Re: Can I go back to regular Windows XP?

Not quite up the creek if you have a retail XP Home upgrade disc as you
said. There is one other thing you'll need before you start, an install
disk from one of the earlier versions of Windows (diskette or CD) so that
the XP Home upgrade can run. You will need to get all of the hardware
drivers including the motherboard chipset from Toshiba before you start. To
install any earlier version of windows on the laptop XP MCE has to be
completely removed first.

I have one other idea that might work for you without removing MCE, but it
adds a bit of complexity to your normal routine. You can install Microsoft
Virtual PC 2007 and then try installing the XP Home upgrade onto a virtual
drive. You'd still need a setup disc or diskette from Win9x/ME to get the
XP update to install. If it works out this method should save you having to
find XP drivers for the Toshiba hardware because the Virtual PC uses default
"virtual hardware" that XP has adequate drivers for. You could then run your
transcription software on the XP Home virtual PC. I've done something
similar installing Win98 on a virtual drive to run some older software.
Works well enough. MCE remains running all the time and no need to reboot to
run the second OS, it is available whenever you want it.



"Malia" <Malia@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:7E8FA718-D50E-4116-826F-89EEBA338BE2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Yep, SOL and up S*%^ Creek Without a Paddle and all that good stuff...

I found "XP Pro Edition OEM Version SP2" at TigerDirect.com for $139.99.
Their rep said this should work for my purposes, has a valid MS product
key
and I can get support from Microsoft on this. However, I then noticed
their
stuff on the website says "Since this is an OEM operating system it does
not
come with any free technical support. Telephone technical support is
available through a paid service via a toll-free number and a charge per
call. The phone number is included on your packing slip when you order."
Imagine that - a sales rep giving out incorrect info! Ha ha!

So how does this sound to you pros out there? You don't know of any
problems with running regular XP on this kind of computer made for Media
Center Edition? As you can tell, I'm clueless about this and just can't
handle starting all over again, re-installing all software, etc. if it's
going to create more problems than I already have.

Again - thanks, thanks and more thanks!
Malia



"David B." wrote:

Toshiba was only correct in that their recovery discs use a volume type
product key (which does not match the key on the COA sticker) and you
aren't
required to enter one during setup. If you can't read the key off the
bottom
COA sticker, you can't use it to install XP Pro so your pretty much SOL
and
your only option is to buy an XP Pro license.

--

----
Crosspost, do not multipost http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
How to ask a question http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
_________________________________________________________________________________


"Malia" <Malia@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:73D947BE-F00B-483B-8B1A-3D1C021002E0@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I can't tell from the sticker on the laptop what the OS is for the
sticker.
And like I said, it's so worn down, I can't read all the
numbers/characters.
Toshiba said I won't ever need that number even if I reinstall - all I
need
are the discs they sent. They also said it originally came installed
with
MCE - that's the original factory settings and is what is on the discs
they
sent. They don't know why or how I had regular XP when I bought it
used
from
Circuit City. He said someone else must have done that.

I have no idea how to find another OEM disc that would work on this
laptop.
Toshiba says they don't have one to send and I can't just use the one
that
came with my other Toshiba Satellite - that it won't work. So since I
apparently don't have a regular XP disc that will work for this, I
don't
know
what to do next. I guess I'll just have to use the old computer -
which
virtually makes this newer one I bought useless for my purposes.
Really
too
bad, because I like this computer much better in every other way except
the
DSS issue.

Again, I appreciate the help here and if anyone else has suggestions,
I'd
love to hear them!

Malia


"Jaime" wrote:

or if the laptop originally had XP Pro loaded, then there may be a MS
sticker on the laptop with a Windows XP Pro setup code.
--
James
Orlando (Goofy says "Hey"), Florida

"David B." <brooks.dj@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:u3QrU5MQIHA.280@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I have heard, (not tried it), that you can use an XP Pro install disk
with
your MCE product key and it will install fine (MCE is a subset of XP
Pro),
it would have to be the OEM version. Maybe you can borrow or acquire
an
XP
Pro OEM CD and try that.

--

----
Crosspost, do not multipost
http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
How to ask a question http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
_________________________________________________________________________________


"Malia" <Malia@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:A227F394-F017-4D99-8A68-2DA2083D488F@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I just got off the phone again with Toshiba. He said the recover
disc
set
sent back with new mother board computer is MCE. So even if I went
back
to
factory settings using it, I'd still be back in the same boat.
They
don't
have recover discs for this computer except with MCE. He said I
could
buy
regular XP retail and then download drivers from Toshiba site.
This
is
getting to be expensive as well as a royal pain!

I do have a retail XP Home Edition SP1 I bought when I upgraded
from
ME
years ago. But since it's an upgrade, doesn't that mean I can't
use
it
in
this circumstance since I don't have a previous OS except MCE? I'm
getting
more and more confused and can't believe there seems to be no real
solution
except buying more and more expensive stuff!

Any other suggestions or comments?

Thanks again for the help here!
Malia

"David B." wrote:

If it is in fact a compatibility issue with MCE, your only option
is
to
run
your recover set and put the original OS back on it, you cannot
uninstall
Media Center from Windows Media Center.

--

----
Crosspost, do not multipost
http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
How to ask a question http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
_________________________________________________________________________________


"Malia" <Malia@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:57147B12-8E28-4D4E-B7B7-94CC8BE785A5@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I've been posting about my problems getting my boss' dictation
files
(DSS
format) to open since I got my Toshiba Qosmio back after they
replaced
the
system board. It came back with the Media Center Edition
installed -
before
that it had regular XP and I had no problem then. After trying
numerous
installs/uninstalls, and many days of hair pulling trying to
find
solution, I
finally came to believe it was an incompatibility issue with the
Media
Center
Edition, because even conversion programs that said they could
turn
DSS
into
Wav files wouldn't work, but Toshiba tech acted like I was nuts
for
thinking
that.

After posting here (with no luck) and talking with various techs
about
the
issue, I heard back from Olympus (his dictation machine maker)
and
they
said
"Windows XP Media Center Edition does not support any of the
Olympus
software
program. The difficulties you have might be cause by
incompatibility
of
your
current software and the operating system too."

I bought this computer used and didn't really care about the
media
capabilities, so I'd like to know if I can go back to using
regular
Windows
XP. I have the repair disk from my other Toshiba with that OS,
but
am
hesitant to use it in case I create more problems than I already
had.
This
mess all started with my older computer crashing, so I just
don't
need
any
more glitches.

I really hate the idea of having to reformat and start all over
installing
programs again, but I've just got to get this computer working
with
the
DSS
files so I can transcribe them. I would really appreciate any
suggestions
or
help you guys might have.

Many thanks,
Malia











.

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