XP home OEM questions

[Bruce Chambers]

My Questions:

1) When I purchased the computer I assume I paid for the licence for XP
home, as there was a price difference when I elected not to have it
pre-installed

One should never assume when making purchases. What you paid for was a
deeply-discounted license to use WinXP on that one specific computer,
and no other. That's exactly what you got. Had you paid for a retail
license, which is transferable, the price would have been significantly
(as in roughly double) higher.

2) Do OEMs have to provide you with a stand alone copy of XP.

No, they don't. A reputable OEM that wants return business will
provide a true installation CD; a bargain-basement company will not.

Legally, the OEM has met it's contractual obligation to Microsoft
by providing a means of returning the PC to its ex-factory state,
whether it's a Recovery CD or a Recovery Partition. They are not
legally obliged to provide a true installation CD as part of the sale.
Reputable, customer-service aware OEMs, like MPC and Gateway, do provide
a full OEM installation CD, that does permit custom installations and
repairs. Many uncaring OEMs, especially those who sell their computers
through department stores and chain outlets, such as Compaq, HP,
eMachines, Toshiba and Sony, however, in an effort to save pennies and
reduce their support costs by having to hire support people that can
only say "Boot from the Recovery CD to return your PC to its original
condition," provide only a CD bearing a disk image of the hard drive as
it left the factory. These Recovery/Restore CDs cannot perform normal
installations, nor can they be used to do any sort of customizations.

Essentially, it boils down to "You get what you pay for."

3) I have a Stand alone XP home from a dell computer that I own, will this
cd work on my HP??

No. By your own admission, you'll have an OEM license for WinXP. An
OEM version must be sold with a non-peripheral piece of hardware
(normally a motherboard or hard rive, if not an entire PC) and is
_permanently_ bound to the first PC on which it's installed. An OEM
license, once installed, is not legitimately transferable to another
computer under _any_ circumstances.

Further, it depends upon the specific type of OEM installation CD that
came with the Dell computer. If you have a manufacturer's Recovery or
Restore CD, there's no way the installation would work, technically. If
you have a BIOS-locked OEM installation CD, there's no way the
installation would work. If you happen to have an unbranded, generic
OEM CD, the installation would work. However, the fact that the
installation works does not mean that you aren't in violation of the
license. And, if the OEM CD was provided by a major company, you'll
have to activate by telephone, deliberately lying to the activation
agent in the process.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[Bruce Chambers]

This all is totally bogus...

The real world is bogus? I think not.

So I basically have to live with a packed
machine unless I go out and buy a retail version???

Or unless you use HP's Recovery method, as you agreed to do when you
made the initial purchase.

Micro$oft does it again...

How, pray tell, can you possibly hold Microsoft responsible for your
lack of comparative shopping skills. Had *you* spent a few minutes
researching the product you were buying, you'd not find yourself in the
position you do.

I guess I just am going to have to seriousely
start using Linux At least I do not have to continually pay for stuff like
this...

Go right ahead and try Linux. Somehow, I doubt that you'll ever
develop any level of competency, though, if you can't be bothered to do
any advance preparation.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[Windows User]

Hello,

I have a HP pavilion that I would like to reinitialize with Windows XP Home.
The task is not a problem, however I have not media which will allow me to
install Windows XP as a stand alone unit. I only have the 8 CD recover
media that installs XP home plus all sorts of useless software, that I will
never use and do not and to go through the hassle of uninstalling.

I have contacted HP support 2 times as of right now and they only solutions
are to 1) Buy a retail version of XP Home or 2) use the recovery CDs and
then uninstall the unwanted soft ware.

I find both of these solutions un acceptable.

My Questions:

1) When I purchased the computer I assume I paid for the licence for XP
home, as there was a price difference when I elected not to have it
pre-installed

2) Do OEMs have to provide you with a stand alone copy of XP.

3) I have a Stand alone XP home from a dell computer that I own, will this
cd work on my HP??

Any input is great...

Thanks

 

[Alias]

Hello,

I have a HP pavilion that I would like to reinitialize with Windows XP Home.
The task is not a problem, however I have not media which will allow me to
install Windows XP as a stand alone unit. I only have the 8 CD recover
media that installs XP home plus all sorts of useless software, that I will
never use and do not and to go through the hassle of uninstalling.

