please help. Got Proper Serial Number but no cd to install for xp

[kevin mcdade]

Hi

i Bought a "TIME" computer a few years back and ive just had a really bad
crash and lost everything. I have the serial number xp home on the machine
but no cd to install it.

can i just use any cd and put in my serial? i read somewhere that i would
have to contact "time" to sort out this issue but its like £1 a min to call
them, i would be just aswell buying a new copy!

i feel this is really unfair as i have already bought a copy and i cant seem
to find a way around this.

can anybody please help me with this? any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

kevin

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Hi

i Bought a "TIME" computer a few years back and ive just had a really bad
crash and lost everything. I have the serial number xp home on the machine
but no cd to install it.

can i just use any cd and put in my serial? i read somewhere that i would
have to contact "time" to sort out this issue but its like £1 a min to
call
them, i would be just aswell buying a new copy!

i feel this is really unfair as i have already bought a copy and i cant
seem
to find a way around this.

can anybody please help me with this? any input would be greatly
appreciated.

Thanks

kevin

If you have kept a record of your product key then you can
re-install Windows with it, provided you can find a suitable
CD. What is unfair about this?

The CD you need must be of the same type as the one you
lost, i.e. Windows XP Home / Professional, OEM or Retail.
If the PC came preloaded with Windows then it's probably
an OEM version.

 

[kevin mcdade]

Hi pegasus

Thanks for replying.

I have the product key. yes the computer came pre-loaded with xp home. so as
long as i get an OEM version cd then this will work?

Where will i get such a cd? it would be really simple if microsoft just made
a download or something for this. As i said before i really grudge phoning
"time" support for a cd as it costs £1 per min and i can garuntee i will be
on the phone for a long time.

Thanks again

kevin

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

You can ask a friend to make a copy of his CD for you,
provided it is of the right type. Alternatively you can check
out this link:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;326246
and for UK details:
http://support.microsoft.com/gp/contactUsUK/?sd=gn&ln=en-gb

About your grudge: For which other product will you receive
free support if you lose it? Unfortunately for you the person at
the other end of the phone needs to make a living, same as
you do. Your employer pays you for your work - guess who
pays the helpdesk person.

 

[kevin mcdade]

Again thanks for your help pegasus.

just to be clear, there are only two types of copy, OEM and Retail? and if i
find the correct one my product key should work ok?

my grudge is that i should have been given a hard copy of windows with my
computer in the first place.

now i have to call "time" at £1 per min, and ill prob end up paying £15-20
including speaking to them and being on hold, add to that ill be charged for
postage and packaging and the total will be more like £25 which is a good
percentage of the cost of a brand xp home edition.......not to mention the
inconvenience of it all.

thanks again for your time

kevin

 

[HeyBub]

Hi

i feel this is really unfair as i have already bought a copy and i
cant seem to find a way around this.

Your computer came with instructions on how to make a re-install media.
What's unfair about you not following the recommendations?

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Your supplier is obliged to do one of two things:
- Give you a Windows XP CD, or
- Give you a recovery method (either a recovery CD or a
recovery partition on the hard disk). Check the manual
that came with your PC.