how to extract os from recovery disks?

[Stonesoldier]

Ok got an emachine from a friend dead MB

got the restore disks and i am going to drop a NEW MB into the machine -- $40.00

but the restore disk will only work with an eMachine MB -- which is $159.00

the windows file apears to be ghosted ( T2642.GHO ) XP Home

how do i extract the OS files

 

[nsafreak]

ISOBuster would be your best bet. Then use nLite to make a new slipstream disk.

 

[Stonesoldier]

Bump

 

[nod218]

Assuming the ghost image has the i386 folder installed, you can use ghost explorer to open the gho image. Then extract the i386 directory. Burn the i386 directory to a cd and create a windows 98 boot disk. Boot the computer into the DOS, and fdisk making a primary partition and format to fat32 (you can later convert the fat32 partition to NTFS). Make sure the boot disc comes with the cd-rom drivers. After formating, copy over the entire i386 directory to the hard drive, and run winnt.exe to start the install.

You can give that a try.

 

[shamans]

And the answer is....You probably can't.

The restore disk, after restoration, usually contains an already installed OS. That is, it's been unpacked, installed, etc - and specific to the emachine hardware that came with it.

However, you cannot move windows installations between different motherboards usually (about the only thing you can't change without having to reinstall). You will have to reinstall windows fresh.

And the alternate answer is... *thinking*
Either...Acronis True Image - Universal Restore option (I've tried this)
or somehow using symantec backup exec system - recovery desktop edition (haven't tried this)

Both of which are really not suitable for you...so...go reinstall windows from scratch.

 

[Stonesoldier]

Well so far no luck :disgust:

i plan on doing a fresh install of XP home on the new MB
was my plan all along

got a trial version of ghost but no luck
i can extract the first file T2642.GHO
But it only contains empty folders and system files ( ntldr ,ntdetect, io.sys ,Iph.ph ? , Autoexec.bat , boot.ini
the next file i cant do anything with T2642001.GHS
it should be the next part of the ghosted file but it Refuses to open
cant explore it or extract it useing GHOST 10


maybe I will try the batch file and see what it does

anyone else got any ideas for extracting the OS from a recovery CD

can i use any XP home disk with the XP Home key code?

 

[lxskllr]

Originally posted by: Stonesoldier
Well so far no luck :disgust:

i plan on doing a fresh install of XP home on the new MB
was my plan all along

got a trial version of ghost but no luck
i can extract the first file T2642.GHO
But it only contains empty folders and system files ( ntldr ,ntdetect, io.sys ,Iph.ph ? , Autoexec.bat , boot.ini
the next file i cant do anything with T2642001.GHS
it should be the next part of the ghosted file but it Refuses to open
cant explore it or extract it useing GHOST 10


maybe I will try the batch file and see what it does

anyone else got any ideas for extracting the OS from a recovery CD

can i use any XP home disk with the XP Home key code?

That's what I've done in the past. I used a standard oem XP Home disk and the key on the side of my Dell for the install. You may fail automatic activation and have to call MS, but if the mb is substantially the same as the emachines board they should let you do it. In my replacement I used an Asus board 865 chipset to replace the Dell board with an 845 chipset.

 

[Stonesoldier]

Originally posted by: shamans

The restore disk, after restoration, usually contains an already installed OS. That is, it's been unpacked, installed, etc - and specific to the emachine hardware that came with it.

well i got it extracted from the CD's
and yes your right it looks like an installed OS

Originally posted by: nod218
Assuming the ghost image has the i386 folder installed, you can use ghost explorer to open the gho image. Then extract the i386 directory. Burn the i386 directory to a cd and create a windows 98 boot disk. Boot the computer into the DOS, and fdisk making a primary partition and format to fat32 (you can later convert the fat32 partition to NTFS). Make sure the boot disc comes with the cd-rom drivers. After formating, copy over the entire i386 directory to the hard drive, and run winnt.exe to start the install.

