How can I repair the XP Pro SP 3 system file

I have a problem very complicated but I’ll try to explain it as briefly as possible.

I have an old Compaq notebook: when I tried to replace it with a new notebook I discovered that they all came with Vista pre-installed

I HATE VISTA!!!!

I am not a reactionary or an "I.T. Luddite" but Vista has made a lot of my expensive software redundant and I need to preserve the old notebook because it has an XP Pro O/S

I can’t even use Vista to restore XP .bkf files to the new notebook (I had to down load Windows NT Backup "“ Retire Utility in order to do this)

By hook and by crook I have managed to preserve more than twelve years of priceless data using Windows XP Pro. However this data will not seamlessly transfer to the Sony VAIO notebook because the latter has a Vista O/S pre-installed

My old Compaq came with an XP SP1 installation disk and it has proved totally impossible create a new Windows XP setup CD by slipstreaming. Consequently it has been impossible for me to get around this problem by backing up, hard formatting the HDD, reinstall XP and then restoring backed up data.

My difficulties with the Compaq Notebook began with the release of the infamous SP3.

I regularly leave the notebook running 24/7 so that virus and malware scans (which slow performance to snail pace) are conducted while I am not using it.

However Windows updates are set up to take place automatically whilst the machine is connected to the net. Consequently, when SP3 was released, my notebook failed update itself using SP3, but instead seems to have used Microsoft . NET Framework 3.0 Service Pack 2.

Since that time the Configuration Utility appears each and every time the notebook boots up. I have tried EVERYTHING to stop it, but everything has failed, including spending hours remotely handing it over to the fantastic Microsoft support team in Malaysia.

It is impossible go back to square one because my notebook automatically chose to update itself using the Microsoft . NET Framework 3.0 Service Pack: this makes it impossible to create a new Windows XP setup CD using slipstreaming ; and I cannot start from scratch by removing SP3 in order to remove SP2 and so on and so on.

The heart of the problem is my XP Pro system file seems to be hopelessly corrupted. I cannot use the original XP Pro SP1 installation disk to repair it and I cannot repair it by using slipstreaming to create a new Windows XP Pro setup CD. I suppose it all comes down to one simple question, namely how on earth can I repair the Pro SP 3 system file on my old notebook?

 

The question How Can XP Pro SP 3 system file be repaired?

Sorry, thought the question was very clear, namely:

"The heart of the problem is my XP Pro system file seems to be hopelessly corrupted. I cannot use the original XP Pro SP1 installation disk to repair it and I cannot repair it by using slipstreaming to create a new Windows XP Pro setup CD. I suppose it all comes down to one simple question, namely how on earth can I repair the XP Pro SP 3 system file on my old notebook? "

 

If you just need to repair the XP system files borrow a friend's WinXP Pro OEM CD, create a copy then slipstream SP3 to it. You would now have a XP Pro OEM SP3 CD that can be used to repair the majority of proprietary PCs that use XP Pro. Just remember that you need to use the key supplied with the PC. You will also need to download and install the drivers from the manufacturer's website if necessary.