OEM only supplies Restore Disk. I need to reload Windows XP HE

[Guest]

Looking for technical and legal licensing advice....
After 3 years of flawless service my Mom's computer began generating errors.
Errors were automatically sent to MS. Msg back said keep sending errors....
no known fix. Unfortunately, I don't know what the errors were or any
detail. This is just what she told me. Then she got a blue screen.....
Then on a boot she got a black screen msg that said ....... system/config
file missing or corrupt. Insert XP CD. We don't have a Windows CD, just a
restore CD - which erases.

The manufacturer won't send me a copy of Windows to reload. Microsoft won't
send me a replacement copy of the software for a small fee. So I tired to
load my Windows XP Professional upgrade hoping the file would be replaced.
Now, it says files aren't coping right. So my XP professional upgrade copy
must be bad?

Doesn't a OEM manufacturer have a licensing responsibilty to both Microsoft
and the consumer to support the customer with a Windows copy? After 4 hours
back and forth on the telephone with Microsoft and the manufacturer, no one
has a practical solution. When I purchased a license of the software, I
should be entitled to a copy of it - shouldn't I? It seems nuts that I
shouldn't have to buy a new copy of Windows XP HE for $200...... My blood
pressure is raging.

Your suggestions and insights would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Richard Urban]

Your OEM is responsible for giving you a way to make your system the way it
was when you purchased it. It doesn't necessarily have to be a full copy of
Windows XP. They use OEM copies of Windows XP and modify it to suit their
machines. This will include drivers, extra programs and utilities etc.

The method of recovery is in the instructions that came with your computer.
Find them and read how to recover your PC.

Because Microsoft sells them an OEM version, at greatly reduced price,
Microsoft absolves itself of all responsibility for service and support. It
is the job of the manufacturer to supply you with this as part of their
contract FOR the reduced price.



--
Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[beb]

Why hide the OEM's name, and the computer Model? You will get better help if
you disclose them. No matter what agreement that Microsoft have with the OEM
how do they ensure proper technical support by the OEM? How sure are you
that you talk to a knowledgeable support person? Most OEM has someway of
recovering from such a problem however they are not the same. State the name
of the manufacturer and Computer model and then there might be someone here
able to give you advice regarding that particular model.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Looking for technical and legal licensing advice....
After 3 years of flawless service my Mom's computer began generating errors.
Errors were automatically sent to MS. Msg back said keep sending errors....
no known fix. Unfortunately, I don't know what the errors were or any
detail. This is just what she told me. Then she got a blue screen.....
Then on a boot she got a black screen msg that said ....... system/config
file missing or corrupt. Insert XP CD. We don't have a Windows CD, just a
restore CD - which erases.

The manufacturer won't send me a copy of Windows to reload. Microsoft won't
send me a replacement copy of the software for a small fee. So I tired to
load my Windows XP Professional upgrade hoping the file would be replaced.
Now, it says files aren't coping right. So my XP professional upgrade copy
must be bad?

Doesn't a OEM manufacturer have a licensing responsibilty to both Microsoft
and the consumer to support the customer with a Windows copy? After 4 hours
back and forth on the telephone with Microsoft and the manufacturer, no one
has a practical solution. When I purchased a license of the software, I
should be entitled to a copy of it - shouldn't I? It seems nuts that I
shouldn't have to buy a new copy of Windows XP HE for $200...... My blood
pressure is raging.

Your suggestions and insights would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Legally, the OEM will have met it's contractual obligation to
Microsoft by providing a means of returning the PC to its ex-factory
state, whether it's a Recovery CD or a Recovery Partition. They are not
legally obliged to provide a true installation CD as part of the sale.
Reputable, customer-service aware OEMs, like Dell, MPC, and Gateway, do
provide a full OEM installation CD, that does permit custom
installations and repairs. Many uncaring OEMs, especially those who
sell their computers through department stores and chain outlets, such
as Compaq, HP, eMachines, and Sony, however, in an effort to save
pennies and reduce their support costs by having to hire support people
that can only say "Boot from the Recovery CD to return your PC to its
original condition," provide only a CD bearing a disk image of the hard
drive as it left the factory. These Recovery/Restore CDs cannot perform
normal installations, nor can they be used to do any sort of customizations.

Essentially, it boils down to "You get what you pay for."

You might be able to get an unbranded, generic OEM CD to perform a
repair installation, using the HP's OEM Product Key (affixed to the side
of the computer).


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

 

[Guest]

Richard - Thanks for you insights. I was aware of the reduced licensing
cost to OEMs, as OEMs do the distribution and support for the product. I
wasn't aware, however, that they really don't have much support
responsibility. I looked through the file with "all" the computer doc and I
couldn't find any instructions on building a recovery CD from disk. Well I
learned something for next time.....

 

[Guest]

Beb - Thanks for the good advice. First time I've had to use this forum.....
The computer was a VPR Matrix 2250. VPR Matrix is a Best Buy company.
Basically their PC Brand sold in their stores. VPR is supported through Best
Buy customer service, which is set up for retail operations and they have no
OEM experience.

 

[Guest]

Bruce, Thanks. I didn't realize there was a material difference between OEM
and retail copies. Thought it was all packaging and support cost...and
maybe some drivers. But that was it.

The only solution appears to buy a full version license, as an "upgrade" CD
doesn't work. Expensive crash........

 

[Steve N.]

Looking for technical and legal licensing advice....
After 3 years of flawless service my Mom's computer began generating errors.
Errors were automatically sent to MS. Msg back said keep sending errors....
no known fix. Unfortunately, I don't know what the errors were or any
detail. This is just what she told me. Then she got a blue screen.....
Then on a boot she got a black screen msg that said ....... system/config
file missing or corrupt. Insert XP CD. We don't have a Windows CD, just a
restore CD - which erases.

