Buying WinXP Home Full version ... some advice please

[Daniel]

Where I live, in the "brick & mortar" shops, I see these advertised for $300
+ 15% tax (Canadian). I also see these available on eBay for about 1/3 of
the price, many new and look to be legit, and I would like your advice
whether or not to purchase these on eBay and, if yes, then what should I
look for ? I would like to get a legitimate WinXp Home full version cd, with
an unused key etc etc ... Tho I have experience shopping on eBay for other
stuff, I don't have any when purchasing this sort of software.

Thanks,

Daniel

 

[Daniel]

What about this:

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=41887&item=3686122799

Is this what I should be looking for ?

Thanks,

Daniel

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi Daniel,

You would probably wind up with either nothing (a scam, be careful of whom
you purchase from), or the unsupported OEM full version. Yep, it's cheaper.
Why?

- No support from Microsoft, though you can install any critical or security
updates. Any other support comes from the distributor, who usually don't
exist in a support capacity. This includes replacement disks if yours if
lost or broken.

- You cannot move the installation to new hardware. It is effectively locked
to the original system that it is activated on. If you build a new pc, then
you have to buy a new copy of WindowsXP for it.

- Cannot be used to upgrade an existing systems. This is not supported in
the OEM full versions, they only do clean installs to formatted disks. Not
very useful if upgrading is your objective.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

In

What about this:

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=41887&item=3686122799

Is this what I should be looking for ?

If you look at that carefully, you'll see that it's an OEM
version, not a retail Full version. An OEM version is cheaper
than the Full, but has some serious disadvantages. If you buy
one, be sure you understand what you're getting and what the
disadvantages are.

The OEM version can only legally be sold with hardware, although
these days, any piece of hardware, even a power cord, qualifies.
Although if you get a complete generic OEM version, it contains
the same software, it has the following disadvantages as compared
with the retail version:

1. Its license ties it permanently to the first computer it's
installed on. It can never legally be moved to another computer,
sold, or given away.

2. It can only do a clean installation, not an upgrade.

3. Microsoft provides no support for OEM versions. You can't call
them with a problem, but instead have to get any needed support
from your OEM; that support may range anywhere between good and
non-existent. Or you can get support elsewhere, such as in these
newsgroups.

 

[Daniel]

Ok, thanks Ken but please tell me what the other options are ?
Thanks. ---Daniel

 

[Daniel]

Ok, so I should be on the lookout for something like this ?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=41887&item=3686275569&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

It's non OEM and retailed packaged (new).

Thanks,

Daniel

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

In

Ok, thanks Ken but please tell me what the other options are ?
Thanks. ---Daniel

You really have only three good options:

1. Buy a Full retail copy from a reputable source. This is the
most expensive option.

2. If you can live with the OEM restrictions, buy an OEM copy,
but from a reputable source (probably *not* eBay). If the price
is too good to true, think long and hard about the likelihood of
your being cheated.

3. If you own a previous qualifying version's installation CD
(not a restore CD), buy an Upgrade version from a reputable
source. Upgrades are around the same price as generic OEM copies,
but are more flexible. And despite what many people think, you
*can* do a clean installation with a Upgrade, as long as you have
that previous qualifying version's installation CD to show it
when it asks.

Most people qualify for an upgrade, and, for those do, that's the
best option, in my view.

 

[Daniel]

3. If you own a previous qualifying version's installation CD
(not a restore CD), buy an Upgrade version from a reputable
source. Upgrades are around the same price as generic OEM copies,
but are more flexible. And despite what many people think, you
*can* do a clean installation with a Upgrade, as long as you have
that previous qualifying version's installation CD to show it
when it asks.

YES! Thanks Ken! I DO have Win98 cd (the real thing) from my old computer
and would probably opt for the upgrade. Actually, I meant to ask about the
possibility of a clean install using this. You answered my question! Thanks
again. One more question tho ... The person who put together my new pc
partitioned my disc into "C" and "D". I would like to only have "C". I would
like to get rid of "D" and some stuff he put there, from my previous
computer's hard drive (now backed up on cdr). How can I delete "D" and its
contents and is it safe to do so ? Also, when I get the upgrade, does the
WinXP installation disc have instructions on how to do a clean reinstall ?

Thanks again,

Daniel

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

In

YES! Thanks Ken!

You're welcome. Glad to help.

I DO have Win98 cd (the real thing)

Good! Just make sure it's an installation CD, not a restore CD
(many OEM computers come with restore CDs). A restore CD will not
work as I describe above.

from my old
computer and would probably opt for the upgrade. Actually, I meant to
ask about the possibility of a clean install using this. You answered
my question! Thanks again. One more question tho ... The person who
put together my new pc partitioned my disc into "C" and "D". I would
like to only have "C". I would like to get rid of "D" and some stuff
he put there, from my previous computer's hard drive (now backed up
on cdr). How can I delete "D" and its contents and is it safe to do
so ?

Sorry, I'm confused by your intention here. This is your old
computer's drive? Are you planning on putting it into the new
computer? Do you need to keep what's on C:? Why?

If you want to put the old drive into the new computer as a
second drive, probably the easiest thing to do is first copy
everything you need on it to the new drive, then repartition and
reformat it as you desire.

Also, when I get the upgrade, does the WinXP installation disc
have instructions on how to do a clean reinstall ?

Read here: http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

 

[Andy]

http://www.wiredzone.com/xq/asp/ic.30582023/qx/itemdesc.htm

 

[Daniel]

Wow! That's a great price and looks like it's the FULL vers and not
upgrade!! Have you ever bought from this site personally ?

Thanks,

Daniel

 

[Alex Nichol]

3. If you own a previous qualifying version's installation CD
(not a restore CD), buy an Upgrade version from a reputable
source. Upgrades are around the same price as generic OEM copies,
but are more flexible. And despite what many people think, you
*can* do a clean installation with a Upgrade, as long as you have
that previous qualifying version's installation CD to show it
when it asks.

Also it is possible if it is an OEM restore one, provided you are
willing to actually reinstall that before using the Upgrade CD. Which
is tedious, but it is not a thing you should be doing at all often. You
can then if desired change the Upgrade to New install when you run from
that restored system, and when it asks where hit ESC to delete the
partition and start over - by that time the check has been made

 

[Daniel]

In


You're welcome. Glad to help.




Good! Just make sure it's an installation CD, not a restore CD
(many OEM computers come with restore CDs). A restore CD will not
work as I describe above.

Yes, it's an installation cd. ) (further down please)

Sorry, I'm confused by your intention here. This is your old
computer's drive? Are you planning on putting it into the new
computer? Do you need to keep what's on C:? Why?

Yes, it's my old computer's drive but I don't plan on putting it in. The
person who put together my new pc just transferred the contents of my old
harddrive to the new drive (to a partition "D"). I don't need the contents
of the "D" partition anymore and wish to eliminate "D" altogether and just
have one "C" drive. How do I eliminate "D" without reformatting the whole
system ?

Thanks,

Daniel

 

[Andy]

No, I got the info from
<http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=477483/search=windows xp home>.