Windows XP Install Windows XP OP system

[Simchah00]

Okay, I found a laptop at the dumpster where I reside and it seems to be working. the problem is, it has Windows XP on it but the last owner was of asian decent apparently because the prompt comes up to put in the user password...Well.....that's as far as I get, I don't anything but english!

I was told by a local computer store to try downloading Windows XP Home or windows 98 to erase all on it prior.

I just want to get in an use it...i'm not looking for anything fancy...and I don't care about all the bells and whistles, just want to see if it can be used for my 9 yr old daughter to play around with OR should I just trash it??

P.S. Windows offers a free XP download but is this what I need? what about anything else needed? Help!

I'm not a "techy", so break it down to me like you would a child okay

 

[Abarbarian]

Has the laptop got a sticker on it with the Windows key code ?

Have you considered that the laptop may have been stolen ?

 

[Madxgraphics]

Windows XP on it but the last owner was of asian decent apparently because the prompt comes up to put in the user password...Well.....that's as far as I get, I don't anything but english!



I

P.S. Windows offers a free XP download but is this what I need? what about anything else needed? Help!

Hi and welcome to the forum....
Please do enlighten me how you deduce from a logon password prompt that a person was of Asian decent..Did it play Bhangra music..?
As for Microsoft offering a free download f XP..Mmm yo have more chance of hell freezing over...
OK now to the serious stuff..As the laptop has got to the password stage we will asume it is working..
Why not reinstall a fresh copy of XP, nowdays you can get it as cheap as £50 if you look in the right place.
Or as you say it is for your child to use, so why not stray from the norm and download and burn something like Linux Mint 7 and install that oer whatever is already on the laptop..Linux is very user friendly, easy to set up etc, and your kid will be learnign from it at the same time..HIs mates will be Vista this XP that, and he will be giving it the Linux large...Give it a go mate and see what happens..

Have you considered that the laptop may have been stolen ?

Abar has a good point there..

 

[Abarbarian]

If the laptop has a key code sticker you do not need to buy a copy of XP you just need to borrow a copy and do a fresh install.

Linux is definitly my first choice though as Madx suggests.

 

[Simchah00]

Stolen Laptop???

No, i didn't consider it stolen at all and no it doesn't play any music. I can tell it's language is of asian descent because of the writing.....confirmed by other "techies" who have seen it.

This guy was moving and he was hauling all this stuff to the dumpster...there were other household items too. I just figured he wanted something else new.

Okay, so what is Linux?? If I have Windows XP OP on it....isn't Linux foreign??

Sorry for the ignorance here...I mean all I want is for the darn thing to run, you know? No, there is no sticker on it...don't know what I'm suppose to be looking for on this thing. Is it hopeless for me?

Someone else told me to try windows 98...would that do? does Microsoft offer a free download for that? Help!!

 

[JoeBlow9878]

Hello Simchah00!

I have never tried this, but here is a link to a password-hacker for XP and Vista.

WARNING! This may well not be legal. I take no responsibility for anything that happens due to your use of this software. And as I said, I have never tried this.

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=133599&package_id=167699

I would MUCH rather recommend a linux version. Here is a link to Ubuntu's Download site.

http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download

Judging from what I have read, you will need help burning the downloaded iso file to CD or DVD. Let us know when you have it downloaded!

Joe

P.S. I do not believe my first link to be illegal, but if it is I am very willing to delete it if it is. I would not recommend it to anybody, except that it seems as thought it may be the only way to get XP working on the machine without having to buy a copy. But of course, if it is not a legal copy of XP in the first place, using that software would be illegal anyway, I suppose.

 

[floppybootstomp]

All I'll say is...

Microsoft don't give no free nothing.

Zero.

Zilch.

Bugger-all.

If it originated from Bill Gates he will want you to pay for it.

I don't know if the password hacker linked to above is illegal but possibly not. Source Forge usually only provide links to legal stuff.

I'll leave the decision whether to edit that post to one of the other guys.

If all is above board, it would be better for a non-Linux savvy guy to get into the existing version of Windows than mess with something quite alien to him.

And yes, the Linux Distro download is an ISO which needs to be burnt to CD/DVD using apropiate software.

I will add my own two pennorth and say that rarely is there anything such as a free lunch. Stuff reaches landfill sites for a reason but folk are always looking for a freebie.

However, it does happen very occasionally.

 

[Madxgraphics]

I don't know if the password hacker linked to above is illegal but possibly not. Source Forge usually only provide links to legal stuff.

I'll leave the decision whether to edit that post to one of the other guys.

.

I think Abar and myself posted links to password hacks before and they were left untouched, mine pretty much came from MS...

 

[JoeBlow9878]

Now that I think of it, the password hack might not do any good anyway. If the login screen is in an unknown language, then in all probability the Windows will be too.

Anyway. I would still recommend Ubuntu rather than hacking, but it is up to you.

Joe

 

[Abarbarian]

https://www.pcreview.co.uk/forums/thread-3464463.php

Kanotix walkthrough for you if you want to try a Linux os.

 

[lacerveza]

t??

P.S. Windows offers a free XP download but is this what I need? what about anything else needed? Help!

:

Does bill gates know about this? is this because he is such a philanthropist? free os for the starving.