OEM issues

[Borissimo]

Please accept my apologies, I have searched and cannot find a straigh
answer.

I have a computer that through my own fault I managed to wipe out th
os (windows xp home OEM)
I have the licence key on the side of my system and no disc to instal
from.
I have phoned the manufacturer who maintain that as the comp is out o
warranty there is nothing they will do.
I have contacted microsoft who also won't help!
I feel completely begrudged toward buying a retail os as the one i ha
was fine.
I have messed around with computers for a while now and am well awar
that various things can be done but this is a step too far for me.

Am i able to use, or copy, or attain from somewhere, the xp home os
without spending my hard earned cash (since i might aswell buy a ne
system!) that will once again allow my licence key to become useable
or, by being so stupid in not creating a backup of my system have
rendered it useless forever more?

Thanks for any help, i desperately require closure on this issue

 

[Gordon]

Please accept my apologies, I have searched and cannot find a straight
answer.

I have a computer that through my own fault I managed to wipe out the
os (windows xp home OEM)
I have the licence key on the side of my system and no disc to install
from.
I have phoned the manufacturer who maintain that as the comp is out of
warranty there is nothing they will do.

Presumably you had a hidden recovery partition....then AFAIK the company is
quite within their rights.

Take a look here:
www.ubuntu.com

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Please accept my apologies, I have searched and cannot find a straight
answer.

I have a computer that through my own fault I managed to wipe out the
os (windows xp home OEM)
I have the licence key on the side of my system and no disc to install
from.
I have phoned the manufacturer who maintain that as the comp is out of
warranty there is nothing they will do.

OEM vendors are required by their agreement with Microsoft to give you a
means of reinstalling, should it be necessary. They can do this in one of
three ways:

1. An OEM copy of Windows
2. A restore CD
3. A hidden partition on your drive, with restore information.

If you don't have 1 or 2, you should have 3, but you should contact your
vendor to find out. You're not asking them to give you anything, just to
tell you where your backup is and how to use it.

Personally, I find both 2 and 3 unacceptable (especially 3; a hard drive
crash can leave you with nothing), and would never choose to buy a computer
that came with an operating system unless I got a complete generic
installation CD for that operating system.

I have contacted microsoft who also won't help!

Right. Microsoft doesn't support OEM versions. Your only recourse is from
your vendor.

 

[SmoothNinjaGirl]

did the pc ever have an install disk?
im guessing it has a recovery install on a seperate partion.
what is the manufacturer?

 

[Gordon]

3. A hidden partition on your drive, with restore information.

But is the OEM vendor liable if the user himself has deleted the hidden
partition and the machine is out of warranty?

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Unfortunately for the user, no.
Possibly a generic OEM CD and your key may work, but you may have troubles
with activation.
If you try this route and need to call for activation, do not volunteer any
information.
Simply answer the questions asked.
Some confuse the issue and the tech with additional information resulting in
a denial of activation.

You could also search Ebay for a CD for your make and model of computer.
If there ever was a restore CD for it, sooner or later it will be on Ebay.