Re: Copy of Windows XP on CD???
- From: "Carey Frisch [MVP]" <cnfrisch@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 14:18:00 -0600
If you desire a conventional, generic version of
Windows XP Home Edition, you'll have to purchase
one. As for drivers, they are available for download
form the support web site of the manufacturer of
your computer.
Example:
Microsoft Windows XP Home With SP2 - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16837102059
Please note that the Product Key supplied by eMachine can
only be used with eMachines restore CD and not any other
Windows XP installation CD.
--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Gail" wrote:
| I just bought another machine and find that it has the Hidden Partition
| referred to in the previous post and the "Restore" disks. I emailed the
| manufacturer (EMachines) and began my investigation about why I was supplied
| only with Restore rather than normal WinXP Home Edition installation cd's.
| An IT professional had suggested that if I contacted the manufacturer that my
| licenced COA entitled me to a copy of the operating system software.
| Emachines advised of their OEM licencing agreement with Microsoft and that
| they did not supply installation CD's.
|
| I researched Microsoft site under How to Tell if it is genuine software.
| Under the CD section FAQ it describes when and if you should be provided with
| a CD. I did not understand this OEM business of support and not having any
| CD. I did not understand why if I was purchasing a system with pre-installed
| software I would have a WinXP Home Edition CD - until I read the posts on
| this forum. By the way, thank you posters.
|
| The last desktop machine I bought caused me a lot of headache due to my own
| ignorance. Not being familiar with manufacturers "Restore" CD's, when I was
| asked if I wanted to boot from the CD I answered "yes" and it immediately
| began to format my hard drive. Even though I stopped it and went seeking
| help it was too late and I lost all my data some of which was home business
| related. Fortunately, I had other resources to recover most but not all.
| That scared the bejeezus out of me and I bought a retail version and had it
| installed and everything (including my ability to sleep at night) has been
| fine since.
|
| What disturbs me about "Restore" CD's provided by manufacturers is that my
| previous experience indicates that if you ever use them it formats the hard
| drive and you lose all the data even if you have partitioned your drive which
| I normally do. Yes,- I realize that you can (and I do) backup but there is
| still a heck of lot of setup time involved in restoring all that data,
| repartitioning, finding your favorite sites etc etc etc. It takes forever to
| get the system back to your previous settings.
|
| Restore CD's and Hidden Partitions also trouble me because back in 1997, I
| purchased a laptop from Compaq and was told by an IT tech that if I did
| uninstall Compaq's pre-installed software and used my own licenced copy of
| operating system software (Win98SE at the time) many drivers would no longer
| be available rendering the laptop non functional. The same tech also told me
| that if I deleted that "hidden partition" to recover use of the storage space
| it would also become non-functional. I never took that chance but would
| dearly love to know positively if that would be the case with this current
| Emachine system.
|
| When I contacted Emachines for further information about purchasing a retail
| version of WinXP Home and reinstalling all I get in response to pointed
| questions about the installed hardware / drivers continuing to function
| properly is that if I do purchase retail and install they no longer support
| any issues with my system. Why would they hedge on a pointed question like
| this?
|
| Another issue I discovered on this purchase is that although it was
| advertised as having 512MB ram when I investigated using Belarc and its own
| System Properties inquiry I found that there was 384MB ram. Emachines then
| advised me that the video card used 128MB of the installed RAM leaving the
| "system" RAM with 384MB. Is this a new way of selling machines - a little
| underhanded in my opinion. Now in order to get what I thought I was buying I
| have to pay for more RAM.
|
| The Emachine system other than being short of RAM is okay but I don't like
| the idea of "Restore" CD's and the potential formatting of my hard drive if
| they are ever used .
|
| Can anyone please give me concrete answers about purchasing and installing a
| retail version of WinXP Home Edition and the ultimate effect on the
| hardware/drivers.
|
| Thank you for your help
| Gail
.
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- Re: Copy of Windows XP on CD???
- From: Gail
- Re: Copy of Windows XP on CD???
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