I have contacted HP support 2 times as of right now and they only solutions
are to 1) Buy a retail version of XP Home or 2) use the recovery CDs and
then uninstall the unwanted soft ware.

I find both of these solutions un acceptable.

My Questions:

1) When I purchased the computer I assume I paid for the licence for XP
home, as there was a price difference when I elected not to have it
pre-installed

You paid for a licence that is forever tied to that machine. In other
words, MS and HP scammed you.

2) Do OEMs have to provide you with a stand alone copy of XP.
No.


3) I have a Stand alone XP home from a dell computer that I own, will this
cd work on my HP??

It should if retail. If it is OEM and has never been installed on a
computer, it should work and if it's been over 120 days since it had a
hardware change, it should also work. If it's a Dell OEM and is tied to
the Dell motherboard, it won't work.

There is no such thing as a "stand alone" version. There are generic
OEMs, Retail and Bios tied OEMs.

Alais

 

[Guest]

1) When I purchased the computer I assume I paid for the licence for XP

home, as there was a price difference when I elected not to have it
pre-installed

XP Home was not preinstalled?


2) No!
3) No!

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

1) When you purchase a new HP computer, you purchased
HP's customized version of Windows XP.

2) No, only their suggested recovery method.

3) No.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| Hello,
|
| I have a HP pavilion that I would like to reinitialize with Windows XP Home.
| The task is not a problem, however I have not media which will allow me to
| install Windows XP as a stand alone unit. I only have the 8 CD recover
| media that installs XP home plus all sorts of useless software, that I will
| never use and do not and to go through the hassle of uninstalling.
|
| I have contacted HP support 2 times as of right now and they only solutions
| are to 1) Buy a retail version of XP Home or 2) use the recovery CDs and
| then uninstall the unwanted soft ware.
|
| I find both of these solutions un acceptable.
|
| My Questions:
|
| 1) When I purchased the computer I assume I paid for the licence for XP
| home, as there was a price difference when I elected not to have it
| pre-installed
|
| 2) Do OEMs have to provide you with a stand alone copy of XP.
|
| 3) I have a Stand alone XP home from a dell computer that I own, will this
| cd work on my HP??
|
| Any input is great...
|
| Thanks

 

[HillBillyBuddhist]

--Answers inline--

Hello,

I have a HP pavilion that I would like to reinitialize with Windows XP
Home.
The task is not a problem, however I have not media which will allow me to
install Windows XP as a stand alone unit. I only have the 8 CD recover
media that installs XP home plus all sorts of useless software, that I
will
never use and do not and to go through the hassle of uninstalling.

I have contacted HP support 2 times as of right now and they only
solutions
are to 1) Buy a retail version of XP Home or 2) use the recovery CDs and
then uninstall the unwanted soft ware.

I find both of these solutions un acceptable.

My Questions:

1) When I purchased the computer I assume I paid for the licence for XP
home, as there was a price difference when I elected not to have it
pre-installed

An OEM license. See answer to #2.

2) Do OEMs have to provide you with a stand alone copy of XP.

No. They are only required to provide you with a method of restoring the
computer to an "as shipped" condition which they have done.

3) I have a Stand alone XP home from a dell computer that I own, will
this
cd work on my HP??

No. Dell discs are BIOS locked to Dell computers. It may or may not install.
Activation will fail.

Any input is great...

Thanks

I agree with you and would not consider buying a computer from a
manufacturer that doesn't make an actual OS disc an option.

Unfortunately "no disc" has become the rule not the exception. Even Dell
which used to send an actual XP disc with every computer has stopped doing
so. They do at least give the option of paying extra for a "with media"
option. Many OEMs (as you've learned) do not.

 

[Windows User]

This all is totally bogus... So I basically have to live with a packed
machine unless I go out and buy a retail version???

Micro$oft does it again... I guess I just am going to have to seriousely
start using Linux At least I do not have to continually pay for stuff like
this...

 

[Jonah]

Hello,

I have a HP pavilion that I would like to reinitialize with Windows XP Home.
The task is not a problem, however I have not media which will allow me to
install Windows XP as a stand alone unit. I only have the 8 CD recover
media that installs XP home plus all sorts of useless software, that I will
never use and do not and to go through the hassle of uninstalling.

