How are people "supposed" to re-install WinXP on old PCs?

[Dr Rig]

I just re-installed WinXP on two five-year old PCs and it got me
wondering how most people install XP when they replace the hard drive.

For my Dell, I had ordered the installation disks within 30 days of
buying it online; so of course, I had the Dell WinXP Home disks handy
when the hard drive failed - but what do people do if they don't have the
old installation disks? (All they have is a sticker on the bottom saying
they "can" install WinXP; but they don't have a WinXP installation disk.)

My IBM, stickered for WinXP Home, didn't come with installation disks
either - and unfortunately I didn't have the WinXP Home installation
disks, so I borrowed a corporate WinXP Pro installation disk from my IT
guy at work - and that worked just fine after I typed in the corporate CD
key.

But what do most people do when they need to re-install WinXP on an older
PC if all they have is the WinXP Home sticker on the bottom of the laptop?

 

[David H. Lipman]

From: "Dr Rig" <[email protected]>

| I just re-installed WinXP on two five-year old PCs and it got me
| wondering how most people install XP when they replace the hard drive.

| For my Dell, I had ordered the installation disks within 30 days of
| buying it online; so of course, I had the Dell WinXP Home disks handy
| when the hard drive failed - but what do people do if they don't have the
| old installation disks? (All they have is a sticker on the bottom saying
| they "can" install WinXP; but they don't have a WinXP installation disk.)

| My IBM, stickered for WinXP Home, didn't come with installation disks
| either - and unfortunately I didn't have the WinXP Home installation
| disks, so I borrowed a corporate WinXP Pro installation disk from my IT
| guy at work - and that worked just fine after I typed in the corporate CD
| key.

| But what do most people do when they need to re-install WinXP on an older
| PC if all they have is the WinXP Home sticker on the bottom of the laptop?

ONLY buy a computer that comes stock with the OS Installation disks.

 

[Yrrah]

But what do most people do when they need to re-install WinXP on an older
PC if all they have is the WinXP Home sticker on the bottom of the laptop?

Off topic in alt.comp.freeware.

Yrrah

 

[dusty]

From: "Dr Rig" <[email protected]>

| But what do most people do when they need to re-install WinXP on an
older | PC if all they have is the WinXP Home sticker on the bottom of
the laptop?

ONLY buy a computer that comes stock with the OS Installation disks.

Do what I did. Take the opportunity to install several flavors of Linux
and enjoy your freedom and security.

 

[Anonymous]

Dr Rig <[email protected]> in Message-ID

My IBM, stickered for WinXP Home, didn't come with installation
disks either - and unfortunately I didn't have the WinXP Home
installation disks, so I borrowed a corporate WinXP Pro
installation disk from my IT guy at work - and that worked just
fine after I typed in the corporate CD key.

Who is your employer, so MS can **** both you ASSES for STEALING!

****ING PIRATE!!

 

[Ari Silverstein]

I just re-installed WinXP on two five-year old PCs and it got me
wondering how most people install XP when they replace the hard drive.

For my Dell, I had ordered the installation disks within 30 days of
buying it online; so of course, I had the Dell WinXP Home disks handy
when the hard drive failed - but what do people do if they don't have the
old installation disks? (All they have is a sticker on the bottom saying
they "can" install WinXP; but they don't have a WinXP installation disk.)

My IBM, stickered for WinXP Home, didn't come with installation disks
either - and unfortunately I didn't have the WinXP Home installation
disks, so I borrowed a corporate WinXP Pro installation disk from my IT
guy at work - and that worked just fine after I typed in the corporate CD
key.

But what do most people do when they need to re-install WinXP on an older
PC if all they have is the WinXP Home sticker on the bottom of the laptop?

