Do I need to pay for Windows again (following crashed HD)?

[Debnjoey]

My hard drive (Dell Latitude D800 running WinXP Pro) crashed recently. The
crash was physical/mechanical in nature and so the hard drive is ruined.
I'll buy a new HD, but do I need to buy Windows again?
When I purchased the laptop, did I purchase a license to run Windows on that
particular machine or hard drive?
If I am still entitled to run Windows without purchasing again, how would I
go about contacting Microsoft for an XP Pro installation disc?

Thanks for reading.

 

[Mike Hall - MVP]

My hard drive (Dell Latitude D800 running WinXP Pro) crashed recently.
The
crash was physical/mechanical in nature and so the hard drive is ruined.
I'll buy a new HD, but do I need to buy Windows again?
When I purchased the laptop, did I purchase a license to run Windows on
that
particular machine or hard drive?
If I am still entitled to run Windows without purchasing again, how would
I
go about contacting Microsoft for an XP Pro installation disc?

Thanks for reading.

Contact Dell support and ask if they can supply a recovery set for your
model, and cross your fingers while so doing..

 

[Not Me]

Contact Dell support and ask if they can supply a recovery set for your
model, and cross your fingers while so doing..

Mike has the easiest solution.

An alternative (especially if you want a clean install without all the OEM
stuff) would be to get a friend with an OEM CD of the same version of XP
that your machine had on it to burn you a copy. As long as you install it
with the key from your machine, you're perfectly legal.
The machine should have a sticker with the Windows XP product key on it
Then you will have a copy of the CD in case you need it again.

 

[Xandros]

You should have a Restore CD or should have been given instructions to
create a Recovery disc when you bought the Dell. Where is it?

 

[HeyBub]

My hard drive (Dell Latitude D800 running WinXP Pro) crashed
recently. The crash was physical/mechanical in nature and so the
hard drive is ruined. I'll buy a new HD, but do I need to buy Windows
again?
When I purchased the laptop, did I purchase a license to run Windows
on that particular machine or hard drive?
If I am still entitled to run Windows without purchasing again, how
would I go about contacting Microsoft for an XP Pro installation disc?

Thanks for reading.

Dell should have supplied you with the ability to restore your computer to
its factory condition. This could have been a special partition on the hard
drive or a CD.

If you lost whatever medium on which the OS was supplied, you're going to
have to obtain another (but not from Microsoft).

 

[John Barnett MVP]

As the copy you previously had on your machine was an OEM from Dell you
should contact Dell. OEM copies are supported by the PC Manufacturer not
Microsoft. When you purchased your machine you should also have been given
recovery disks, if you haven't then there should be a recovery partition on
your hard drive. The Dell manual should have given instructions on how you
could have made a recovery disk. Obviously, as you are asking this question
it appears you neither have recovery disks and/or you never created a
recovery disk from any hidden partition on the hard drive, so you will need
to contact Dell to see if they can provide you with the disks; they may
charge for this.

Once you are back up and running may I suggest that you purchase a third
party imaging application such as Acronis True Image and then image the hard
drive to a set of DVDs. This is by far the simplest and safest way of
protecting your operating system and data.


--
--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
Windows - Shell/User

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

My hard drive (Dell Latitude D800 running WinXP Pro) crashed recently. The
crash was physical/mechanical in nature and so the hard drive is ruined.
I'll buy a new HD, but do I need to buy Windows again?

No.


When I purchased the laptop, did I purchase a license to run Windows on that
particular machine

Yes.


or hard drive?

No.


If I am still entitled to run Windows without purchasing again, how would I
go about contacting Microsoft for an XP Pro installation disc?

Microsoft will not help you. When you buy an OEM machine with an OEM
copy of Windows, all support comes from the OEM. If Dell didn't supply
a restoration or installation CD, contact them for instructions on how
to proceed.