Re: How many times can i install XP on same computer

Tech-Archive recommends: Fix windows errors by optimizing your registry

johnsuth@xxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:



I value Bruce's contributions here and don't want to see him looking silly because he did not have the full facts, so here they are:-



Thank you for the kind words, but you needn't be concerned about my feeling "silly." After all, I'm not the one who categorically condemned an entire program just because there's a problem in a small and _statistically_ insignificant number of cases. (And I'm not trying to denigrate or brush off the frustration obviously and rightly felt by those so unfortunate to experience one of those rare failures.) That's like saying that *all* Fords should be scrapped because, out of the hundreds of millions sold, 5 have broken down. As with any technology, problems do occasionally happen with WPA; this doesn't necessarily mean that the entire program is "flawed." Heck, by that reasoning, I guess we'd better stop using fire, because, every once in a while, someone does get burned.



I can find no disks for computers bought within the last year.  Are they not supplied anymore?





Sadly, many low-end, bargain-basement manufacturers are going this CD-less route to cut their own costs, but the better companies still provide installation media. Microsoft requires its licensed OEM computer manufacturers to provide a means of returning the computer to its original, ex-factory state. The particular method of recovery, however, is left entirely to the discretion of each individual computer manufacturer.

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 Dell and Gateway, do provide a full OEM installation CD, that does permit custom installations and repairs. Many uncaring OEMs, such as Compaq, HP, 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."


--

Bruce Chambers

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Relevant Pages

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