[Question] - "Reverse Engineer" OEM "Restore CDs?

[durex]

So my sisters computer is all screwed to hell with spyware and whatnot and all she has is the HP "restore" cd that came with her laptop. I just took a quick peek at the contents, but it looks pretty darn similar to an Unattended Installation CD.

Is it possible to extract certain components from this cd so that it only installs the base OS and not all of the extra garbage that restore cds are typically cluttered with?

If its possible, Im sure I could figure it out after some tinkering, I just didnt want to waste my time if ppl here knew it was a lost cause.

Thanks a bunch!!

Title Edited - Please follow new posting rules from now on.

--Zxian

[Bezalel]

Does the CD say "Restore" or "Reinstallation". Restore CDs generally contain an image of the hard drive as it shipped from the factory but sometimes without Office becauce MS requires that the Office CDs be provided to the customer. Reinstallation CDs usually contain the OS with only slight customization such as mass storage device drivers.

If you have a hologrammed CD you may be able to extract the files from her computer to make a pre-activated CD for use in HP computers.

[Andromeda43]

You're going to have to spend some time to fix that computer.

Either install the cleanup software we recommend here and fix it, or

Run the Restore CD and still have to do a bunch of Un-Installing to clean up the mess that

the mfgr left you.

I'd just do the immediate cleanup and forget that restore disk, for now anyway.

For the very best in FREE Security software see the URL list on This Webpage

When you're all done, make your own Restore Disk so you don't have to go through this again.

Good Luck and Merry Christmas,

Andromeda43

[Anonymo]

I downloaded Windows XP Pro Retail, put the service pack 2 on there, use the DriverPacks provided by Sneaky, put in some addon from RyanVM's site, install laptop drivers from site with nLite and use the XXXXX-XXXX... number from the laptop sticker.

Well my point is if you have an extra XP Pro disc, use it.

[LLXX]

There are two types of restore CDs, one essentially contains a ready-to-run HDD image or set of files that are just copied during the restore process, the other is a standard XP CD with some extras.

The first type is easy to manipulate if you know how it copies the files - usually with an install script or something similar. On an old IBM restore disk I have, consists of two huge ZIP files with essentially the entire contents of the HDD on it and a crude batch file to format the disk and perform the "recovery" process.

For the second, you'll have to take a look at the installation script and remove all the additional OEM stuff. The OEMs probably use the same methods as the normal unattended installs. Copy the whole thing to an HDD, clean it up, then burn it to a CD and try it out.

Of course, if you already have an XP CD somewhere, use that instead.

[durex]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Now heres another question. This laptop obviously has a legit WinXP installed on it. So long as I use the same version (ie. WinXP Home, OEM Version) and the same CD Key, would it still be considered "illegal" if I used a "borrowed" copy of a Windows XP Home Installation CD, rather than the restore disk?

Thanks again.

[Grunth0s]

The Licence sticker is the proof of licence, not the physical media used to install.

As such, I believe that installation from a borrowed copy, as long as it is the same version you are licensed for is fine.

[Anonymo]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Now heres another question. This laptop obviously has a legit WinXP installed on it. So long as I use the same version (ie. WinXP Home, OEM Version) and the same CD Key, would it still be considered "illegal" if I used a "borrowed" copy of a Windows XP Home Installation CD, rather than the restore disk?

Thanks again.

Hey that was my idea

[Bezalel]

The EULA states that you cannot lend your CD to another user. I don't know if using a borrowed CD to install windows is illegal or not due to the first sale doctorine but I would not considure it to be software piracy.

[Synapse]

I personlly have done this and works fine. Heres a post that i posted on another forum. http://bink.nu/forums/11381/ShowPost.aspx my name there is Replicant (my other online alias).

You can follow those same steps using Service Pack 2 and it will work fine. Thanks to Alanoll for the XP Ident Files, use this to find out which files you will need.

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?s=&sho...ndpost&p=156691

so for Windows XP Home (Which i'm guessing Since its an OEM Copy) use the files.. WIN51, WIN51IC, WIN51IC.SP1/2 (Depending on which Service Pack came pre-slipstreamed)... Then slipstream SP1 or SP2 into that directory and it'll make the setup.exe, and modify any of the other files needed. If its Service Pack 1 originally you can make slipstream Service Pack 1 or 2 into it.. if it was originally Service Pack 2, i'm 95% sure you can only slipstream it with Service Pack 2.

Hope this helps you, It may or may not work depending on how much the OEM Company screwed with the files.

as for the Borrowing CD thing, when you buy Windows, you're buying the Serial Number, so i doubt Microsoft or anyone else would have a problem with it.. it'd be like me getting a Shareware copy of a program, and then sending it to you.. nobody would care so long as the serial number i used was only used in my copy. but thats just my opinion, don't take my word on it or go infront of a judge saying "Bi0haZarD said....".. lolz

Edited December 22, 2005 by Bi0haZarD

[The008]

is there a way to create my own XP Recovery just like OEM Recovery CD? I know that they use sysprep but I don't know how to perform an auto-restore boot. does anyone knows??????

[InTheWayBoy]

You would want to look into BartPE/WinPE to automate the loading of the OS...WinPE is the official way to do it, but BartPE is better in the long run.