pretty quickly, but the third is barely moving, and it said something like 3 or 4 hours to download it, when the first two only took about 5 minutes. I tried refreshing the page, closing it out and reopening, etc. Do I need to pay something to upgrade and get the other three downloads?
Tito: Ok. I downloaded all six of the files. When I try to open them or extract them, I get the following error message: "CRC failed in the encrypted file". What does it mean and what am I doing wrong here??
"extract the TEMP, and if the iso / disc you already have is a retail one the you replace two files into the i386 folder plus your four compressed bios files" First question is on the above. Which two files am I replacing in I386? Where do I put the four compressed BIOS files - also in I386? Am I deleting anything? "then edit the winnt.sif with your proper slp key for your edition" Second - where exactly is the winnt.sif folder on the disk? There are A LOT of folders on a Windows XP disk. Thanks.
if you downloaded the OEM files folder from that post, extract it and open it, open "OEM FILES" and if the iso you have is a retail one open the "PRO RETAIL to PRO OEM" folder and then open the i386 folder inside it. then edit the winnt.sif file that is there in notepad with your proper key and save it. copy those two files into your i386 folder of your xp image. when it asks to replace/overwrite choose yes. take your compressed oem bios files you downloaded and copy them into the i386 folder of your image, when it asks to replace/overwrite choose yes. rebuild your image, it is now an OEM image for your chosen brand if your current image is a volume license image, open the "OEM FILES" folder, then the open the "VLK to PRO OEM" and then the "i386" folder and then edit the winnt.sif file there with notepad and put in the proper key and save it. copy all those seven files and put them in the i386 folder of your image. when it asks to replace/overwrite choose yes. copy your compressed oem bios files into your image's i386 folder, when it asks to replace/overwrite choose yes. rebuild the image it is now an OEM image of your chose brand.
I used a retail disk. I think I got all the files were they should be. Now....how do I build the ISO to burn to disk? I tried using Roxio and the included CDImage application in the TEMP file I downloaded but it won't let me select the whole folder. I copied the whole contents of my retail disk and then edited them the way you said but the two ISO builder applications won't let me select it....it just opens it instead.