I have contacted HP support 2 times as of right now and they only solutions
are to 1) Buy a retail version of XP Home or 2) use the recovery CDs and
then uninstall the unwanted soft ware.

I find both of these solutions un acceptable.

My Questions:

1) When I purchased the computer I assume I paid for the licence for XP
home, as there was a price difference when I elected not to have it
pre-installed

2) Do OEMs have to provide you with a stand alone copy of XP.

3) I have a Stand alone XP home from a dell computer that I own, will this
cd work on my HP??

Any input is great...

Thanks

Yes they are seemingly annoying but HP told you so when they supplied
the kit in the first place. However you came by the machine to get a
clean copy of XP on it you have to buy a new copy however if you have
a copy of 2000 or 98SE you can just get an XP Home upgrade instead of
the full thing and do a clean install that way.

 

[Alias]

This all is totally bogus... So I basically have to live with a packed
machine unless I go out and buy a retail version???

Buy a generic OEM version if you want to save some money. WalMarts
carries them, among other stores. The only thing it can't do is upgrades.

Micro$oft does it again... I guess I just am going to have to seriousely
start using Linux At least I do not have to continually pay for stuff like
this...

I think a lot of people will stay with XP for a long time before they
move "up" to Vista. I know I will. Linux has its problems too.

Alias

 

[Windows User]

Somehow, I doubt that you'll ever

develop any level of competency, though, if you can't be bothered to do
any advance preparation.

Pretty brave word you have there... How in the world would you know my level
of competenct??? What because I purchased a PC at a resonable price... Get
a freaking clue not everybody can spen weeks researching the software
licencing of a simple home desktop...

When I made the purchase I was going by my history of previous purchase
regarding the bundled software.. that all had a seperate operating system
floppies/CDs... this is my first pc to not have one.

Stop tring to flame someone for asking a simple question...(well if that
inflates your ego... then you are a sorry sole and keep it up you'll go far)
after all a wise man does not become wise with out asking questions.

BTW: I have been using linux for a while... the only thing that keeps me
iun windows is that lack of key software that I use and need for
work...namily Electromagnetic Simulations, and CAD packages.

 

[Kerry Brown]

This all is totally bogus... So I basically have to live with a
packed machine unless I go out and buy a retail version???

Micro$oft does it again... I guess I just am going to have to
seriousely start using Linux At least I do not have to continually
pay for stuff like this...

How did Microsoft do anything wrong here? HP made the computer and decided
how they were going to distribute Windows with it. HP has several choices
how to distribute Windows. They can use a recovery method (cheapest),
distribute with CD's they produce (next cheapest), or distribute with CD's
they purchase from Microsoft (most expensive). I'm assuming price was a
factor in your purchasing decision? The place you purchased it from didn't
tell you how this worked but you clearly didn't ask either. I agree that the
situation sucks but you are blaming the wrong party. HP is the most guilty
followed in close order by whoever sold it to you and yourself. It is
possible to remove the crap that the recovery process will put on your
computer. You can pay someone to do this. It takes me about two hours. Most
shops would charge at least two hours labour. Or you could do it yourself.
If you haven't done it before plan on most of a day. Welcome to the world of
cheap computers. I do encourage you to experiment with Linux. The more
people that do so then maybe there will eventually be a viable alternative
to Windows.

Kerry

 

[Jonah]

SUSE 10.0 is pretty damn good, however I just spent all day trying to
getting updates and extras to download and install, don't complain
about HP and Windows till you have stuggled with YAST, RPM and source
code compilers all day just to get a open source media player to play
DVDs. This is the most user friendly distro I have seen to date and
its still a confusing pig of a thing to set up.

I do encourage you to experiment with Linux. The more
people that do so then maybe there will eventually be a viable alternative
to Windows.

Kerry

Me too Kerry, Linux is coming on in leaps and bounds I reckon if and
when they sort out the software management properly it will be all
over for MS at the mo its still way too complex for inexperienced
users The rest of it is brilliant there is no way I am going to buy
Vista next year I am switching to SUSE totally except for this LT.

