HarryTri

I have a Lenovo laptop with Windows 8 x64. I retrieved its serial number from the BIOS. I also have a Windows 8 x64 DVD - the official generic one - from the internet (downloaded as an ISO image). If my laptop "dies" and I buy a new one with Windows 10 will I be able to install and activate Windows 8 with the mentioned DVD and my current laptop's serial number on Virtual Box?

It seems that symlinks/junction points are what I referred to as "hardlinks". Hardlinks seem to be the real answer to the mystery. On a site I red some time ago that all the system files of Windows 8 are hardlinks from WinSxS and I didn't believe it. It seems that the guy was right: Thanks for the help jaclaz, you are great!

Hardlinks are not accessible even from an elevated command prompt: Symlinks? Are they different than hardlinks? As for sparse files this is a possibility but 5.32 GB? Note that huge possibly sparse files like pagefile.sys add their size to the allocated disk space shown in Windows Explorer: if they grow (you know when) it grows too. And what about the 39901 more files in dir/a/s?

Well, the case is that Windows themselves find (with dir/a/s) more files and allocated disk space than the ones shown in chkdsk or Windows Explorer...

Thanks for the response Tripedacus but no, dir/a/s and 7-zip show all these files. Can somebody check on his system (Windows 8 or newer) to see if he has similar results? Perhaps Microsoft uses some kind of trick to present fewer files and allocated disk space in the Windows partition (the other partitions give normal results as I have found)?

The results of chkdsk C: on my Windows 8 laptop: And the results of C:\>dir/a/s from the same elevated command prompt (only the System Volume Information must be inaccessible): The directories are about the same (each directory has the . and .. subdirectories in the dir list) but there is a difference of 39901 files and 5,32 GB of total disk space (65,32 GB in the dir results minus 60 GB - which is the actual size of the partition - in the chkdsk results). Running 7-zip File Manager as Administrator gives results that agree with these of the dir ones in terms of the files' number and the allocated disk space. Yet both chkdsk and dir report about the same free disk space (31938632 KB in dir)! Is there a possible explanation for it? How much is in reality the allocated and the free disk space? To prevent any misunderstanding I use the KB with the meaning of KiB and so on.

It seems I made a mistake. Anyway I suppose you can always use the other drivers in place of the missing Intel ones?

This is still good, at least your effort had a good result.

With USB 1.0, 1.1 and 2.0 you shouldn't have any problems with Windows XP SP3 (what problems do you have by the way?). As for USB 3.0 there is just no driver for Windows XP as far as I know.

I would say that System Restore (if it is possible) is your last chance, otherwise: format C:.

That's the most difficult. Unfortunately Microsoft is since 2015 out of balance, judging by the "telemetry" stuff, and who knows for how long...

Don't be misled, telemetry updates for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 do their (malicious I would say) work.

Yes, it does (and even more than 2 GBs of RAM), who knows why. But checking for updates doesn't take more than 5 minutes for me when it is done automatically, if I (have the time to) check for updates manually it usually takes less than 30 seconds! I don't know why this difference exists, however if I try to check manually for updates and the system has started doing it already the procedure takes longer. I have Windows Update Agent 7.8.9200.16924 from Windows Update's self autoupdate.

5 minutes the most? on Windows 8.

You can run it on a VM and use the newer host OS only for the things that the older one can't do.

You made four primary partitions? Then how the logical volumes were created since they can only be created into an extended partition? A new partition can't have been created, since in BIOS mode you can create four primary partitions or three primary partitions and an extended one but not more than that. Maybe the tools you used did something different than what you expected? Also what do you mean by "I had no choice"? The Windows installation CD refused to install on any of the primary partitions (if it is possible)? Sorry if I ask to much but I am a bit confused and I'm afraid that others who will read the topic will be confused too. That's the most confusing for me. You mean you can't just make a primary partition? Or more primary partitions one after the other in the non-allocated space of the disk (which I was able to do if I remember correctly)? What kind of Xp install Cd is this (an OEM or modified one)?

It depends if they have 512 byte (limit 2 TB) or 4096 (limit 16 TB) sector size.

Have you tried updating the Bluetooth drivers?

Just to express my sympathy.

I would say that the simplest and best way to do it would be to add a second user account (it won't "hurt", especially a restricted one).

None that I know. Perhaps someone else...

I have installed Windows XP on a MiB aligned VHD on Virtual Box and then applied the SP2 and SP3 with no problem. I don't know if the fact that it was a virtual machine makes any difference.

1.1 is not included in the 3.5 installer (only 2.0 and 3.0).

You mean there is a way or you seek a way to install .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.0 on Windows 2000?

.NET Framework 3.5 contains the 2.0 and 3.0 ones and some SPs and updates for them.