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El-half > HP PC's don't come (anymore) with recovery CD's. They have a special partition that contains all the recovery stuff, and you need to boot from that partition to restore your system.
In one of the menu's in Windows, though, you'll find an option to create the rescue DVD/CD's (6 of them, I believe).
An OEM (original equipment manufacturer) version is a version that can only be distributed with new PC's. Your sister's HP comes with OEM-recovery, but HP is too lazy to burn you the actual disks. OEM CD's usually only work on the PC they were provided with. If you have the actual OEM CD, it's just a matter of booting off the disk, and your PC will be restored to factory settings. In the case of HP, you have the choice between booting from the recovery partition, or burning the CD's yourself and booting from them.
Also, recovery disks usually don't require you to activate Windows - you don't even need a key.
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Negative, yes I know, it has a recovery partition, I hate it, it's a waste of diskspace.
So I should not buy an OEM version then?
EDIT: I have a Win98 OEM cd, if I screw things up I simply format my drive and install it and all drivers that also came with the pc on a cd again.
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el-half,
The OEM Cd is cheaper (about 25%?), and I use them because it does not matter, and I am the OEM.
In the old days, an OEM copy would not "naturally" support dual booting (unless you bitched to MS:)) as you already had an OS on the box so it wasn't "new"
The big boys turn out millions of computers a year and probably pay around 15% of what I do for a straight OEM version. Mine will let me install on any PC that I build, no matter what components are there. I am not supposed to install on a machine that already has an OS on it.
The big boys have a deal with MS so they don't give you the true OS..........just the ability to return to where you were.
As for Win98..................yes I could install on a thousand machines from one CD..........with XP OEM I could probably get away with about 4.........due to the "activation" requirement. I do NOT cheat, because I have no need to, and it would be very wrong in my eyes.
Now, picture HP and the likes selling millions that could be pirated up to 4 times............? you see why they do it like this now?
Cheers
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Of course I understand why they do it, I just don't like the corporate West. Well...it's an unavoidable thing in a capitalist economy so one shouldn't whine about this...
But with an OEM version...I will not be able to simply reïnstall without calling Microsoft for a new cd key?
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The OEM XP CD you can buy from places like newegg.com are pretty much 100% equivilent to the retail CD, just 50% cheaper and with generally crappier phone support from MS. Provided you can solve issues on your own instead of resorting to calling MS to have them tell you you're stupid and it is your fault that Windows "broke" you loose nothing by buying the OEM XP CD. It works just like regular Windows XP, etc.
But when you talk about OEM and HP/Compaq, their versions are more "crippled" than regular OEM versions. And they get their licensees for much cheaper than you ever will because of their deals with MS... Usually when I am pricing cheap computers to build, the OS is what causes my build to go over the price of computers at cheap places like OfficeDepot, etc. If I just installed Linux, I could piece together a higher quality cheap machine for the equivilent price, but I can't really sell builds like that since everyone wants Windows :(
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el-half,
Tim is right, you will be better off (financially) with the OEM version as it is virtually identical to the retail one. It does not come in a fancy box with a glossy manual:) and the support might not be as good.
That said, I have never had any problems with MS support for OEM machines, not that I have ever really needed any.
One point: there are Two codes:
1. The CD Key, this is on a holographic label that you are supposed to stick on the machine.
2. The activation code...........the OS will run for 28 or 30 days then die if you do not get this code. You normally get it online, but in the UK you can just ring up MS and key in the CD key and a bot will give you an activation code.
Normally you can "repair" the system without ever having to contact MS.............I have only had to do it after major upgrades and a complete format and re-instal.
My advice is to save your "beer vouchers" (Euros) and get the OEM one.
Cheers
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Thanks, I will not be installing windows XP myself as I will buy a custom computer which is build by the store (I have no experience in doing this myself so...), I suppose they will give all the cds right?
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If your computer is built by Compaq, HP, Dell, etc., then yes it will pretty much always come with Windows XP.
But if someone else builds it, you'll probably have to pay some more money to install it. But you'd probaby be safer if you bought a known legitimate version of XP from a reputable company like NewEgg or other big online names that ship in your area, etc., than to trust that some random person to use the money to buy a legitimate copy of XP instead of taking your money and running off after installing a pirated version.
Then again, I do all of my computer builds myself. I haven't done too many due to money constraints, but when I get down and dirty in my hardware I really get messy. (Pin-mod, Volt-mod, Cutting, Soldering, Bending, to name a few...)
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ok first about that CD is it an OEM CD or is it just a ghost image of the os because if its a ghost disk it wont install because of the hardware change.
Next XP home disk only uses the key that came with it So if you are using a CD KEY changer on the xp home u are S@#t out of luck. you see the CD key changer is only good on xp corprate disks and 2003 server.
Also I dont recommend you entering an unotherized key, you could get into trouble for that.
i dont think your computer retailer will honor your computer any more because you are not A+ certified. meaning you voided the warrenty now they wont help you. Maybe you should burn linux and install that instead LOL
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el-half,
You said you were buying from a store, so you should be OK. They should give you:
Windows XP CD............this will have fancy holograms on it. On the data side in the inner ring there will be a hologram that flips between "microsoft" and "genuine"
There should be a Label on the computer case: Microsoft XP Professional 1-2 CPU and a product key xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx.
There should also be a small glossy booklet.
Don't accept a machine without the CD and the label.
Cheers
