XP Configuration Error : "Code Purple"

[hpak]

Okay....after searching for quite some time, I finally got the newest HP Tattoo utility. I made a boot CD and tested it and it works.

I should have my new MB tommorrow and wanted to get some advice on what info I need to enter. Can anyone help me with a quick step by step? I know I need the HW BOM, S/N and model number. What else? Please help!

[crossedup]

Look on the bottom of the case, you will need the HWBOM, SBOM, model number, serial number, motherboard name ( not crucial ) and a few other things that are not really important.

Everything will be on the case or in the case somewhere on stickers or whatnot.

There are many differant tattoes, you need the PDF list to know for sure which one is correct. If its in the last few years use the 8.0 one and make sure you remove the HD DMI and then reapply it as well.

For yours, send the model number and I can tell you, PM me the info for best results.

[WestCoastBaDBoY]

As i have built serveral oem versions of windows and i am an microsoft authorized oem distributor i figure i would shed some light on the subject.

Its not a damn tatoo. computers dont get tats they dont have skin

Seriously though, it is a custom bios image that that is stored in an eprom and then when the computer starts up if the bios information is changed then dmi data is updated. then after that the new bios checksum is stored in the cmos.

The oem manufacturer puts this on the motherboard because of all the packaged software in those oem windows builds. There is security implemented on those wondows recovery discs That assures that the software only runs on authorized hardware.
Dell, hp, sony ect. nor the software industy want people running around with a disk than can make dell clones !!!!!!!

This image can however be flashed in windows sometimes. Depends though on the type of bios and if it really has a full fledged bios. some newer oem pcs dont have a real bios. They write part of the configuration to a partition in the hard drive now. As well as the windows recovery, all on a partition.

now ya know.

One time i got an oem computer for christmas and the motherboard wouldnt let me adjust voltages or bus speeds or nothing so i went and got a fat asus board with the same chipset. swapped it in. the real probem was that i had to install the old motherboard again to get the recovery discs to work again then put the new hardware in.

So for guys stuck with oem pcs that want to tweak and overclock but cant due to a lame oem motherboard. get another motherboard with the same chipset and instal it. it will boot right up and and run fine. youll only have to instal drivers for new devices and options that your oem board didnt have...

[mark46808]

ok I see this is an old topic but it is new to me so were can i get my mits on the tattoing cd? any body? is it downlaodable? helppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp pppppppppp!!!!!!!

[mark46808]

well well, I fought with this code purple for four days found a windows xp home addision that I copyed from my moms compuiter( A dell not an hp) loaded it into my puiter and presto magic it works. I had to call micro soft to addivact my windows number I told em that the xp installed was from a dell not mine, I gave her the number from moms xp then she ask what my number for the xp that came preloaded on mine she gave me a new number and all is good. (I HOPE) jsut my part, good luck on the code! by the way were can I get a cd for the tattooing of my mother board?

[crashfive]

Originally Posted by outbak

To sum it up, you need to put the hard drive into another computer as a slave or hook it up externally with one of those USB enclosures if you don't have space for a second hard drive. Then open up C:\hp\bin\ConfigCheck\cfgchk.bat with notepad and modify the section that checks to see if the hard drive is tattoo'd to have it not bother checking at all. (although the hard drive will be running as slave so replace the C:\ with whatever drive letter Windows assigns it) The line to remove is: "python c:\hp\bin\ConfigCheck\run.py". This worked great for me and I hope it helps anyone else who comes along this thread as an alternative to dealing with tattoo'ing the motherboard or hard drive.

This worked for me THANKS!!!!

[MyWebBits]

I am sooooo happy.
My system has been down for months with the code purple.
It is a HP Media Center.
I installed norton Internet security and on reboot, It hasn't worked since.
I fineally ran across a serch engine that brought me here.
I followed your link (outbak) and followed the instructions to remove the line (python c:\hp\bin\ConfigCheck\run.py) in the following:
{drive letter}:\hp\bin\ConfigCheck\cfgchk.bat where the cfgchk.bat file containing the following:

c:\hp\bin\hpdmi r > dmiout.txt
python c:\hp\bin\ConfigCheck\run.py
del dmiout.txt
cd ..
rd /s /q c:\hp\bin\ConfigCheck

I am past the code purple now.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

I'm back, It got past it but it has taken some time to reboot now.
I've never seen a windows install have a countdown like this one did, saying do not turn off. and now it hass taking over another 15 mins to get past the black screen saying please wait.

I may have lost my appeal for H.P.

The HDD light is blinking so maybe it isn't locked up.
Going to bed, May be back with the final results.

[98indy500]

I performed the following and it worked perfectly. Just put the drive in another computer and modify the cfgchk.bat file.

remove the line "python c:\hp\bin\ConfigCheck\run.py"
from.............. {drive}:\hp\bin\ConfigCheck\cfgchk.bat

Goodluck

[Spike727]

Originally Posted by scootergizer

Ive had one of the most confusing error messages today. I work in technical support and one of the customers I had today recieved an error out of the box that its terminology is a bit puzzling. The customer has an OEM version of XP and during its first boot after he hit the windows splash he recieved an error message "configuration error : Code Purple. I cant find any reference to this even through microsoft. While I was looking for a reference to this i was having the customer do busy work : restart. reset CMOS defaults. This seems to have resolved it, the caller was able to load to the original windows config screen. but I dont believe that it was reset that had done it, I cant logically think why it would have. Im mainly just curious as to what the error is, "Code Purple". Anyone experience this before?

I have just had the same code purple and after hours of research I found it not to be a microsoft problem it's an HP and compaq pproblem. with a program called Python that checks motherboard numbers and software that much match. HP tole me I needed to have board re tatooed
which was gonna cost me a few hundred bucks and I had to ship it too,well I beat them if you buy a retail coppy of the OS that ya want to use and do a clean install it will wipe all the HP or compaq software and never use the recovery partition you will never have this problem agin

[Spike727]

best way to fix code purple is to get a retale OS and do a clean install that wipes all HP or compaq bundle software i belive it is related to a Python program that HP pre-installs it fixed mine i just installed Vista (clean install) and never see purple agin OS cost bout the same as sending it in to be tatood and after that it can still happen agin as long as they keep useing there checker