Reformatting and Losing My Media Edition2005

[Guest]

So originally, I bought the computer with Windows XP Media Edition 2005
pre-loaded on the computer. A couple of days ago, I had discovered a virus
and decided to reformat my computer. I'm now using Windows XP Professional.
Is there anyway that I can get my Media Edition back without having to
purchase the software?

 

[Gordon]

So originally, I bought the computer with Windows XP Media Edition 2005
pre-loaded on the computer. A couple of days ago, I had discovered a
virus
and decided to reformat my computer. I'm now using Windows XP
Professional.
Is there anyway that I can get my Media Edition back without having to
purchase the software?

Your vendor must, to have been in compliance with the OEM EULA, have given
you a way to return your machine to the factory-gate state. Usually this is
via a recovery CD but may also be via a hidden partition on your HDD.
Consult your User manual on how to do this....

 

[Guest]

So I should bring it back to the place where I bought it?

 

[Shenan Stanley]

So originally, I bought the computer with Windows XP Media Edition
2005 pre-loaded on the computer. A couple of days ago, I had
discovered a virus and decided to reformat my computer. I'm now
using Windows XP Professional. Is there anyway that I can get my
Media Edition back without having to purchase the software?

Your vendor must, to have been in compliance with the OEM EULA,
have given you a way to return your machine to the factory-gate
state. Usually this is via a recovery CD but may also be via a
hidden partition on your HDD. Consult your User manual on how to do
this....

So I should bring it back to the place where I bought it?

Did the system come from the vendor with Windows XP Media Center Edition on
it?

If so - contact them and find out why you have Windows XP Professional
restoration/installation disks instead of the OS that 'came with' said
system.

If not - how did Windows XP Media Center Edition get on your computer in the
first place?

Or - explain how you ended up having/installing Windows XP Professional on
the system instead of Windows Xp Media Center Edition... Lost media, didn't
follow the vendors instructions and just used whatever CD you had lying
around to reinstall, etc...?

 

[LVTravel]

That is not what he said, although the Gate part may be confusing.

Microsoft requires all PC manufacturers to provide some way to restore a PC
to the Factory installation when an OEM version of the OS is installed.
This can be an OEM XP CD, system restore cd or a hidden partition on the
hard disk drive. Some, but not all, manufacturers also provide a way to
burn a restore CD from that hidden partition.

To return to the XP Media Center edition, you will be required to reformat
(either by using the bootable system restore disk, the OEM XP MCE disk or
following the instructions on the hidden partition install method) the
partition of the hard drive where Windows OS is stored and reinstall the
Media Center edition from wherever it is currently stored. Read the
system's documentation to find out the manufacturer's restore process.
Since Pro is a "higher" level OS than Media Center, the reformat and install
is necessary. Media Center will not "overinstall" a Pro version.

If you purchased the system from a "mom & pop" system builder, you should
contact them for reinstall instructions. If the system was from a large
"reputable" manufacturer, there will be instructions somewhere in the
original documentation on how to reinstall to factory new condition.