Windows XP replacement Disc

[Guest]

My hard drive failed on a machine I bought from a big box store. It didnt
come with XP discs but has the product key sticker/number on the case. How do
I get a replacement copy from Microsoft? The computer manufacturer has no
contact number. Anyone have a phone number or email contact that doesnt
charge for microsoft? Any help would be great

 

[Guest]

My hard drive failed on a machine I bought from a big box store. It didnt
come with XP discs but has the product key sticker/number on the case. How do
I get a replacement copy from Microsoft? The computer manufacturer has no
contact number. Anyone have a phone number or email contact that doesnt
charge for microsoft? Any help would be great

If you have an OEM then Microsoft will not help you with this.
If you have a Full Retail Software which doubtful from your Description then
you can get a replacement CD.
Here a link and see if your issue is ligit:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326246
HTH.
nass

 

[DL]

You cannot obtain from MS as it was an OEM copy; Only the PC manu will/may
supply replacement disk.
Or you will have to go out and buy a retail edition.
Are you sure your PC didnt come with a restore disk(s)

 

[Guest]

You cannot obtain from MS as it was an OEM copy; Only the PC manu will/may
supply replacement disk.
Or you will have to go out and buy a retail edition.
Are you sure your PC didnt come with a restore disk(s)




Yeah it was a Great Quality from Fry's, read cheap. No discs came with the computer. All was pre installed.

 

[Guest]

I bought my PC at Wal-Mart It didn't come with discs either, but it does
state somewhere in the paper work that you need to create them on your PC. If
you go on your start, all programs, Hewlett-Packard, HP Pavillion PC tools
there is a recovery CD creator. If you don't have an HP. I don't know. It
took 8 discs to complete the process.

 

[Guest]

I just found an old Dell Reinstallation disc with win xp on it. Its service
pack 2 though and i had service pack one on my old computer until i did the
sp2 download. Wonder if this cd will work on that computer? Then just use the
win xp code from the old computer? Thoughts anyone?

 

[Bruce Chambers]

My hard drive failed on a machine I bought from a big box store. It didnt
come with XP discs but has the product key sticker/number on the case. How do
I get a replacement copy from Microsoft?

You can't. With pre-installed OEM software, only the computer
manufacturer can provide the replacement.

The computer manufacturer has no
contact number.

Does the manufacturer have a web site? Does the "big box store" know
who they obtained the computer form?

Anyone have a phone number or email contact that doesnt
charge for microsoft? Any help would be great

Any support Microsoft does provide for an OEM license will cost.


--

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

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I just found an old Dell Reinstallation disc with win xp on it. Its service
pack 2 though and i had service pack one on my old computer until i did the
sp2 download. Wonder if this cd will work on that computer?

Unless you have a Dell computer, it shouldn't work.




--

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

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell

 

[Daave]

I just found an old Dell Reinstallation disc with win xp on it. Its
service pack 2 though and i had service pack one on my old
computer until i did the sp2 download. Wonder if this cd will work
on that computer? Then just use the win xp code from the old
computer? Thoughts anyone?

That won't work. That Dell disk will only work on a Dell, and only with
certain Dells, at that.

You need to get reinstallation/restore instructions from the PC
manufacturer. I didn't see any "Great Quality" PC Web sites, so you will
need to contact Fry's. All PC manufacturers provide a means to restore
your PC to the same condition it was when it left the factory. Sometimes
it's a recovery disk, sometimes it's instructions to access a hidden
partition on your hard drive. Maybe you can post to a forum where others
have bought your brand. Specify the model number.

Otherwise, you will need to obtain a generic OEM XP Home installation
disc. Ask around long enough and hopefully you'll find one. And use the
key that came with your PC.

 

[Daave]

That won't work. That Dell disk will only work on a Dell, and only
with certain Dells, at that.

Now, I'm not so sure about the above statement. See:

http://groups.google.com/group/24hoursupport.helpdesk/msg/a4346e7f5c50ee6b

Can anyone else confirm this?

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Now, I'm not so sure about the above statement. See:

http://groups.google.com/group/24hoursupport.helpdesk/msg/a4346e7f5c50ee6b

Can anyone else confirm this?

When Dell (and Gateway, Micron, and several other OEMs) first started
shipping WinXP (pre-SP1), their OEM CDs were little more than normal,
generic OEM CDs that could be used on any machine; they'd prompt for
activation whenever a non-Dell motherboard was detected. These CDs
flooded eBay (probably mostly originating from less scrupulous IT
employees of companies who bought large numbers of computers at a time)
and were a major part of the reason Microsoft eventually stopped
allowing automatic Internet Activation of major OEM installations.

Dell has long since tightened their control, and recent Dell OEM CDs
won't work on non-Dell hardware.


--

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

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell

 

[Patrick Keenan]

I just found an old Dell Reinstallation disc with win xp on it. Its service
pack 2 though and i had service pack one on my old computer until i did
the
sp2 download. Wonder if this cd will work on that computer? Then just use
the
win xp code from the old computer? Thoughts anyone?

This will not work. Even if the Dell CD launches, and often they will not
because they look for a Dell signature in the BIOS, the keys won't match.

-pk

 

[Patrick Keenan]

My hard drive failed on a machine I bought from a big box store. It didnt
come with XP discs but has the product key sticker/number on the case. How
do
I get a replacement copy from Microsoft? The computer manufacturer has no
contact number. Anyone have a phone number or email contact that doesnt
charge for microsoft? Any help would be great

MS will *not* help you with this, and will *not* get you replacement disks
without buying new. You have to deal with the OEM vendor. They must have
supplied some means to reinstall XP, and in your case that was probably a
"restore partition".

Unfortunately, if the drive died, the technical term for your situation is
"screwed".

If there were no disks, and the hard disk has fully failed, and the vendor
can't be contacted, your choices are limited to purchasing another XP
license or using another operating system, like Ubuntu.

This is a demonstration of the fundamental flaw in the "restore partition"
concept: When the drive dies, as they do, all partitions are equally
inaccessible. Saves money, but mostly the vendor's. In the end, the
customer pays.

Sorry there isn't better news.

-pk

 

[Daave]

When Dell (and Gateway, Micron, and several other OEMs) first started
shipping WinXP (pre-SP1), their OEM CDs were little more than normal,
generic OEM CDs that could be used on any machine; they'd prompt for
activation whenever a non-Dell motherboard was detected. These CDs
flooded eBay (probably mostly originating from less scrupulous IT
employees of companies who bought large numbers of computers at a
time) and were a major part of the reason Microsoft eventually stopped
allowing automatic Internet Activation of major OEM installations.

Dell has long since tightened their control, and recent Dell OEM CDs
won't work on non-Dell hardware.

Thanks for the explanation, Bruce.