Win XP Needed....

[user]

I have a Packard Bell Easynote Laptop, when I bought it new nearly two years
ago, it had Win XP already installed on the hdd and I wasn't supplied with
any discs. Last week the hdd gave up the ghost and I had to replace it with
a new hdd, my problem now is, I don't have a copy of Win XP to re-install on
it. Can anybody tell me where I go from here, as the machine is well out of
warranty, I still have the XP sticker on the bottom of the machine if that
is needed.
Thank You in advance for any help you can give.

 

[Jon]

The reason I decided to write that, was mainly because "user"

I have a Packard Bell Easynote Laptop, when I bought it new nearly two
years
ago, it had Win XP already installed on the hdd and I wasn't supplied with
any discs. Last week the hdd gave up the ghost and I had to replace it
with
a new hdd, my problem now is, I don't have a copy of Win XP to re-install
on
it. Can anybody tell me where I go from here, as the machine is well out
of
warranty, I still have the XP sticker on the bottom of the machine if that
is needed.
Thank You in advance for any help you can give.

Simplest way would be to purchase an XP disk to do your repairs / reinstall
Windows with. You can get an XP Home OEM disk (assuming that is what you
have) for approx. £60 -£70. This would be then be useable both with your
current product ID on the sticker and the new ID that would come with it.

Otherwise you could try to salvage your xp installation from your previous
hdd - by repairing it [ depending on the extent to which it has 'given up
the ghost' ] and / or trying to image the xp installation to the new hdd on
the same computer (using appropriate imaging software) - a more complex
route with less guarantees it would work.

 

[Guest]

You will have to buy a retail boxed copy of XP. You could have saved some
money by asking for an OEM version (no box) when you bought the new disk but
too late for that now.

 

[Dave B.]

No he does not, if he can get his hands on an OEM CD of the version that
shipped with the laptop (likely Home), Then he can use the key on the COA
sticker.

 

[Og]

I have a Packard Bell Easynote Laptop, when I bought it new nearly two
years
ago, it had Win XP already installed on the hdd and I wasn't supplied with
any discs. Last week the hdd gave up the ghost and I had to replace it
with
a new hdd, my problem now is, I don't have a copy of Win XP to re-install
on
it. Can anybody tell me where I go from here, as the machine is well out
of
warranty, I still have the XP sticker on the bottom of the machine if that
is needed.
Thank You in advance for any help you can give.

Contact Packard Bell technical support -- you MAY be able to purchase a set
of Restore CDs for your laptop directly from them.
If not, then, as others have noted, you will have to purchase Windows XP.
Don't forget to visit Packard Bell's web site to obtain all drivers specific
to your laptop (Motherboard, Video card, touch-pad, etc.) -- you will need
to install those drivers after installing Windows.
Steve

 

[Guest]

WOW! I am totally blown away by this news! I guess I am just astonished
that Packard Bell is still around. I guess they just don't sell in the USA
anymore. We had a packard bell and it was probably the worst system we had
ever experienced. I'm glad they aren't in the States anymore. To give you
some help with your problem. You can take your computer into a computer
repair shop and they should have the correct cd to install your software for
you. Now they can't give you a copy legally but they should be able to do
the repair install and put the i386 folder on your hard drive. This however
will cost you about as much as a new copy of windows. The choice is yours
but I would just go and buy a retail copy of xp. Good Luck,

Joe

Kemco IT Tech

 

[P. Johnson]

I have a Packard Bell Easynote Laptop, when I bought it new nearly two
years ago, it had Win XP already installed on the hdd and I wasn't
supplied with any discs.

Have you tried contacting Packard Bell for the missing disks?

 

[P. Johnson]

The reason I decided to write that, was mainly because "user"

Last week the hdd gave up the ghost and I had to replace
it with a new hdd, my problem now is, I don't have a copy of Win XP to
re-install on it.

Otherwise you could try to salvage your xp installation from your previous
hdd - by repairing it [ depending on the extent to which it has 'given up
the ghost' ]

You need the original hard drive with the original installation you're
trying to repair, along with your installation media. The original poster
doesn't seem to have either.

trying to image the xp installation to the new hdd
on the same computer (using appropriate imaging software) - a more complex
route with less guarantees it would work.

How would copying your windows install do anything other than give you a
perfect copy of the exact same problem?

 

[P. Johnson]

Only YOU can increase readability!
http://ursine.ca/Top_Posting

WOW! I am totally blown away by this news! I guess I am just astonished
that Packard Bell is still around. I guess they just don't sell in the
USA anymore. We had a packard bell and it was probably the worst system
we had ever experienced.

Actually, they've changed product lines, and their products are only
available in the US due to export restrictions on guided missiles. Yes,
I'm kind of scared that Packard Bell now makes guided missiles after making
the worst, least reliable computers for decades, and the worst, least
reliable radios for decades before that.

Packard Bell Europe makes WMA/MP3 players (why not Ogg Vorbis? They're
smaller, sound better, and don't have any DRM support to complicate
things).

I'm glad they aren't in the States anymore.

I think their latest turn is more disturbing than anything: Cruise missles
and DRM-enabled music players...

 

[Jon]

The reason I decided to write that, was mainly because "user"

Last week the hdd gave up the ghost and I had to replace
it with a new hdd, my problem now is, I don't have a copy of Win XP to
re-install on it.

Otherwise you could try to salvage your xp installation from your
previous
hdd - by repairing it [ depending on the extent to which it has 'given
up
the ghost' ]

You need the original hard drive with the original installation you're
trying to repair, along with your installation media. The original poster
doesn't seem to have either.

trying to image the xp installation to the new hdd
on the same computer (using appropriate imaging software) - a more
complex
route with less guarantees it would work.

How would copying your windows install do anything other than give you a
perfect copy of the exact same problem?

Well, as I said it's a more complex route with no guarantee of success - but
there are countless scenarios including recovery partitions, i386 folders
etc. You would work with the resources available - but given the sparse
information and lack of follow-up from the OP, I have no intention of
speculating over the 1000+ possibilities.

 

[user]

The reason I decided to write that, was mainly because "user"
Last week the hdd gave up the ghost and I had to replace
it with a new hdd, my problem now is, I don't have a copy of Win XP to
re-install on it.

Otherwise you could try to salvage your xp installation from your
previous
hdd - by repairing it [ depending on the extent to which it has 'given
up
the ghost' ]

You need the original hard drive with the original installation you're
trying to repair, along with your installation media. The original
poster
doesn't seem to have either.

trying to image the xp installation to the new hdd
on the same computer (using appropriate imaging software) - a more
complex
route with less guarantees it would work.

How would copying your windows install do anything other than give you a
perfect copy of the exact same problem?

Well, as I said it's a more complex route with no guarantee of success -
but there are countless scenarios including recovery partitions, i386
folders etc. You would work with the resources available - but given the
sparse information and lack of follow-up from the OP, I have no intention
of speculating over the 1000+ possibilities.


--
Jon

The next best thing to knowing something is knowing where to find it.
-Samuel Johnson

Sorry I didn't get to reply earlier, but have been very busy, many thanks
for all replies.
In answer to Jon, as I said in my initial post, the hdd has "given up the
ghost",
"it is deceased",
"it is no longer",
"it has shuffled off this mortal coil",
"it is an ex hdd"
In other words I cannot do anything with it!
)