HP and DELL Media Center Edition 2005 - A Question

[kilroy]

Does anyone know if the version of the OS on the HP & DELL Media
Center Edition 2005 machines is just like MS Windows Media Center
Edition 2005? Or are those OS's changed by HP & DELL to suit their
use (including their logos etc)?

Asked another way - what happens if you restore a HP or DELL Media
Center Edition 2005 machine by installing on it a MS Windows Media
Center Edition 2005 OS?

Reason for the question - my brother has a HP Media Center Edition
2005 given to him for Xmas that requires recovery, on a new virgin HDD
(his original HDD is defunct & un-readable). He does not have a copy
of HP's Media Center Edition 2005, and has no 'recovery disk' if there
ever was one. But he says he can get his hands on a installation-copy
of what he calls a vanilla MS Windows Media Center Edition 2005.

Thanks

 

[Rod Speed]

Does anyone know if the version of the OS on the HP & DELL Media
Center Edition 2005 machines is just like MS Windows Media Center
Edition 2005? Or are those OS's changed by HP & DELL to suit their
use (including their logos etc)?

Asked another way - what happens if you restore a HP or DELL Media
Center Edition 2005 machine by installing on it a MS Windows Media
Center Edition 2005 OS?

Reason for the question - my brother has a HP Media Center Edition
2005 given to him for Xmas that requires recovery, on a new virgin HDD
(his original HDD is defunct & un-readable). He does not have a copy
of HP's Media Center Edition 2005, and has no 'recovery disk' if there
ever was one.

He was supposed to have written one when he first got the machine.

 

[Grinder]

Does anyone know if the version of the OS on the HP & DELL Media
Center Edition 2005 machines is just like MS Windows Media Center
Edition 2005? Or are those OS's changed by HP & DELL to suit their
use (including their logos etc)?

Asked another way - what happens if you restore a HP or DELL Media
Center Edition 2005 machine by installing on it a MS Windows Media
Center Edition 2005 OS?

Reason for the question - my brother has a HP Media Center Edition
2005 given to him for Xmas that requires recovery, on a new virgin HDD
(his original HDD is defunct & un-readable). He does not have a copy
of HP's Media Center Edition 2005, and has no 'recovery disk' if there
ever was one. But he says he can get his hands on a installation-copy
of what he calls a vanilla MS Windows Media Center Edition 2005.

It will more than likely be alright. You'll probably have to hunt down
down some drivers, but on the plus side, you'll likely end up losing
some of the crap/trialware that hardware vendors are so happy to glob
into your system.

 

[Kilroy]

He was supposed to have written one when he first got the machine.

He said he didn't get any instructions when he opened the box. His
son bought it for him on the other side of the country (CA) and mailed
it to him. I'll see if he can find instructions in the Start Menu. He
is some 800 miles from me, so I can't look for him.

 

[Robert Heiling]

It's just an OEM installation with an OEM license just like the OEM ones for the
standard XP and other varieties.

Then you use the license for that RETAIL version and the original OEM license
goes to waste. Unless the thought is to use the installation that is for a
different computer. Microsoft might then be interested when they discovered 2
computers doing online updates with the same license number.

He said he didn't get any instructions when he opened the box.

The Desktop had, among other things, a large ? Icon that says Help & Support and
includes User manuals. Start Menu includes PC Tools Help with instructions on
how to burn the Recovery DVD/CD(s), although the importance of that might be
lost on a beginner.

His
son bought it for him on the other side of the country (CA) and mailed
it to him. I'll see if he can find instructions in the Start Menu. He
is some 800 miles from me, so I can't look for him.

Won't that be a little difficult if "(his original HDD is defunct &
un-readable)"?

That system should still be under warranty. His best bet might be to call
support and tell the sad story. I know they seemed willing to send me the
recovery disks for a different system at a time when my DVD burner was acting
up, but only as a last resort.

Bob

 

[Kilroy]

It's just an OEM installation with an OEM license just like the OEM ones for the
standard XP and other varieties.


Then you use the license for that RETAIL version and the original OEM license
goes to waste. Unless the thought is to use the installation that is for a
different computer. Microsoft might then be interested when they discovered 2
computers doing online updates with the same license number.


The Desktop had, among other things, a large ? Icon that says Help & Support and
includes User manuals. Start Menu includes PC Tools Help with instructions on
how to burn the Recovery DVD/CD(s), although the importance of that might be
lost on a beginner.


