I needed to replace my HDD on my 4 year old Packard Bell (PB) A714

[David]

Hi,
I needed to replace my HDD on my 4 year old Packard Bell (PB) A7145 laptop.
As readers may know PB laptops don't come with Windows XP installation disks
but rely on the use of restore disks & a restore partition on the HDD. I no
longer have the restore partition so thought that I only needed to reinstall
Windows XP and use the product key that came with the original laptop. That
didn't work because it looks as though PB use a particular OEM version of
Windows. I see that the sticker is marked NEC presumably indicating that it
is a special version.
My options seen to be:
- Buy another Windows XP but that will cost more than the laptop is worth,
- Find a copy of the NEC version of Windows XP Home & if so from where? PB
don't support their laptops older than 3 years old so won't supply it,
- Ask Microsoft how they might be able to help. Any suggestions for a
telephone number to call for MS assistance please?

David

 

[Xandros]

I doubt your Product Key issue has anything to do with the letters NEC. It
is more likely that you are attempting to use an OEM Product Key with an
non-OEM version of XP. You will need to find a copy of XP that is an OEM
version and try installing it using your Product Key.

 

[David]

I doubt your Product Key issue has anything to do with the letters NEC. It
is more likely that you are attempting to use an OEM Product Key with an
non-OEM version of XP. You will need to find a copy of XP that is an OEM
version and try installing it using your Product Key.

Tks for the reply.
I will look into that.