Copy of Windows XP on CD???

[Guest]

I received XP Pro on my laptop but never got the discs. How do i go about
getting a full copy of the software on CD?

Thanks.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Unless you want to buy it at a store or on the web, your only source is the
manufacturer.
Microsoft will not provide CDs for buyers of OEM.

 

[Guest]

I received XP Pro on my laptop but never got the discs. How do i go about
getting a full copy of the software on CD?

Thanks.

You can call whoever made yourlaptop but chances are you will have to buy
it.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

You need to contact the manufacturer of your laptop
and ask them since they preinstalled Windows XP.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups

Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| I received XP Pro on my laptop but never got the discs. How do i go about
| getting a full copy of the software on CD?
|
| Thanks.

 

[NoNoBadDog!]

Your computer probably has a hidden partition on it's HDD to restore from.

You can either read the manual that came with your laptop, or visit the
website of the manufacturer of your laptop and find instructions on how to
re-install windows there.

You laptop came with an OEM version of windows, therefore you are not
entitled to a full Windows CD. If you want a full Windows XP CD, you will
have to buy one.

Bobby

 

[Guest]

I just bought another machine and find that it has the Hidden Partition
referred to in the previous post and the "Restore" disks. I emailed the
manufacturer (EMachines) and began my investigation about why I was supplied
only with Restore rather than normal WinXP Home Edition installation cd's.
An IT professional had suggested that if I contacted the manufacturer that my
licenced COA entitled me to a copy of the operating system software.
Emachines advised of their OEM licencing agreement with Microsoft and that
they did not supply installation CD's.

I researched Microsoft site under How to Tell if it is genuine software.
Under the CD section FAQ it describes when and if you should be provided with
a CD. I did not understand this OEM business of support and not having any
CD. I did not understand why if I was purchasing a system with pre-installed
software I would have a WinXP Home Edition CD - until I read the posts on
this forum. By the way, thank you posters.

The last desktop machine I bought caused me a lot of headache due to my own
ignorance. Not being familiar with manufacturers "Restore" CD's, when I was
asked if I wanted to boot from the CD I answered "yes" and it immediately
began to format my hard drive. Even though I stopped it and went seeking
help it was too late and I lost all my data some of which was home business
related. Fortunately, I had other resources to recover most but not all.
That scared the bejeezus out of me and I bought a retail version and had it
installed and everything (including my ability to sleep at night) has been
fine since.

What disturbs me about "Restore" CD's provided by manufacturers is that my
previous experience indicates that if you ever use them it formats the hard
drive and you lose all the data even if you have partitioned your drive which
I normally do. Yes,- I realize that you can (and I do) backup but there is
still a heck of lot of setup time involved in restoring all that data,
repartitioning, finding your favorite sites etc etc etc. It takes forever to
get the system back to your previous settings.

Restore CD's and Hidden Partitions also trouble me because back in 1997, I
purchased a laptop from Compaq and was told by an IT tech that if I did
uninstall Compaq's pre-installed software and used my own licenced copy of
operating system software (Win98SE at the time) many drivers would no longer
be available rendering the laptop non functional. The same tech also told me
that if I deleted that "hidden partition" to recover use of the storage space
it would also become non-functional. I never took that chance but would
dearly love to know positively if that would be the case with this current
Emachine system.

When I contacted Emachines for further information about purchasing a retail
version of WinXP Home and reinstalling all I get in response to pointed
questions about the installed hardware / drivers continuing to function
properly is that if I do purchase retail and install they no longer support
any issues with my system. Why would they hedge on a pointed question like
this?

Another issue I discovered on this purchase is that although it was
advertised as having 512MB ram when I investigated using Belarc and its own
System Properties inquiry I found that there was 384MB ram. Emachines then
advised me that the video card used 128MB of the installed RAM leaving the
"system" RAM with 384MB. Is this a new way of selling machines - a little
underhanded in my opinion. Now in order to get what I thought I was buying I
have to pay for more RAM.

The Emachine system other than being short of RAM is okay but I don't like
the idea of "Restore" CD's and the potential formatting of my hard drive if
they are ever used .

Can anyone please give me concrete answers about purchasing and installing a
retail version of WinXP Home Edition and the ultimate effect on the
hardware/drivers.

Thank you for your help
Gail

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

If you desire a conventional, generic version of
Windows XP Home Edition, you'll have to purchase
one. As for drivers, they are available for download
form the support web site of the manufacturer of
your computer.