Jonah

 

[Windows User]

I will admit the getting some of the software to work can be a chore, but at
least ounce it works it always works. I ounce had a Linux box set up to act
a a gatway to the internet. It had no monitor, no keyboard and it always
ran...the only time it went off is when the power failed... But what the
power was back it worked every time, I never rebooted it nothing.

Like I said... if only Linux had a better selection of software that I need
at work...but until then I will always be stuck to Windows...

 

[Kerry Brown]

On Sun, 18 Dec 2005 17:06:15 -0800, "Kerry Brown"


Me too Kerry, Linux is coming on in leaps and bounds I reckon if and
when they sort out the software management properly it will be all
over for MS at the mo its still way too complex for inexperienced
users The rest of it is brilliant there is no way I am going to buy
Vista next year I am switching to SUSE totally except for this LT.

Jonah

I would love to see a viable desktop alternative to Windows but until
someone figures out to make money from Linux and a standard of some sort
emerges it won't happen.

I agree that currently Linux is too complex for most users. Once a month I
pick a distro at random and install it on a new machine with a mind to
selling Linux desktops as an alternative. I have not found one that could be
set up and administered by an average computer user anywhere near as easily
as Windows. Now imagine that same user trying to figure out how to stream
mp3's to their stereo or record a TV show. Linux is getting much better. It
is still a very tough sell to an average user.

Kerry

 

[Kerry Brown]

I will admit the getting some of the software to work can be a chore,
but at least ounce it works it always works. I ounce had a Linux box
set up to act a a gatway to the internet. It had no monitor, no
keyboard and it always ran...the only time it went off is when the
power failed... But what the power was back it worked every time, I
never rebooted it nothing.

Like I said... if only Linux had a better selection of software that
I need at work...but until then I will always be stuck to Windows...

I have a customer who uses a Windows XP box as an internet gateway/proxy
server. It gets rebooted once a month during routine maintenance. What does
this prove other than the fact that a computer with a static configuration
can be quite stable. You are once again placing the blame other than where
it lies. I don't mean to get on your case. Just trying to get you to think
instead of joining the herd and bashing Microsoft for the wrong reasons.
There are enough right reasons.

Kerry

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Yep!

How to turn Windows into Linux
http://fun.drno.de/flash/howto_turn_windows_into_linux.swf

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| This all is totally bogus... So I basically have to live with a packed
| machine unless I go out and buy a retail version???
|
| Micro$oft does it again... I guess I just am going to have to seriousely
| start using Linux At least I do not have to continually pay for stuff like
| this...

 

[GHalleck]

Jonah wrote:

Yes they are seemingly annoying but HP told you so when they supplied
the kit in the first place. However you came by the machine to get a
clean copy of XP on it you have to buy a new copy however if you have
a copy of 2000 or 98SE you can just get an XP Home upgrade instead of
the full thing and do a clean install that way.

HP was outstanding under Bill and David. But after them, HP has
never recovered the elan nor the respectability of the old days.
This must have started about 8 years ago or thereabouts. Too bad
that the OP learned about this the hard way.

 

[Windows User]

Hmmm... seems like you have not used linux in a while....X-windows is a much
more powerful and flexable than any version of windows... Combine that with
KDE any they look of the desktop, as well as the things you can do to
windows like transparent backgrounds, window shading, multiple desktops
(built-in)....

Granted the file system is a bit more confusing, but most users will never
even see that.

Also look at the new Mac OS... that is based off of BSD... another unix
clone.

Micro$oft has done a great job at bringing computers to the masses, however
they missed the boat occasionally...Especially on initial releases...
Windows 95 was a huge leap forward but it did have its quirks...

 

[Steve N.]

Yep!

How to turn Windows into Linux
http://fun.drno.de/flash/howto_turn_windows_into_linux.swf

Cute, real cute. And this comming from one who claims to give "sound
technical advice". LOL!

This is an old article Carey, but I strongly suggest you read it:

http://www.microsoft-watch.com/article2/0,1995,1752694,00.asp

Paying particular attention to these passages:

"The selection process seemed to be a check to see if they had a warm
body and if so they were awarded (MVP status)," said one MVP.
"Obviously, they ended up with a few not-so professional participants."

"O'Driscoll, global director of Microsoft's MVP and technical
communities programs... said Microsoft appoints as MVPs individual with
expertise in competing technologies, too, such as Linux and Oracle
databases."

Steve N.