<http://www.maximumpc.com/article/howtos/how_to_slipstream_windows_xp_sp3_and_vista_sp1>

 

[Nomen Nescio]

Dr Rig <[email protected]> in Message-ID

My IBM, stickered for WinXP Home, didn't come with installation
disks either - and unfortunately I didn't have the WinXP Home
installation disks, so I borrowed a corporate WinXP Pro
installation disk from my IT guy at work - and that worked just
fine after I typed in the corporate CD key.

Who is your employer, so MS can **** both you ASSES for STEALING!

****ING PIRATE!!

 

[Dr Rig]

Dr Rig <[email protected]> in Message-ID

My IBM, stickered for WinXP Home, didn't come with installation
disks either - and unfortunately I didn't have the WinXP Home
installation disks, so I borrowed a corporate WinXP Pro
installation disk from my IT guy at work - and that worked just
fine after I typed in the corporate CD key.

Who is your employer, so MS can **** both you ASSES for STEALING!

****ING PIRATE!!

 

[Anonymous]

Dr Rig <[email protected]> in Message-ID

My IBM, stickered for WinXP Home, didn't come with installation
disks either - and unfortunately I didn't have the WinXP Home
installation disks, so I borrowed a corporate WinXP Pro
installation disk from my IT guy at work - and that worked just
fine after I typed in the corporate CD key.

Who is your employer, so MS can **** both you ASSES for STEALING!

****ING PIRATE!!

 

[pjp]

I just re-installed WinXP on two five-year old PCs and it got me
wondering how most people install XP when they replace the hard drive.

For my Dell, I had ordered the installation disks within 30 days of
buying it online; so of course, I had the Dell WinXP Home disks handy
when the hard drive failed - but what do people do if they don't have the
old installation disks? (All they have is a sticker on the bottom saying
they "can" install WinXP; but they don't have a WinXP installation disk.)

My IBM, stickered for WinXP Home, didn't come with installation disks
either - and unfortunately I didn't have the WinXP Home installation
disks, so I borrowed a corporate WinXP Pro installation disk from my IT
guy at work - and that worked just fine after I typed in the corporate CD
key.

But what do most people do when they need to re-install WinXP on an older
PC if all they have is the WinXP Home sticker on the bottom of the laptop?

If it'll accept it, I use my own "Home" disk with the key on the sticker.
Any **** around and I just use a pirated XP Pro disk I already know is
"clean" instead and tell the folks because they don't have "THE" specific XP
cd they need they can accept that or have nothing. They're told they can't
update etc. etc.

Mind you, this is not a commercial enterprise just a local guy helping
someone else local in area and the folks are always happy it just works.
BTW - there's never any money involved in this, just giving back help.

 

[Kraut / Larry Stark]

| I just re-installed WinXP on two five-year old PCs and it got me
| wondering how most people install XP when they replace the hard drive.

| For my Dell, I had ordered the installation disks within 30 days of
| buying it online; so of course, I had the Dell WinXP Home disks handy
| when the hard drive failed - but what do people do if they don't have the
| old installation disks? (All they have is a sticker on the bottom saying
| they "can" install WinXP; but they don't have a WinXP installation disk.)

| My IBM, stickered for WinXP Home, didn't come with installation disks
| either - and unfortunately I didn't have the WinXP Home installation
| disks, so I borrowed a corporate WinXP Pro installation disk from my IT
| guy at work - and that worked just fine after I typed in the corporate CD
| key.

| But what do most people do when they need to re-install WinXP on an older
| PC if all they have is the WinXP Home sticker on the bottom of the laptop?

ONLY buy a computer that comes stock with the OS Installation disks.

I agree BUT that does not answer his question does it?!?!?

 

[F. Reeware]

But what do most people do when they need to re-install WinXP on an older
PC if all they have is the WinXP Home sticker on the bottom of the laptop?

We don't. We install Linux, which is free.

F. Reeware

 

[M.L.]

No need to when it's so easy to make your own OS install image. And
your own image doesn't have to include a lot of installed crapware.

 

[Dr Rig]

We don't. We install Linux, which is free.

Linux (Ubuntu 10.10 for example), is great stuff but a lot of people
still use Windoze.

