got a packard bell laptop , how to get the istallable winXP cd

[linuxamin]

Hello,

my sister got a packard bell laptop with windows xp home installed on,
unfortunately it's now unrecoverably broken down (Main bord breakdown,
too expensive to repair regarding the current value of the laptop).

The problem is that we got neither an installable cd nor a recovery cd,
now that the laptop is lost forever we would like to recover the
lisence giving the fact that the machine will be unsusable.
It would be perfect to be able to install the system on another machine
(a desktop) for free. I already tried to contact Packard Bell's hot
line to get the original cd in vain.

I heard that microsoft provides a windows xp cd for free (for testing
purpose, the test period would be 6 months max) but I can find nothing
about this on microsoft.com.

1) Is there a way to oblige packard bell to provide us with an
installable cd or better, get microsoft provide it ? (preferably a cd
with the same serial number as ours)
2) I have a windows xp cd for pc resellers that I never used (just to
install the system on more that one pc without making is legally
usable), is it legal to install this cd and use our serial number ?

thanx

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

A preinstalled OEM version of Windows XP is
non-transferable to a different computer. Only
a conventional "Retail Version" of Windows XP
may be transferred to a different computer.

In other words, when the Packard Bell PC died,
so did the Windows XP license that was installed
by Packard Bell. You cannot use the Packard Bell
Product Key at all.

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

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

:

| Hello,
|
| my sister got a packard bell laptop with windows xp home installed on,
| unfortunately it's now unrecoverably broken down (Main bord breakdown,
| too expensive to repair regarding the current value of the laptop).
|
| The problem is that we got neither an installable cd nor a recovery cd,
| now that the laptop is lost forever we would like to recover the
| lisence giving the fact that the machine will be unsusable.
| It would be perfect to be able to install the system on another machine
| (a desktop) for free. I already tried to contact Packard Bell's hot
| line to get the original cd in vain.
|
| I heard that microsoft provides a windows xp cd for free (for testing
| purpose, the test period would be 6 months max) but I can find nothing
| about this on microsoft.com.
|
| 1) Is there a way to oblige packard bell to provide us with an
| installable cd or better, get microsoft provide it ? (preferably a cd
| with the same serial number as ours)
| 2) I have a windows xp cd for pc resellers that I never used (just to
| install the system on more that one pc without making is legally
| usable), is it legal to install this cd and use our serial number ?
|
| thanx

 

[Guest]

Hi
The reason why the OEM version is non transferable, is because of an
Agreement between Microsoft and Packard Bell.
Packard Bell may provide the OEM version with every DESKTOP/LAPTOP sold, at
a cheaper rate than a Retail Version.
Packard Bell on the other hand should have supplied you with a Recovery CD
and was legally bound to do that.
Seems to me you can get Trail version for everything except XP

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

The reason why the OEM version is non transferable, is because of an
Agreement between Microsoft and Packard Bell.
Packard Bell may provide the OEM version with every DESKTOP/LAPTOP
sold, at a cheaper rate than a Retail Version.
Packard Bell on the other hand should have supplied you with a
Recovery CD and was legally bound to do that.

No, it is not correct that it was legally bound to do that.

OEM vendors are required by their agreement with Microsoft to give you a
means of reinstalling, should it be necessary. They can do this in one of
three ways:

1. An OEM copy of Windows
2. A restore CD

3. A hidden partition on your drive, with restore information.



Personally, I find both 2 and 3 unacceptable (especially 3; a hard drive
crash can leave you with nothing), and would never choose to buy a computer
that came with an operating system unless I got a complete generic
installation CD for that operating system.