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IWETHEY Home / IWETHEY Board / Windows vX.X Forum / I have to do a lot of reinstalls . . .
Post #1,919
by Andrew Grygus
Picture of Andrew Grygus
7/16/01 11:59:19 AM
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New I have to do a lot of reinstalls . . .
. . . with the registries removed because many of my clients would "have a hard time finding all those disks" to reinstall the software.

I've developed various techniques for preserving the desktop, start menus, DLLs, Fonts, etc., but If a program can't reestablish it's registry entries, I just tell them "well, that's the breaks". Office 97 is never a problem, but Office 2000 is a "reinstall from original media" every time.

"Well, could you just, you know, sort of get it on there for us, somehow?"

"Sorry, we run OS/2, so we don't have any of the Microsoft CD-ROMS. You'll just have to 'find' yours".
[link|www.aaxnet.com|AAx]
Post #1,926
by pwhysall
Picture of pwhysall
7/16/01 1:46:53 PM
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New Well, W2K improves one thing
It breaks the user profile information out of the %SYSTEMROOT% tree and into a top-level directory called "Documents and Settings", located on drive C: usually.

But as for people who have Software-With-No-Obvious-Purchase-Order-Number installed, they're screwed and they're going to get more screwed with the arrival of Office and Windows XP.

The reason you have to install O2K from the original media is that you've destroyed the MSI entries in the registry; now O2K doesn't know what's installed and what isn't, so you have to reinstall it.
--
Peter
Shill For Hire
Post #1,934
by Andrew Grygus
Picture of Andrew Grygus
7/16/01 2:44:40 PM
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New MSI Entries
I learned far more than I wished to know about MSI Entries when a client:
  • Had problems with Office 2000 Pro bombing out.
  • Attempted to reinstall from a set of Office 2000 Small Business CD-ROMS.
  • Called Automation Access
Yes, the era of "casual licensing" is drawing to a close, at least as far as Windows software is concerned.
[link|www.aaxnet.com|AAx]
Post #1,935
by orion
Picture of orion
7/16/01 2:53:09 PM
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New Which is why
I am suggesting StarOffice to any clients that wish to use Office software.

I also can make backups of their CD disks. I suggest that they store the originals in a safe place and install from the backup CDR disks. That way if they lose the CDR disks, or break/scratch/whatever them they will always have the originals to work from. Of course not everyone takes my advice.

A few Windows 95, Office 95, etc CDs went walking away from my place one too many times. So all recent software gets copied to CDR, unless it is copy protected or something. After looking all over for them and tearing up parts of the house, I am convinced that someone walked off with them. That is what I get for leaving the CDs in a CD Tower near my computer area instead of locked in a safe or fire-proof box. :(
"I can see if I want anything done right around here, I'll have to do it myself!"Moe Howard
Post #1,941
by Andrew Grygus
Picture of Andrew Grygus
7/16/01 3:48:20 PM
Reply
New CDs have legs
I warn my clients about this. Some pay attention, some don't. those that don't have no Windows CDs within a weeks or two. Hiding them in a drawer that isn't locked is the same as leaving them out on the counter. Office is just about as bad.

This leaves me in the position of reinstalling Windows from my own CD-ROM in many cases, but, if Windows will run I can get the customer's reg number with regedit, and if it won't, I boot on a floppy and search the registry with XTree to find it.
[link|www.aaxnet.com|AAx]
Post #1,951
by orion
Picture of orion
7/16/01 4:50:05 PM
Reply
New Which is why we have an IS-Library at work
A file cabinet cataloged by an Access database that has the registration keys in it and the location of each software and who checked it out last. The IS Secretary (we keep losing them, they either get moved to the Helpdesk or they quit for a better job) takes care of it and monitors who has what software. CDs do have legs and can walk out of the office, never to be seen again.

Who takes them? I have no idea. Must be the King of the PATATO-People! :)
"I can see if I want anything done right around here, I'll have to do it myself!"Moe Howard
Post #1,958
by a6l6e6x
Picture of a6l6e6x
7/16/01 5:55:08 PM
Reply
New Incidentally, were did the NT CDs you are installing at...
home come from? :)

Sorry, I know they're just copies.
Alex
Post #1,960
by orion
Picture of orion
7/16/01 6:14:25 PM
Reply
New You want the truth?
They came from the MSDN Library, and are backup copies. I am using them to learn how to develop under Windows 2000 and ".NET" as well. They are not on the same network as my work computer, so Microsoft should not have an issue with them.
"I can see if I want anything done right around here, I'll have to do it myself!"Moe Howard
     DOA Windows 2000 Server hard drive - (orion) - (17) - July 15, 2001, 09:35:29 PM EDT
         2000 is Plug-and-Pray . . . - (Andrew Grygus) - (11) - July 15, 2001, 11:42:18 PM EDT
             Eh? - (pwhysall) - (10) - July 16, 2001, 03:27:11 AM EDT
                 I presume 2000 . . . - (Andrew Grygus) - (9) - July 16, 2001, 06:38:00 AM EDT
                     I see. - (pwhysall) - (8) - July 16, 2001, 11:28:22 AM EDT
                         I have to do a lot of reinstalls . . . - (Andrew Grygus) - (7) - July 16, 2001, 11:59:19 AM EDT
                             Well, W2K improves one thing - (pwhysall) - (6) - July 16, 2001, 01:46:53 PM EDT
                                 MSI Entries - (Andrew Grygus) - (5) - July 16, 2001, 02:44:40 PM EDT
                                     Which is why - (orion) - (4) - July 16, 2001, 02:53:09 PM EDT
                                         CDs have legs - (Andrew Grygus) - (3) - July 16, 2001, 03:48:20 PM EDT
                                             Which is why we have an IS-Library at work - (orion) - (2) - July 16, 2001, 04:50:05 PM EDT
                                                 Incidentally, were did the NT CDs you are installing at... - (a6l6e6x) - (1) - July 16, 2001, 05:55:08 PM EDT
                                                     You want the truth? - (orion) - July 16, 2001, 06:14:25 PM EDT
         Have you actually run chkdsk /f? - (pwhysall) - (4) - July 16, 2001, 03:26:32 AM EDT
             I think you're on the right track. - (Another Scott) - July 16, 2001, 06:41:14 AM EDT
             Was not able to run chkdsk /f at all! - (orion) - (2) - July 16, 2001, 09:42:44 AM EDT
                 Install sets - (qstephens) - (1) - July 16, 2001, 05:40:57 PM EDT
                     That is very much what I am doing - (orion) - July 16, 2001, 06:20:04 PM EDT

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