Won't that be a little difficult if "(his original HDD is defunct &
un-readable)"?

Just a little. What was I thinking?

That system should still be under warranty. His best bet might be to call
support and tell the sad story. I know they seemed willing to send me the
recovery disks for a different system at a time when my DVD burner was acting
up, but only as a last resort.

Bob

Maybe he should try to get his son to get him a recovery cd.

Thanks

 

[DaveW]

Using the retail version of Windows MCE would FAIL to install the proper
motherboard drivers, etc. for the PROPRIETARY computer.

 

[Rod Speed]

(e-mail address removed) wrote

He said he didn't get any instructions when he opened the box.

Bet it was installed on the system and could have been read online.

His son bought it for him on the other side of the country (CA) and
mailed it to him. I'll see if he can find instructions in the Start Menu.

Thats where they are.

 

[kony]

(e-mail address removed) wrote


Bet it was installed on the system and could have been read online.

.... and this kind of burden being placed on the user to
proactively seek resolution to a product failure ahead of
time is why such OEM systems should be avoided, unless the
user is already well aware of it before purchase and accepts
this (potential) cost savings.

To address the OP, it doesn't matter of MCE had logo
changes, more significant is if there is any loss of OEM
installed software, and the time required to hunt down
drivers (some would care about that, others won't, would
even prefer a clean install instead of the OEM factory
bloated install).

As for the OS itself, if the HDD fails and no recovery CD is
present, no backup made, the owner is left borrowing the
same OS version (Including it being OEM) from someone and
using their license, key with it - and it'll probably
require activation manually.

 

[Rod Speed]

... and this kind of burden being placed on the user to
proactively seek resolution to a product failure ahead
of time is why such OEM systems should be avoided,

Wrong. Its that approach which reduces the price, stupid.

unless the user is already well aware of it before
purchase and accepts this (potential) cost savings.

Taint potential, its real.

To address the OP, it doesn't matter of MCE had logo changes,
more significant is if there is any loss of OEM installed software,
and the time required to hunt down drivers

And the ability to be able to do what the phone answering
monkey suggests if 'support' is ever needed in future.

(some would care about that, others won't, would even prefer
a clean install instead of the OEM factory bloated install).

You dont know that it is bloated.

As for the OS itself, if the HDD fails and no recovery CD is
present, no backup made, the owner is left borrowing the
same OS version (Including it being OEM) from someone

Not necessarily if HP can flog you want you didnt burn yourself.

and using their license, key with it

Depends on whether his own key is available somewhere.

- and it'll probably require activation manually.

Or may not require any activation at all. Most of those preinstalled OEMs dont.

 

[kony]

Wrong. Its that approach which reduces the price, stupid.

.... and your system would've been cheaper without a
keyboard. Your gain is our loss.

 

[kilroy]

Using the retail version of Windows MCE would FAIL to install the proper
motherboard drivers, etc. for the PROPRIETARY computer.

Now that was the fear behind my question in the first place.

K

 

[Grinder]

Now that was the fear behind my question in the first place.

Find out what hardware is in your machine first, and try to round up
those drivers at the Dell website.

 

[kony]

Now that was the fear behind my question in the first place.

K

DaveW likes to make sweeping blanket statements that are
often wrong.

Even a proprietary computer uses the same chipsets/etc, so
windows would be equally well equipped to identify and
install drivers for that system as it would for a retail
100% standardized system. IOW, an old enough OEM system
would have MCE driver support for many things, but a newer
would need drivers from the respective manufacturer, or in
the case of the OEM, either the OEM supplied driver or that
from the chipset(s) manufacturers (which are usually
newer).

 

[Bennett Price]

Is the machine still in warranty? Perhaps HP will supply a new HD with
the OS pre-installed.

 

[kilroy]

Is the machine still in warranty? Perhaps HP will supply a new HD with
the OS pre-installed.

As a matter of fact, it must be since it was bought last Christmas. Of
course his son may not still have the receipt, and he probably did not
register the purchase, and I'll bet he hasn't kept the receipt, and
last of all he is a coast away from my brother.

Worth investigating though.
Kilroy

 

[Rod Speed]

... and your system would've been cheaper
without a keyboard. Your gain is our loss.

Never ever could bullshit its way out of a wet paper bag.