reloading ME w/o cd

[Jtiche]

I have a gateway that is a few years old purchased off of e-bay. It came
preloaded and did not have the windows cd with it. Over the last few months it
has begun to lock up every few minutes. I'd like to reload windows, do I have
any option other than purchasing the windows operating system cd from a
retailer?

 

[kony]

I have a gateway that is a few years old purchased off of e-bay. It came
preloaded and did not have the windows cd with it. Over the last few months it
has begun to lock up every few minutes. I'd like to reload windows, do I have
any option other than purchasing the windows operating system cd from a
retailer?

Options:

1) Search the hard drive for the installation files folder, if they were
copied to the drive. Find->Files "*.cab" should point you in the right
direction.

2) Find your Window's License (you have the license, right? Either a
certificate or sticker on the case). That license is $$. You can simply
copy someone elses (same version of) Windows CD, and your installation key
should work. Owenership of a Windows License is tied to the system,
certificate, not the CD... the CD can be copied.

 

[Jay Cousins]

I have a gateway that is a few years old purchased off of e-bay. It came
preloaded and did not have the windows cd with it. Over the last few months it
has begun to lock up every few minutes. I'd like to reload windows, do I have
any option other than purchasing the windows operating system cd from a
retailer?

When you bought it off of ebay, the person selling it didn't give you
a system restore CD? If they didn't then I am sorry to say that you
will have to buy the OS. I don't know if you can buy ME in retail
anymore, I recomend XP anyway. What are the system specs?

-Jay

 

[DaveW]

No. No other option.

 

[kony]

When you bought it off of ebay, the person selling it didn't give you
a system restore CD? If they didn't then I am sorry to say that you
will have to buy the OS. I don't know if you can buy ME in retail
anymore, I recomend XP anyway. What are the system specs?

-Jay

No, ownership is not tied to the media, is tied to the license.

 

[kony]

No. No other option.

wrong again

 

[Jtiche]

Thanks for all the assistance. I wound up going into MSCONFIG and deselecting
several items on the startup tab. This seems to have corrected the problems I
was having, at least for now.

 

[Jay Cousins]

wrong again

Yes the key is tied to the system certificate, but where do you think
that comes from(thin air)? It comes from the CD. So in essence the
key is tied to the CD. You CANNOT use a different key for a different
CD.(Unless Microsoft gives you a master key). I know this from
experience. Copying the .cab files wont' do any good. Me does not
support any kind of RIS. You need the CD during installation. You
could copy a friend's CD using a CD copy program. Then use the same
key that his friend has. That would put Me on the system.

 

[kony]

Yes the key is tied to the system certificate, but where do you think
that comes from(thin air)? It comes from the CD.

No, the key does NOT "come from the CD".
The key is one in a sequence sold to OEMs, who have any number of methods
of distributing the OS.

So in essence the key is tied to the CD.

Nope. They are (per version) identical pressed discs, not tied to any
particular installation key. If you know how much it costs to master a CD
then you understand why that's how it is.

You CANNOT use a different key for a different
CD.(Unless Microsoft gives you a master key).

For a CD with the same version of same OS, yes you can.
For a CD with slightly different version, no you can't.

I know this from
experience. Copying the .cab files wont' do any good. Me does not
support any kind of RIS. You need the CD during installation. You
could copy a friend's CD using a CD copy program. Then use the same
key that his friend has. That would put Me on the system.

That is not true. If you have the exact same OS, no matter who's CD, your
key WILL work. I know this from experience, many, many times I've used a
shop copy of a CD and had a customer supply their installation key.

It works on OEM as well as retail (of course meaning, the correct key per
version, one key not valid for both) with _at_least_:

Win95A
Win95B
Win98
Win98SE
WinME
Win2K
WinXP

 

[Jay Cousins]

No, the key does NOT "come from the CD".
The key is one in a sequence sold to OEMs, who have any number of methods
of distributing the OS.


Nope. They are (per version) identical pressed discs, not tied to any
particular installation key. If you know how much it costs to master a CD
then you understand why that's how it is.



