A reminder why ReactOS is so important

[dizt3mp3r]

Every now and then I give myself a reminder as to why ReactOS is so important. This time it was an old machine (XP) that gave up the ghost due to a GPU card blowing up. I decided to get the machine up and running so I could recover the data. I had another spare GPU but it had an incompatible slot so I swapped in another motherboard that I had knocking around that was compatible with the GPU. Booted the machine and up came the Windows activation message. Regardless of what I tried to do from that point onward, activate or ignore the o/s logged me off and closed the machine down. Can't even get onto the machine to extract the data, can't boot with the original hardware because it is fried, can't buy another old GPU as there won't be any of the right sort for sale anywhere but fleabay (motherboard has no on-board GPU).

In the end I'll boot another o/s, extract the data and when I get the machine running again it will stay with that o/s, probably Kubuntu. Why does MS make it so difficult just to turn a machine on?

At these times I do wish for ReactOS... if only, I dream.

[PurpleGurl]

Yes, that is certainly an example of how ROS is helpful.

As a side comment, it is nice that ROS will never need activation. So if you see any torrents or file-sharing hits that offer to activate ROS, you can be sure they are ill-intended.

[EmuandCo]

There is a way to get a Explorer, but with a timeout. Accesibility options on boot screen open you a Internet Explorer. Type C:\ as URL in there and you have your HDD. Just a emergency way to access files, but it works to an extent.

[dizt3mp3r]

I'll try that novel approach... I don't remember being able to run anything at all, not even to log in. I am going to try a safe mode command prompt suppression of the windows activation system for 30 days and we'll see if that works. Otherwise I will boot a linux cd and see what I can retrieve.

Basically windows activation has meant that another windows machine has bitten the dust...

[milon]

Why not just plug that HDD into another computer as a secondary drive? Then you boot your normal OS and navigate to the newly attached drive. I've done that countless times to help friends backup/recover data.

[dizt3mp3r]

Why not just plug that HDD into another computer as a secondary drive? Then you boot your normal OS and navigate to the newly attached drive. I've done that countless times to help friends backup/recover data.

That's not the point. There are obviously loads of ways to get the data off...

The point is that a normal function of just replacing a broken component in order to continue normal usage causes Microsods (sic) activation code to scupper you. All you want to do is to quickly fix something and it Microdolts (sic) somehow turns a drama into a crisis.

Don't need badly thoughtout policies and implementation to interfere with my day-to-day work here. This is just one reason why I want ReactOS to succeed.

[LuxenDM]

There is a way to get a Explorer, but with a timeout. Accesibility options on boot screen open you a Internet Explorer. Type C:\ as URL in there and you have your HDD. Just a emergency way to access files, but it works to an extent.

Or use iexplorer to download an alternative to explorer (i had good luck with cubicexplorer here), then use the file menu afterwards. Instead of using the open button on the dialogue box, right-click and launch your desired program.

What do you mean, timeout? I had an old laptop i did this on near constantly. Unless you mean if you launch explorer.exe that way - yeah, that timed out after anywhere from a few minutes to a few seconds for me.

***of note, you will have to bear with minimising the activation screen, as killing it is considered logging out.

Or install ROS/Linux/etc and not have to deal with that uglified mess of skirting the activation.