I didn't even think of using the original WinXP keys printed on the
sticker on the bottom of the laptops because the Dell re-installation
disc didn't ask for the key and the WinXP Pro installation disk used for
the IBM laptop came with its own corporate key.

Are people saying the key printed on the WinXP label on the bottom of the
laptop would have worked with the corporate Windows XP Pro installation
cdrom?

 

[pjp]

Linux (Ubuntu 10.10 for example), is great stuff but a lot of people
still use Windoze.

I didn't even think of using the original WinXP keys printed on the
sticker on the bottom of the laptops because the Dell re-installation
disc didn't ask for the key and the WinXP Pro installation disk used for
the IBM laptop came with its own corporate key.

Are people saying the key printed on the WinXP label on the bottom of the
laptop would have worked with the corporate Windows XP Pro installation
cdrom?

No, but it should work with an XP Home disk.

 

[Dr Rig]

No, but it should work with an XP Home disk.

That makes sense. Like with like.

Given that almost every PC sold in the USA has a valid Windows sticker,
but that many PCs do not come with either a re-installation disk or a
"real" honest-to-goodness complete WinXP installation (whether Home or
Pro) ... I am not sure of this ancillary question.

Q: How do "most" people get a Windows XP Home installation disk?
(since it doens't seem to come with most PCs)

 

[Dr Rig]

Best or favorite freeware for this job?

Someone earlier posted nlite as their favorite freeware for re-
installation of Windoze:

Slipstream:
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/howtos/
how_to_slipstream_windows_xp_sp3_and_vista_sp1

nlite deployment freeware:
http://www.nliteos.com/changelog.html

The others just posted are:
Macrium Reflect Free
Pros: Boot CD, scheduler, can extract individual files and folders
Cons: No incremental or differential backups, restores one partition
at a time
OS: Win XP/2003/Vista/2008/Win7
http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.asp

Paragon Backup & Recovery 2010 Free Advanced
Pros: Boot CD, scheduler, can extract individual files and folders,
differential backups, partitioning tools
OS: Win 2000/XP/Vista/Win7
http://www.paragon-software.com/home/db-express/download.html

 

[Yrrah]

Someone earlier posted nlite as their favorite freeware for re-
installation of Windoze:

Thanks M.L. and Dr Rig. Something to do this Saturday while recovering
from a hangover. ;-)

Yrrah

 

[pjp]

That makes sense. Like with like.

Given that almost every PC sold in the USA has a valid Windows sticker,
but that many PCs do not come with either a re-installation disk or a
"real" honest-to-goodness complete WinXP installation (whether Home or
Pro) ... I am not sure of this ancillary question.

Q: How do "most" people get a Windows XP Home installation disk?
(since it doens't seem to come with most PCs)

I've made copies of the few that have passed thru my hands when fixing other
peoples pcs, especially the "name brand" ones provided with the pc but don't
seem to be BIOS locked to specific manufacturer,You can also download an
image file (torrent etc.) and burn a cd with that but that always leaves on
wondering if there wasn't something "extra" (negative conatations) added to
the image first.

 

[pjp]

Someone earlier posted nlite as their favorite freeware for re-
installation of Windoze:

Slipstream:
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/howtos/
how_to_slipstream_windows_xp_sp3_and_vista_sp1

nlite deployment freeware:
http://www.nliteos.com/changelog.html

The others just posted are:
Macrium Reflect Free
Pros: Boot CD, scheduler, can extract individual files and folders
Cons: No incremental or differential backups, restores one partition
at a time
OS: Win XP/2003/Vista/2008/Win7
http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.asp

Paragon Backup & Recovery 2010 Free Advanced
Pros: Boot CD, scheduler, can extract individual files and folders,
differential backups, partitioning tools
OS: Win 2000/XP/Vista/Win7
http://www.paragon-software.com/home/db-express/download.html

Yea, but nLite needs a "source" cd.