For a CD with the same version of same OS, yes you can.
For a CD with slightly different version, no you can't.



That is not true. If you have the exact same OS, no matter who's CD, your
key WILL work. I know this from experience, many, many times I've used a
shop copy of a CD and had a customer supply their installation key.

It works on OEM as well as retail (of course meaning, the correct key per
version, one key not valid for both) with _at_least_:

Win95A
Win95B
Win98
Win98SE
WinME
Win2K
WinXP

I hate to say this but I KNOW that you cannot use a different key for
a different CD. I have tried. Do you really think that Microsoft
would be that stupid? Was your shop CD OEM or retail? I have never
tried with OEM just retail. We have tried this at work with Win2K
Pro. It didn't work. We have about 10 copies of Win2K Pro each with
their respective keys. If you try to use the anothe key with a
different CD, it will not work. You have to use the correct key for
the correct CD. Take a retail version of Win98SE, and try to use
another retail version Win98SE key and I bet that it won't work. Why
do you think that the sofware costs around $200 or more?

 

[lorisarvendu]

I hate to say this but I KNOW that you cannot use a different key for
a different CD. I have tried. Do you really think that Microsoft
would be that stupid? Was your shop CD OEM or retail? I have never
tried with OEM just retail. We have tried this at work with Win2K
Pro. It didn't work. We have about 10 copies of Win2K Pro each with
their respective keys. If you try to use the anothe key with a
different CD, it will not work. You have to use the correct key for
the correct CD. Take a retail version of Win98SE, and try to use
another retail version Win98SE key and I bet that it won't work. Why
do you think that the sofware costs around $200 or more?

So how come keygens work then?

 

[kony]

I hate to say this but I KNOW that you cannot use a different key for
a different CD. I have tried.

We must be living in alternative realities then, since it has worked fine
for me and others, many many times.

I suspect it boils down to versions, that you're trying a different
variant of the OS than the one that came with the certificate.

Do you really think that Microsoft
would be that stupid?

They are pressed CDs, not CDRs. It would be stupid for Microsoft to pay
multiple times what each license brings in, to master each and every
different CD so it only matches one key, but I don't even have to consider
this detail since using a different source disc has, does work.

In fact, the big OEMs don't even use that CD they send with the system,
they clone the drives from same souce drive(s) then each installation uses
it's own licensed key, eventually, but that key also works with the CD
shipped with the system... more evidence that the CD isn't tied to the
key.

Why do you think that the sofware costs around $200 or more?

.... from a company that pulls in billions and billions in profit? I'd
have to think it's their monopoly, what the market bears.

The bottom line is that I have proven that it works, time and time again,
not even realizing that I needed to prove it at the time. You wouldn't
happen to be dyslexic? There has to be some other reason why your
attempts have failed.

 

[~misfit~]

We must be living in alternative realities then, since it has worked
fine for me and others, many many times.

It's always worked fine for me too.

 

[Trent©]

It's always worked fine for me too.

You guys have just been lucky.

There are literally hundreds of different cd keys.

As a matter of fact, there's a utility program put out by MSFT...so
that you can change your key in XP if you happened to have one of the
keys that they blacklisted. That blacklisted key would prevent you
from being able to install service pack 1.

There is not a unique key for EVERY CD...that would take millions, of
course. So maybe that's how you guys got lucky.

But there are definitely hundreds...probably thousands...of different
keys out there.


Have a nice week...

Trent

Follow Joan Rivers' example --- get pre-embalmed!

 

[kony]

You guys have just been lucky.

How so?

There are literally hundreds of different cd keys.

Never meant to imply that there aren't. My argument is that any given
Windows CD, is _not_ tied to, not only installable using the key that came
with that CD. The CD will install with any other key valid for THAT
version of the OS on the CD.

As a matter of fact, there's a utility program put out by MSFT...so
that you can change your key in XP if you happened to have one of the
keys that they blacklisted. That blacklisted key would prevent you
from being able to install service pack 1.

This just strengthens my arugment, is yet another example of a CD that
will install with more than one key.