Example:

Microsoft Windows XP Home With SP2 - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16837102059

Please note that the Product Key supplied by eMachine can
only be used with eMachines restore CD and not any other
Windows XP installation CD.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| I just bought another machine and find that it has the Hidden Partition
| referred to in the previous post and the "Restore" disks. I emailed the
| manufacturer (EMachines) and began my investigation about why I was supplied
| only with Restore rather than normal WinXP Home Edition installation cd's.
| An IT professional had suggested that if I contacted the manufacturer that my
| licenced COA entitled me to a copy of the operating system software.
| Emachines advised of their OEM licencing agreement with Microsoft and that
| they did not supply installation CD's.
|
| I researched Microsoft site under How to Tell if it is genuine software.
| Under the CD section FAQ it describes when and if you should be provided with
| a CD. I did not understand this OEM business of support and not having any
| CD. I did not understand why if I was purchasing a system with pre-installed
| software I would have a WinXP Home Edition CD - until I read the posts on
| this forum. By the way, thank you posters.
|
| The last desktop machine I bought caused me a lot of headache due to my own
| ignorance. Not being familiar with manufacturers "Restore" CD's, when I was
| asked if I wanted to boot from the CD I answered "yes" and it immediately
| began to format my hard drive. Even though I stopped it and went seeking
| help it was too late and I lost all my data some of which was home business
| related. Fortunately, I had other resources to recover most but not all.
| That scared the bejeezus out of me and I bought a retail version and had it
| installed and everything (including my ability to sleep at night) has been
| fine since.
|
| What disturbs me about "Restore" CD's provided by manufacturers is that my
| previous experience indicates that if you ever use them it formats the hard
| drive and you lose all the data even if you have partitioned your drive which
| I normally do. Yes,- I realize that you can (and I do) backup but there is
| still a heck of lot of setup time involved in restoring all that data,
| repartitioning, finding your favorite sites etc etc etc. It takes forever to
| get the system back to your previous settings.
|
| Restore CD's and Hidden Partitions also trouble me because back in 1997, I
| purchased a laptop from Compaq and was told by an IT tech that if I did
| uninstall Compaq's pre-installed software and used my own licenced copy of
| operating system software (Win98SE at the time) many drivers would no longer
| be available rendering the laptop non functional. The same tech also told me
| that if I deleted that "hidden partition" to recover use of the storage space
| it would also become non-functional. I never took that chance but would
| dearly love to know positively if that would be the case with this current
| Emachine system.
|
| When I contacted Emachines for further information about purchasing a retail
| version of WinXP Home and reinstalling all I get in response to pointed
| questions about the installed hardware / drivers continuing to function
| properly is that if I do purchase retail and install they no longer support
| any issues with my system. Why would they hedge on a pointed question like
| this?
|
| Another issue I discovered on this purchase is that although it was
| advertised as having 512MB ram when I investigated using Belarc and its own
| System Properties inquiry I found that there was 384MB ram. Emachines then
| advised me that the video card used 128MB of the installed RAM leaving the
| "system" RAM with 384MB. Is this a new way of selling machines - a little
| underhanded in my opinion. Now in order to get what I thought I was buying I
| have to pay for more RAM.
|
| The Emachine system other than being short of RAM is okay but I don't like
| the idea of "Restore" CD's and the potential formatting of my hard drive if
| they are ever used .
|
| Can anyone please give me concrete answers about purchasing and installing a
| retail version of WinXP Home Edition and the ultimate effect on the
| hardware/drivers.
|
| Thank you for your help
| Gail

 

[ChrisC]

Hi, there is nothing uncommon about being supplied with a restore disc
instead on a full version of the OS, many manufacturers do this. There is
also nothing uncommon about main ram being shared with the onboard video,
again the with cheaper, sorry read budget, end of PC's. It's so easy to make
these mistakes when purchasing unless you know what to look for, or what to
ask really. Rest assured though, you haven't so much as having been diddled
but perhaps mislead through a learning curve in the purchasing of your PC.
Hope that all makes sense...
ChrisC

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I just bought another machine and find that it has the Hidden Partition
referred to in the previous post and the "Restore" disks. I emailed the
manufacturer (EMachines) and began my investigation about why I was supplied
only with Restore rather than normal WinXP Home Edition installation cd's.
An IT professional had suggested that if I contacted the manufacturer that my
licenced COA entitled me to a copy of the operating system software.

Which you have, on that hidden partition.

Emachines advised of their OEM licencing agreement with Microsoft and that
they did not supply installation CD's.

That, sadly, is correct.

