hi: I'm very new at this bios modding but with the help of a member's PM's I've made much progress. I have an Award bios for an epox ep-9npa+ ultra mobo. I used andy's awardtool and was able to sucessfully add slic2.1 and slp using dell files. I then installed win 7 without a hiccup, activated even with kb971033. But I'm not sure how to do this process with win/XP. I'm still using the modded bios. oembios says I have dell crc63875d1f and crcb6f0eefd in the bios now. I found and uncompressed the dell crcb6f0eefd which contained 4 files inside. so I put those 4 files, 911medics oembios changertool on a slave drive with the retail key ending in R38TB in a doc file so I'll have everything. I then used a retail win/xp pro cd and did the install. after win/xp does the copying of files and asks for the first reboot she just goes into a loop, back into the original install. I am not sure of the correct order of steps to activate win/xp let alone if I've done anything incorrectly here. Can anyone be of assisstance? Thanks in advance...regards..
so I cant use any win/xp cd disc? thanks for reply. Yes that is the tool (911medic's) that I have at the ready. but are you saying that I can't use an original win/xp retail cd to do the install and then change those 4 files afterwards? Is it a must to use the method by suicide solution, how to create PRO OEM SLP CD to do the install? again I am not sure of the steps and methods. thanks..regards...
Yes if you have a vlk or retail xp disc you can convert it into a oem install with auto activation if you have the right slp in your bios
I just spent the last 2 hrs trying to make this work and I still am having that looping problem. Apparently I am doing something wrong if I get the same problem using a retail win xp cd or the one I made (PRO OEM SLP CD). When windows setup does the first reboot she goes right back into the first setup screen, press F6, press F2 etc. whats confusing to me is when I ran oembios to check the script files it gives me (2) crc id's for the dell script, which is normal? but in the instructions to get the compressed oembios files when I look up the dell files there is only (1) file listed, the crc B6F0EEFD which has the 4 files needed inside. Why isnt the other file used (CRC 63875D1F)? Could that be my problem or mistake? Win 7 installed and activated with little to no problems. I just cant figure out XP. Any comments greatly appreciated. Regards...
thanks again. as I said in my PM to you the boot sequence did not matter, same exact error (loop). I'll try some other dell files you linked me to. also if I was to use a Dell branded cd XP Pro with SP3 can anyone install that on ANY Dell machine with just a dell pro OEM s/n as found on MDL?
I think I found the problem I think I found my problem. I tried to install a run of the mill win/xp cd and it still went into a loop. So I thight my modded bios was the problem. I then flashed my bios back to the original and it still looped with retail Xp cd. Then I remembered reading something about Daz's loader had to be uninstalled which I never did. I originally used Daz's loader on a win 7 install on this drive. I never unistalled his loader, did a bios mod and then just reinstalled win 7 which worked perfectly, activated and all. Then I tried the win/xp install and had this looping problem. I have a procedure to zero out the mbr using DOS Debug. I ran the procedure and then did a re-install with my oem bios and retail win/xp and everything now normal. I will now go back to the modded bios and try the win/xp install with the dell files inside the win/xp cd. will report results later. regards...
well it solved the install problem, but now I cant activate XP. I followed the procedure to a T. I used the xxxx-r38tb key and no good. after initial boot up with the oem CD what are the steps. do you click on the 2 keys to activate over the internet or is there another method? thx..
I dont understand why it didnt activate offline if the oembios files matched the bios slp, very strange. Try the YD4YT key that i sent you
gentlemen thanks for all the replies. Quite honestly I'm more confused now. from what I geaned from the rsponses the retail version looks like a pain the the butt. I have a corporate version with sp3 slipstreamed and all the critical updates. I just installed it and I'll give 911medics tool a try with the dell slp files. will report back. regards..
gentlemen..EUREKA>>>SUCCESS. first let me admit as being a true nubie in this endeavor I was not even running 911medics tool correctly. I was just running the initial install of the tools with the compressed files in the oem compressed bios folder. I was not running OEM.exe. sorry I'm the nubie, we cant assume anything! so the final result for me was I used the original win/xp that has been in existance for a longtime with the devils key. I believe it is a corporate version. I slipstreamed sp3 and all the critical updates up until 1/22/10. I ran the OEM.exe file as per instructions but didnt think it worked. so I did a winupdate and it ran that first wga update and it said successful then 19 critical updates showed up including the validation one. I downloaded and installed them and the validation update passed. I re-booted and ran mgadiag...GENUINE...yeah it was like pulling teeth with me, but the bottom line...SUCCESS!