There is not a unique key for EVERY CD...that would take millions, of
course. So maybe that's how you guys got lucky.

But there are definitely hundreds...probably thousands...of different
keys out there.

I'm not sure what you're getting here.

Of course there are "different keys". Point was only that using a key
that's valid for a specific version and distro of windows, will work on
any other CD of the same version and distro of windows.

In other words, as it applies to the OP:

OP has WinME license (presumably, though this hasn't been confirmed yet),
probably a sticker on the system case (unless it was removed), and
possibly a certificate on the front cover of a book or separate. OP can
borrow someone else's WinME OEM CD, and install from it... and when it
comes time to enter the installation/license key, they use THEIR key, not
the key attached to the license of the person who lent them the Windows
CD.

Come to think of it, I have a few OEM boxes somewhere with WinME license,
sitting unused because they're a little slow and I don't want/need
WinME... but I may just grab a *random* WinME CD and verify this works
again, LOL, even though it's never failed for me yet.

 

[kony]

I hate to say this but I KNOW that you cannot use a different key for
a different CD. I have tried. Do you really think that Microsoft
would be that stupid? Was your shop CD OEM or retail? I have never
tried with OEM just retail. We have tried this at work with Win2K
Pro. It didn't work. We have about 10 copies of Win2K Pro each with
their respective keys. If you try to use the anothe key with a
different CD, it will not work. You have to use the correct key for
the correct CD. Take a retail version of Win98SE, and try to use
another retail version Win98SE key and I bet that it won't work. Why
do you think that the sofware costs around $200 or more?

As another followup, I have tried a couple different systems, ME licenses,
and one DID install with a different CD (that what came with the
system/license) but the other didn't, refused the key (that was already
known valid as it was used to do the first install on the system).
Apparently the difference is the OS build number, or at least that seems
to be the case.

So it seems we're both half right and half wrong... it can work but not
with just any-old-disc.

 

[kony]

As another followup, I have tried a couple different systems, ME licenses,
and one DID install with a different CD (that what came with the
system/license) but the other didn't, refused the key ...

The above has a significant typo, should've read:

 

[Trent©]

How so?

Because probably 100,000 or so cd's have the same key. I'm just
guessing on the number. But as I said...there is NOT a unique key for
EACH CD...only for a SERIES of CD's...maybe 100,000...maybe
500,000...dont' know for sure.

Never meant to imply that there aren't. My argument is that any given
Windows CD, is _not_ tied to, not only installable using the key that came
with that CD. The CD will install with any other key valid for THAT
version of the OS on the CD.

I think below you prove this statement is not true.

This just strengthens my arugment, is yet another example of a CD that
will install with more than one key.

No...the original cd will only install with the key that is on that
cd. You can CHANGE that key...as my above example implies. But
that's not the same as installing.

I'm not sure what you're getting here.

Of course there are "different keys". Point was only that using a key
that's valid for a specific version and distro of windows, will work on
any other CD of the same version and distro of windows.

And, again...that's not true. You yourself prove it...in another
post, I think.


Have a nice week...

Trent

Follow Joan Rivers' example --- get pre-embalmed!

 

[Trent©]

As another followup, I have tried a couple different systems, ME licenses,
and one DID install with a different CD (that what came with the
system/license) but the other didn't, refused the key (that was already
known valid as it was used to do the first install on the system).
Apparently the difference is the OS build number, or at least that seems
to be the case.

WHEN the key changes is immaterial...build #, cd's produced, etc. The
important point is that the key is tied to the cd...and DOES change.
Not every key will work with every cd...and that was the point we were
all trying to tell you.


Have a nice week...

Trent

Follow Joan Rivers' example --- get pre-embalmed!

 

[Trent©]

As another followup, I have tried a couple different systems, ME licenses,
and one DID install with a different CD (THAN what came with the
system/license) but the other didn't, refused the key ...

House keys and car keys are the same way. Its doubtful that your
house key will work in your neighbor's door. But it WILL work in
someone else's door...somewhere.


Have a nice week...

Trent

Follow Joan Rivers' example --- get pre-embalmed!