XP Home CD-ROM

[DanaMarie]

So, my computer won't start up Windows in normal or safe
mode. I called my manufacturer, Toshiba, to see what I
could do so I don't lose everything, and they told me
to "hope to god a friend has the xp disc."
After their *really* helpful advice, I started contacting
a couple of friends. Problem is, none of their computers
came with the CD-ROM either. Why the hell don't computers
come with the operating system disc anymore?
I don't freaking have $199 to spend on buying the disc
and hey, I can't get support from Microsoft without
having already bought it seperately.
Is there ANYTHING I can do here or am I just destined to
lose everything?

 

[Guest]

Manufacturers are supposed to give you the cd. Look through all your disks again. It might be called "Reinstallation Disk" or something similar. It has the Product Activation code you need to reinstall Windows, which you will have to do sooner or later. You must have gotten through to an incompetent tech. Call back again and talk to a supervisor. This is not Microsoft's fault--it's Toshiba's.

 

[JAX]

Manufactures are not required to supply a CD for the OS, they are only
required to provide a method to restore the system to " as purchased"
condition. This may be by way of a restore partition on the HD. It varies
from one OEM to another.

FWIW, JAX

Manufacturers are supposed to give you the cd. Look through all your disks

again. It might be called "Reinstallation Disk" or something similar. It has
the Product Activation code you need to reinstall Windows, which you will
have to do sooner or later. You must have gotten through to an incompetent
tech. Call back again and talk to a supervisor. This is not Microsoft's
fault--it's Toshiba's.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

In

Manufacturers are supposed to give you the cd.

No, not necessarily. OEMs selling computers with Windows
preinstalled are required to provide you with a means of
reinstalling Windows. They can do that in any of three ways:

1. Give you an OEM installation CD
2. Give you a restore CD
3. Put a hidden partition on your drive that can be used to do a
restore.

I don't know what Toshiba does, but if he doesn't have a CD, he's
probably in that third category.

Look through all your
disks again. It might be called "Reinstallation Disk" or something
similar. It has the Product Activation code you need to reinstall
Windows, which you will have to do sooner or later. You must have
gotten through to an incompetent tech. Call back again and talk to a
supervisor. This is not Microsoft's fault--it's Toshiba's.

I agree. Toshiba should be providing help, and he should insist
on speaking to someone there who can help him.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

In

So, my computer won't start up Windows in normal or safe
mode. I called my manufacturer, Toshiba, to see what I
could do so I don't lose everything, and they told me
to "hope to god a friend has the xp disc."
After their *really* helpful advice, I started contacting
a couple of friends. Problem is, none of their computers
came with the CD-ROM either. Why the hell don't computers
come with the operating system disc anymore?
I don't freaking have $199 to spend on buying the disc
and hey, I can't get support from Microsoft without
having already bought it seperately.
Is there ANYTHING I can do here or am I just destined to
lose everything?

I would contact Toshiba again and insist on speaking to someone
who can help you. they are required to give you a means of
reinstalling Windows. From the little information you've provided
about your problem, I don't know if that's what you need to do,
but at the very least they should be able to help you with that
(see the other message I just sent in this thread).

You say "Why the hell don't computers come with the operating
system disc anymore?" Well, some do and some don't. You chose to
buy one that didn't. Personally, I would never choose to buy a
computer unless it came with a complete generic installation CD.
I wouldn't accept a restore CD or a hidden partition with a
restore image.

 

[Crusty \(-: Old B@stard :-\)]

Your answer is wrong Mary.

There is nothing that requires a manufacturer to supply a valid Windows XP
CD with the computer purchase. In the days before everyone wanted $400 to
$800 computers, many manufacturers "did" provide such a CD, but consumers
demand for cheap -read incomplete- PC's have ended that practice!

--
Regards:

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

Manufacturers are supposed to give you the cd. Look through all your disks

again. It might be called "Reinstallation Disk" or something similar. It has
the Product Activation code you need to reinstall Windows, which you will
have to do sooner or later. You must have gotten through to an incompetent
tech. Call back again and talk to a supervisor. This is not Microsoft's
fault--it's Toshiba's.

 

[CS]

So, my computer won't start up Windows in normal or safe
mode. I called my manufacturer, Toshiba, to see what I
could do so I don't lose everything, and they told me
to "hope to god a friend has the xp disc."
After their *really* helpful advice, I started contacting
a couple of friends. Problem is, none of their computers
came with the CD-ROM either. Why the hell don't computers
come with the operating system disc anymore?
I don't freaking have $199 to spend on buying the disc
and hey, I can't get support from Microsoft without
having already bought it seperately.
Is there ANYTHING I can do here or am I just destined to
lose everything?

Toshiba laptops come with a set of three restore CDs: Two will
restore the operating system, the other will restore pre-installed
applications. Suggest you call Toshiba tech support again and ask to
speak with a supervisor.

 

[Tumbleweed]

So, my computer won't start up Windows in normal or safe
mode. I called my manufacturer, Toshiba, to see what I
could do so I don't lose everything, and they told me
to "hope to god a friend has the xp disc."
After their *really* helpful advice, I started contacting
a couple of friends. Problem is, none of their computers
came with the CD-ROM either. Why the hell don't computers
come with the operating system disc anymore?
I don't freaking have $199 to spend on buying the disc
and hey, I can't get support from Microsoft without
having already bought it seperately.
Is there ANYTHING I can do here or am I just destined to
lose everything?

Of course,not, you can use the reinstall disk or utility to Tosh came with,
and your data backups.