The manufacturer won't send me a copy of Windows to reload. Microsoft won't
send me a replacement copy of the software for a small fee. So I tired to
load my Windows XP Professional upgrade hoping the file would be replaced.
Now, it says files aren't coping right. So my XP professional upgrade copy
must be bad?

Not likely, more likely the system you are trying to upgrade has
problems. Could be file system problems, operating system problems,
malware/virus problems, or hardware problems. Without going into details
of the problems the original system you are trying to upgrade has,
nobody can really help you.

Doesn't a OEM manufacturer have a licensing responsibilty to both Microsoft
and the consumer to support the customer with a Windows copy? After 4 hours
back and forth on the telephone with Microsoft and the manufacturer, no one
has a practical solution. When I purchased a license of the software, I
should be entitled to a copy of it - shouldn't I?

No. Under OEM agreements you are only entitled to a method of restoring
the PC OS to the factory state.

It seems nuts that I
shouldn't have to buy a new copy of Windows XP HE for $200......

Yeah. Buyer beware, eh? Too bad you didn't have the opportunity nor
guidance to actually READ the OEM EULA before you paid for the computer,
right? Sad, oft repeated song here. Sorry.

My blood
pressure is raging.

That's a medical problem, not a Windows XP problem. Good luck on that,
though.

Your suggestions and insights would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Get ahold of a generic XP Home CD (borrow one if you can), do a real
repair install if necessary, but be mindful that doing so will not
remove viruses or other malware. Use more than one updated
anitvirus/antimalware programs and scan in Safe Mode. Then, if you must,
do a proper repair install:

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

Steve N.

 

[Guest]

Rick.

There are few points missed. The software on the computer has died! Now you
are assuming that a re-install is going to get the computer up and running?
You have tried this and now your presuming your XP cd is the case. What if
the computer has had hardware failure? At a guess I believe the hard-drive
is stuffed! Download DFT (disk fitness test) or another hard disk utility and
find out!

I would just accaepted the data is gone. I am sure we have all lost some
good data. Run the DFT program. If it passes then then run the system
restore cd. If the data is a concern then u need another pc to plug it into
to retrieve the data.. thats if the Hard Disk is ok! Get that tested before
you buy software. Infact test the ram to with a program called memtester!

Hope this helps!

 

[Alias]

Bruce, Thanks. I didn't realize there was a material difference between OEM
and retail copies. Thought it was all packaging and support cost...and
maybe some drivers. But that was it.

The only solution appears to buy a full version license, as an "upgrade" CD
doesn't work. Expensive crash........

You can buy a generic OEM XP at Walmart online which will cost you a lot
less than retail. The only drawbacks with a generic OEM is that you
can't do operating system software upgrades (i.e., upgrading Windows 98
to XP) or move it to another computer. You can, however, do as many
hardware upgrades as you like, including changing the motherboard. You
can also use them for repair installs.

Alias

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Bruce, Thanks. I didn't realize there was a material difference between OEM
and retail copies. Thought it was all packaging and support cost...and
maybe some drivers. But that was it.

There are some very important reasons that an OEM license costs so
much less than a retail license. OEM licenses are very limited:

1) OEM versions must be sold with a piece of non-peripheral
hardware (normally a motherboard or hard drive, if not an entire PC,
although Microsoft has greatly relaxed the hardware criteria for WinXP)
and are _permanently_ bound to the first PC on which they are installed.
An OEM license, once installed, is not legally transferable to another
computer under any circumstances. This is the main reason some people
avoid OEM versions; if the PC dies or is otherwise disposed of (even
stolen), you cannot re-use your OEM license on a new PC. The only
legitimate way to transfer the ownership of an OEM license is to
transfer ownership of the entire PC.

2) Microsoft provides no free support for OEM versions. If you
have any problems that require outside assistance, your only recourse is
to contact the manufacturer/builder of the PC or the vendor of the OEM
license. This would include such issues as lost a Product Key or
replacing damaged installation media. (Microsoft does make allowances
for those instances when you can prove that the OEM has gone out of
business.) This doesn't mean that you can't download patches and
service packs from Microsoft -- just no free telephone or email support
for problems with the OS.

3) An OEM CD cannot be used to perform an upgrade of an earlier
OS, as it was designed to be installed _only_ upon an empty hard drive.
It can still be used to perform a repair installation (a.k.a. an
in-place upgrade) of an existing WinXP installation.

4) If the OEM CD was designed by a specific manufacturer, such as
eMachines, Sony, Dell, Gateway, etc., it will most likely only install
on the same brand of PC, as an additional anti-piracy feature. Further,
such CDs are severely customized to contain only the minimum of device
drivers, and a lot of extra nonsense, that the manufacturer feels
necessary for the specific model of PC for which the CD was designed.
(To be honest, such CDs should _not_ be available on the open market;
but, if you're shopping someplace on-line like eBay, swap meets, or
computer fairs, there's often no telling what you're buying until it's
too late.) The "generic" OEM CDs, such as are manufactured by Microsoft
and sold to small systems builders, don't have this particular problem,
though, and are pretty much the same as their retail counterparts, apart
from the licensing, support, and upgrading restrictions.

The only solution appears to buy a full version license, as an "upgrade" CD
doesn't work. Expensive crash........

You can save some money (compared to the price of a full retail
license) by purchasing a generic OEM CD and License, but it would still
become bound to that PC (but not to any single component).


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin