Louise, you are driving in circles. Let me try and explain it this way. As long as you have not adversely affected the BIOS, you have to access the BIOS
To do this, when you restart your computer, immediately tap one of these keys:

• Delete
• Tab
• F1
• F2

Once you get into the BIOS, look for the Boot Priority section and setup the boot priority so that the CD drive is first.

Once you do that, put the Recovery CD in the CD drive, push F10 to accept the changes, and restart the computer.

Once the computer restarts, you will be prompted to push any key to boot from CD. This will start the recovery process.

You *DO NOT HAVE *a XP Pro Operating System from which to complete the installation. For this, you would need the valid product key.

Once you go through the recovery/installation process, you will no longer have XP Pro of which to concern yourself.

Louise, please, for the love of all that is good and just, call the manufacturer and confirm which Recovery CD is right for you. Verify what we have all said with the technician to which you speak.

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This is my personal Dream PC: http://forums.pcworld.com/blogs/mphenterprises/2007/12/21/my-gift-to-myself

I would suggest that the poster ask the support guys for his/her computer about the recovery disks and whether or not they will work. It would appear that the hidden recovery partition should be using the same or similar process to the recovery disks he/she can order. If so, then the recovery disks may not work.

It all depends on how the recovery disks (and partition) work. I agree that it appears that somehow the Windoze XP Pro got intstalled...either partially or fully. It woud further appear that if Windoze XP Pro is installed, it is preventing the recovery partition from operating. The impression from that website giving instruction for the recovery partition method imply that you can reinstall Windoze and the original programs but NOT lose your files. This might mean that it needs to detect an appropriate (if damaged) version of Windoze. Or maybe the presence of Windoze XP Pro is confusing it. If so, the recovery CDs/DVDs might have the same problem.

My suggestion would be to try and wipe the boot partition WITHOUT wiping the recovery partition...and then try the recovery partition again. If there is in fact Windoze XP Pro on the boot partiion and its presence is messing with the recovery partitions' ability to function, then reformatting the boot parition might cure that problem. The only downside is that if he/she had files that they wanted, they would be gone.

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[soapbox] Backup good...no backup bad!! [/soap box]

I honestly don't know if wiping the boot partiion will help or not. It is what I would likely try as my next step (assuming I was not worried about data files on the drive...if I had data files on the drive that I needed/want, I would first see if I could get those files OFF the drive) if this were my situation.

I also honestly don't know if you will have a problem with the recovery CD/DVD option or not. From my experience making use of recovery disks (and partitions), it should not be a problem...but then neither should your recovery partition (unless it is somehow damaged). It is possible that the recovery process needs to somehow recognize Windoze MCE on the computer in order to proceed. I just don't know. The best person to ask would be the tech support folks for your computer, and even then you might not get a good answer.

If you want to try the wiping of the boot partiion, then you should be able to do it by booting with a Windoze installation CD and there should be a format option, I believe. But, I don't recall exactly off the top of my head.

If you can get a real Windoze XP MCE install disk, you could try booting from it, formatting the drive (i.e. wiping the boot drive) and installing Windoze XP MCE from it. The only thing to be careful of is which "type" of disk it is. I don't believe an "upgrade" disk will work. And you might need an OEM install disk if your Windoze XP MCE key is an OEM key (based upon what others have said on the forum in the past).

My best suggestion is along the lines of the others...first call the technical support folks and talk to them about you problem. They should be able to tell you if the recovery disks will work. If they say they will work, then you could either do that now or try some of the other options and use the recovery disks as a second to last option.

As I said, if it were me, I would wipe the boot parition and try the F10 recovery again.

A question...when you tried the F10 recovery, which option did you try? Did you try the recovery with saving your data? Or did you try the option with "quick format"? Which screen version did you get? The link that I gave that you had to paste in gives two different possible screens. One has an advanced button and the other does not but list a couple of options...one being the "quick format" option. If you have not tried the "quick format"/advance option, I would try that...but be aware that your data files will be toast.

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[soapbox] Backup good...no backup bad!! [/soap box]

Louise - I want to recap what this forum has told you in a short way. What you have is a corruped disc.

You have tried the F10 option to access the recovory partition. It has not worked.

You now have two options only and they both begin with FORMAT THE HD.

Then you can a) order the recovery discs from the support site. These recovery disc are most likely NOT full install discs but IMAGE discs. My desktop came with XP Media Edition 2005. The recovery DVD's can be used to fulling restore a HD to the As Shipped condition. You can even restore the OS onto a new larger HD, and will even install the recovey partition. I have done it. (Before I upgraded to Vista). It will also install the original "free" software that was installed and all the drivers.

The recovery discs from the support group is not only your least expensive option, it is the most effective as it will include all the drivers that were on the HD initially.

Starting the PC from the DVD drive with Disc 1 will format the HD, after warning you that you are about to lose data (you have probably alreadly lost any data not backed up).

Option 2 with is more expensive is to purchase a full installation XP disc and use it to format and install XP (Home or Pro as they DO NOT sell retail versions of XP Media Edition). You will then have to seek out and install the appropriate drivers, and finding which drivers are needed can be the challenge. Windows will attempt to identify devices and install generic drivers, but the description in Device Manager may not be enough to completely identify the devices.

You single best, least expensive option is the Recovery Discs. Be thankful you do have that option, may users do not. I was initally afraid until you found the actual listing for your machine that you did not either.

Those who tell you that you must complete the installation are incorrect. Format cures most software ills on a HD.

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Louise, see, there you go around in a circle again. Initially, you told us that there was only one Recovery CD. Then, you gave us this link:

http://support.thetechguys.com//recoverymedia/

which shows two options. Now, you give us another link that references only one Recovery CD. Please, I believe everyone in this forum has given you all the information, several times over. Call the manufacturer and get the information directly from them. You are not doing yourself any good by continuing to ask the same questions.

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This is my personal Dream PC: http://forums.pcworld.com/blogs/mphenterprises/2007/12/21/my-gift-to-myself

what he says ,....and what YOU can do( with out causing more problems) are 2 different things :cry: You're struggleing with esoteric, symantics,...do you believe you could efectively, and accurately , carry out a highly technical, command line procedure?, or afford to purchase and accurately execute a third party , partioning program?????