Legally, the OEM has met it's contractual obligation to Microsoft by
providing a means of returning the PC to its ex-factory state, whether
it's a Recovery CD or a Recovery Partition. They are not legally
obliged to provide a true installation CD as part of the sale.
Reputable, customer-service aware OEMs, like Dell, MPC, and Gateway, do
provide a full OEM installation CD, that does permit custom
installations and repairs. Many uncaring OEMs, especially those who
sell their computers through department stores and chain outlets, such
as Compaq, HP, eMachines, and Sony, however, in an effort to save
pennies and reduce their support costs by having to hire support people
that can only say "Boot from the Recovery CD to return your PC to its
original condition," provide only a CD bearing a disk image of the hard
drive as it left the factory. These Recovery/Restore CDs cannot perform
normal installations, nor can they be used to do any sort of customizations.

Essentially, it boils down to "You get what you pay for."

Restore CD's and Hidden Partitions also trouble me because back in 1997,

Then you know that the use of OEM Recovery CDs has been common practice
for years, why are you just now expressing surprised and dismay? I'd
have thought that the lesson learned in '97 would have made more
cautious when making a purchasing decision.

I
purchased a laptop from Compaq and was told by an IT tech that if I did
uninstall Compaq's pre-installed software and used my own licenced copy of
operating system software (Win98SE at the time) many drivers would no longer
be available rendering the laptop non functional.

That "IT Tech" wasn't worthy of the job title. Even if you had removed
Compaq's proprietary device drivers from the hard drive, they'd still
have been readily available on Compaq's web site.

The same tech also told me
that if I deleted that "hidden partition" to recover use of the storage space
it would also become non-functional. I never took that chance but would
dearly love to know positively if that would be the case with this current
Emachine system.

Well, yes, if you delete a partition (hidden or otherwise) and then
re-allocate the hard drive space so freed, than that deleted partition
is clearly going to become non-functional, as you will have rendered it
non-existent.

When I contacted Emachines for further information about purchasing a retail
version of WinXP Home and reinstalling all I get in response to pointed
questions about the installed hardware / drivers continuing to function
properly is that if I do purchase retail and install they no longer support
any issues with my system. Why would they hedge on a pointed question like
this?

If you replace the OEM-installed OS with one of your own choice, it
will obviously void any software support obligations that eMachines
would have. They have to support the OS they provide, but not anything
you acquire elsewhere. As for drivers, those should be available on
eMachines web site. Have you looked?

Another issue I discovered on this purchase is that although it was
advertised as having 512MB ram when I investigated using Belarc and its own
System Properties inquiry I found that there was 384MB ram. Emachines then
advised me that the video card used 128MB of the installed RAM leaving the
"system" RAM with 384MB. Is this a new way of selling machines - a little
underhanded in my opinion. Now in order to get what I thought I was buying I
have to pay for more RAM.

No, it's not a "new" way of selling computers. The presence of an
integrated video adapter, and it's sharing system RAM has been a
standard condition of most low-end machines for several years, now.

The Emachine system other than being short of RAM is okay but I don't like
the idea of "Restore" CD's and the potential formatting of my hard drive if
they are ever used .

Both concerns are factors that should have been considered *before*
making the purchasing decision. Now, you'll just have to accept the
consequences of your own decision, and make the best of it.

Can anyone please give me concrete answers about purchasing and installing a
retail version of WinXP Home Edition and the ultimate effect on the
hardware/drivers.

You could certainly purchase and install a retail copy of WinXP Home,
if you like. As eMachines are generally of bargain-basement quality and
assembled from the most commonly available and cheapest of components,
drivers probably won't be much of an issue. However, we cannot say for
sure, as you haven't told us what specific model eMachines computer you
have, so we can't look on eMachine's web site for you.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of
chains and slavery? .... I know not what course others may take, but as
for me, give me liberty, or give me death! -Patrick Henry

 

[Guest]

thank you Bruce. My emachine is T6212. I did go on the site and only found
downloadable drivers indicated for the Chipset and the Modem. so does this
mean that any other drivers that I might need would likely be within the
Windows XP home edition retail version.

 

[ifcenterprise]

I have a copy withe key can be installed on any computer as many as you
wnat. windows xp pro

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

How can I tell if my copy of Windows is genuine?
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/downloads/WhyValidate.aspx

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

---------------------------------------------------------------------------­----------------

:

| I have a copy withe key can be installed on any computer as many as you
| wnat. windows xp pro
|
| --
| ifcenterprise

 

[guzarva]

You need to contact the manufacturer of your laptop
and ask them since they preinstalled Windows XP.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups

Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| I received XP Pro on my laptop but never got the discs. How do i go about
| getting a full copy of the software on CD?
|
| Thanks.