md5's for XP pro retail orig edition?

[Need md5's]

Is there any place I can download the md5 hashes for the
original xp pro retail? Not the sp1 version or the OEM,
but the original retail version? English / US version.

My cd has accumulated a number of scratches and my cd
drive has trouble reading some of it. I'm pretty sure
I've recovered them correctly, but I'd like to know for
sure.

Yeah yeah, I know, I can pay microsoft for a replacement
cd, but I paid Micrsoft $200 for xp pro and they were the
ones who designed such a crappy cd holder and they don't
even bother to give you a backup copy of the cd. For that
price, you'd think they could give you a backup cd right
in the package. Not to mention a decent printed manual!
(I guess I'm showing my age... I remember when software
came with printed manuals...[grin] Still, when they have
95% profit margins, you'd think they could provide a
decent manual.)


Anyway, is there any place where I can get the hashes?

I've heard there are "forensics" places that provide md5's
for all of the original files for windows (all versions)
plus, the md5's after patching, etc.

But I don't know where to find it.

Everybody I know either has the home version or the OEM
version of XP pro sp1. (Yeah, I was the only one stupid
enough to pay full retail price! At least I wont have to
buy a new OS for the next 5 years.)

 

[G Busch]

......I paid Micrsoft $200 for xp pro and they were the
ones who designed such a crappy cd holder and they don't
even bother to give you a backup copy of the cd. For that
price, you'd think they could give you a backup cd right
in the package.

Let me get this straight.... You fail to exercise due caution and damage
your disk, but it's MS's fault because they did not provide a back-up? (Who
else provides backups?) If a back-up was important, why did you not burn a
copy for yourself? If you didn't like the packaging (I don't have a problem
with it) why did you not splurge and spend $.25 for a jewel case?

No, I do not have an answer to your question other than to buy a replacement
disk. For the $10 or $20 it would cost, I would have a hard time justifying
all the grief you are putting yourself through just because you don't like
MS's business practices...

 

[luminos]

Let me get this straight.... You fail to exercise due caution and damage
your disk, but it's MS's fault because they did not provide a back-up? (Who
else provides backups?)

If the commerical world is going to make such ludicrous restrictions on
backup, such as the DMCA, they damn well should give us the 50 cent backup
disc.

 

[D.Currie]

If the commerical world is going to make such ludicrous restrictions on
backup, such as the DMCA, they damn well should give us the 50 cent backup
disc.

Huh? You can copy the Windows CD.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

There are no restrictions on making an archival (a backup) copy of
software installation media in the DCMA. In fact, our "rights" to
make archival copies are protected by federal copyright law.

Bruce Chambers

--
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having both at once. -- RAH

 

[Need md5's]

......I paid Micrsoft $200 for xp pro and they were the

Let me get this straight.... You fail to exercise due caution and damage
your disk, but it's MS's fault because they did not

provide a back-up? (Who

No....

*I* did excercise caution. No dropping, no sliding on the
desk, no playing frisbee, etc.

The problem is that:

1) cd's & dvd's are easily scratched. You can almost look
at them and scratch them. Some plastics used seem to be a
lot more scratch prone than others.

2) Microsoft provided a very poor quality cd holder in the
retail edition. One that allows easy scratching. A 5
cent proper soft cd protector would have helped. I don't
know what the OEM version is like, but the retail version
sucks dead bunnies. It provides no protection at all.
It's a cd holder, not a cd protector.

3) CD drives themselves are often the main source of
scratches on cd's. Simply putting the cd into some drives
will cause scratches and wear while the drive spins up to
speed or slows down for ejection. I've got an old Lite-On
dvd drive that's notorious for that. However, even most
cd drives will put some wear onto a cd each and every time
you use it.

else provides backups?) If a back-up was important, why did you not burn a
copy for yourself? If you didn't like the packaging (I

don't have a problem

Because at the time, I didn't *have* a cd burning program
for XP. XP doesn't come with one and my old one didn't
work under XP. Later, I simply didn't think about it.


And yes, if Microsoft is going to have the gall to charge
$200 for something, they can easily provide either a
better quality cd protector (not holder) or spend 5 cents
and provide a backup cd. I don't think that's an
unreasonable cost.


However, as I said, I'm pretty sure I copied the files
correctly. I just need the md5's to verify it.

 

[C-Here]

-----Original Message-----

Greetings --

There are no restrictions on making an archival (a backup) copy of
software installation media in the DCMA. In fact, our "rights" to
make archival copies are protected by federal copyright

law.

Actually, that's a gray area.

It used to be permissible to make backup copies for
personal archival use, but times have changed. Laws have
changed. Attitudes have changed. It's very fuzzy.

Basically, it now comes down to whether the copyright
holder gives you permission to make a backup copy, rather
than you automatically having that right.

And for the record, Microsoft's license does not grant you
the right to make a backup archival copy.

But no, that doesn't stop me from making backup copies of
stuff.