You can give that a try.

the windows folder has the i386 folder
why format Fat 32?
if i make a set of install disks for XP Home , will that work instaed of useing a 98 startup disk ,that way it will start off in ntfs

Originally posted by: lxskllr

That's what I've done in the past. I used a standard oem XP Home disk and the key on the side of my Dell for the install. You may fail automatic activation and have to call MS, but if the mb is substantially the same as the emachines board they should let you do it. In my replacement I used an Asus board 865 chipset to replace the Dell board with an 845 chipset.[/quote]


will try that also ( i got a couple of spare drives laying around )
just got to lay my hands on a XP Home Cd

will it matter if the CD is sp2 and the key is sp1 ? ? ? ?

 

[lxskllr]

Originally posted by: Stonesoldier

Originally posted by: shamans

The restore disk, after restoration, usually contains an already installed OS. That is, it's been unpacked, installed, etc - and specific to the emachine hardware that came with it.

well i got it extracted from the CD's
and yes your right it looks like an installed OS

Originally posted by: nod218
Assuming the ghost image has the i386 folder installed, you can use ghost explorer to open the gho image. Then extract the i386 directory. Burn the i386 directory to a cd and create a windows 98 boot disk. Boot the computer into the DOS, and fdisk making a primary partition and format to fat32 (you can later convert the fat32 partition to NTFS). Make sure the boot disc comes with the cd-rom drivers. After formating, copy over the entire i386 directory to the hard drive, and run winnt.exe to start the install.

You can give that a try.

the windows folder has the i386 folder
why format Fat 32?
if i make a set of install disks for XP Home , will that work instaed of useing a 98 startup disk ,that way it will start off in ntfs

Originally posted by: lxskllr

That's what I've done in the past. I used a standard oem XP Home disk and the key on the side of my Dell for the install. You may fail automatic activation and have to call MS, but if the mb is substantially the same as the emachines board they should let you do it. In my replacement I used an Asus board 865 chipset to replace the Dell board with an 845 chipset.

will try that also ( i got a couple of spare drives laying around )
just got to lay my hands on a XP Home Cd

will it matter if the CD is sp2 and the key is sp1 ? ? ? ?





[/quote]


I tend to doubt it. I'm guessing you'll fail automatic activation anyway so you could explain your situation to MS when you call. I imagine they'll be understanding. MS gets a lot of grief for their activation scheme, but they really aren't bad to deal with. They're not out to try to screw you, and they'll work with you on a legitimate install (in my experience anyway).

 

[nod218]

You can make the XP install disk, it doesn't really matter. All you have to do is execute winnt32.exe instead of winnt.exe.

 

[muzicmaken]

Originally posted by: Stonesoldier

well i got it extracted from the CD's
and yes your right it looks like an installed OS

Originally posted by: nod218
Assuming the ghost image has the i386 folder installed, you can use ghost explorer to open the gho image. Then extract the i386 directory. Burn the i386 directory to a cd and create a windows 98 boot disk. Boot the computer into the DOS, and fdisk making a primary partition and format to fat32 (you can later convert the fat32 partition to NTFS). Make sure the boot disc comes with the cd-rom drivers. After formating, copy over the entire i386 directory to the hard drive, and run winnt.exe to start the install.

You can give that a try.

I too am needing to extract the ghs file from my eMachine restore discs. I don't have anu other XP discs and since I had to upgrade my motherboard and cpu (they got fried from a home power surege lost a couple tv's as well) eMachine company will not let me use it again. I can't afford to buy xp especially since I bought it with this machine.

How did you extrack the .GHS file? and is there a way to extrackt the xp key from it once you extracted the OS?

THanks for any help...

 

[muzicmaken]

bump

 

[muzicmaken]

ok I got the recovery disc extracted using Norton Ghost...

Is there a way to get my Windows xp cd key from it and product id? the one on the back of my machine s not readable?