Win XP Home Ed. for download??

Anybody that could help me out with a link where I could download a XP Home Edition SP1 CD (ISO file or something similar), without any product key of course.

Trying to help a friend. Her motherboard failed on her. She has an AMD Athlon 2400. She had an ASUS motherboard, but the only thing I could find for her locally was an AOPEN motherboard. Sooo.. since she had Win XP I was hoping it would do well... reinstalling a bunch of drivers on the first couple of boot-ups and stuff.. but nopes! Doesn't boot at all now.

She lost her Win XP CD, but she still has the sticker on the computer with the Product Key. Thought, well.. Microsoft will probably give me a link to an ISO file I can download or at least mail me a replacement CD if I provide the legit Product Key... I call them up.. 10 minutes before closing hours.. ! Some asian lady who has a very heavy accent answers and she is having the hardest time understanding... I finally get her to understand I need a replacement for the lost CD and I have a Product Key to verify with. She tells me to give her the Product Key.. and then click ! She either hang up on me, or the whole office just shuts down at closing hour!??
Maaan that made me mad, so of course when I tried to call back, I got the message to call back another day... rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

We do have the MSDN Technet CD's at the college where I work, but I don't ever remember seeing any Win XP Home Editions among those CD's? Anyone who knows? Else I guess I can drive in to work and get it.

But if someone has a link to a Trial version or Product Key-less version, that would be awesome!

Thanks!

I dont know if you will get a replacement cd for free, but I am almost certain Microsoft doesnt supply a downloadable iso of their operating system. Although they do offer the beta version of xp 64 for the new arhlon processor but that doesnt help much. What you can do, if you know anyone enrolled in college, they usually get them for 12 dollars or something at their campus bookstore.

Yes I do! Wow, only $12!?! That's way cheaper than having to go to BestBuy and buy a new one... heh!
Well, I'm getting tired trying to fix this puter.. might as well go to bed and buy it tomorrow instead then.. thanks a lot EaseZE! :)

This thread almost got my vote as the Best Social Engineering Attempt for 2005

Undertaker: Oh, why is that??
A trial version or key-less version shouldn't be illegal to download, specially when Microsoft offers free replacement CD's if you can prove you have a legit Product Key.
Only problem with MS is their stupid support people! Last night they hang up on me in the middle of ordering the CD, because she wanted to go home I guess at closing hour, and this morning when I called another asian girl says: -Sorry, the Recovery Dept. is closed during weekends, please call back on Monday.. !!

I admit it might sound like a good try to get a hold of free software, but in this case, specially since MS is implementing all these new updates to make sure you have a legit key, I don't see a problem with it at all.
If you have a CD, it won't do you any good without a valid CD key.

Finally got help!
Computer Renissance burn you a copy for $15 if you come in show proof of authenticity! So that was nice.
The CD repair worked fine, Windows is now booting up.

Didn't end yet though, SP2 won't install at all, just stops right away with error message: Failed! Try again.

At least MS has free support for SP2 issues, but now I've been on hold for over 1 hour... what a fun weekend.. :(

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Oh, why is that??
A trial version or key-less version shouldn't be illegal to download

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Unless it is from MS.. then it BLOODY WELL IS ILLEGEL.. And the free copies form MS are for PPL who have a problem with the original.. NOTE. This does not apply to OEM disks that is the responsability of the OEM manufacturer.. and the DEMO disks you mention install with a time limit.. and you don't want that ..do you?
as for the MS support problem.. never had the problem you mention.. I DO AVOID RINGING NEAR CLOSING TIME. not because I expect what happened to you but because I hate *****s who ring at closing time with tech support questions, the staff do have a life.. BUT when I have rung near their closing time, the staff have been helpful all the way to resolution, and on one occasion this was half an hour after their closure times....

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If you have a CD, it won't do you any good without a valid CD key.

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bring a home copy disk into any certified system builder and you will have 4 to 5 pieces to take home. and a MS letter about legit copies.. if the person has a legit COA.. they will be charged for a Certified replacement (unfortunatly ms don't make the replacement disk free to us)
BTW: What we think should be happening, or what we think should be our rights, aint what the real world gives.. tuff titties you do understand why copyright laws exist.. and dont be a lame arse and say but Microsoft this or that.. you want a bigger ogre than MS.. try IBM ..how the DOJ never shut them down with their restrictive business practices.. and yet they will point the finger

Now as for your SP2 issue:
HAVE you checked for malware.. sp2 installs will fail when certain Virus and worms are present
what tools are you useing to check this out? have you checked this possable? have you checked that it isn't a memory compatability problem? (is there more than 1 stick of RAM?)
is the AV running?

and as for my comment about best SE for 2005.. your message DID look for all the world like a SE attempt.. read a few of the "How to HAck Hotmail" threads and see what I mean..
I did not say that it had my vote i said "almost got my Vote"

MAAAAAAN!!! Do I hate MS Support or what!???!?!?!
Been on hold for over 2 hours... and still hanging on... ! Now gone over the closing hour, but STILL on hold!!

For fun thought I would call the number from my cell, and sure enough, can't get through anymore, cause it's closed!!

So what about my first call... they are just gonna let me sit on hold there until tomorrow?!?!?!?

Freaking ridiculous!!!! RRRRRRRRRmmmmfssskKKKK!!!!

/me is getting in a baaad mood!

so you havent read my post huh..
just cut to the 2nd last paragraph.. re the SP2 problem..

Undertaker: Well, LOL, you replied while I was typing my message! :P

Yes, I have run both Adaware and Spybot... all clean and fine, using Norton Antivirus 2003, tried to disable it, still no luck...
Also tried to install with the developers SP2 file... didn't work either..

Thanks for your suggestions though!

...I guess I will just hang up... never got a message about MS closing though.. ! Still going on with background music and messages interrupting every now and then on how to get support online and stuff if you don't wanna wait...
Guess I will just have to call back tomorrow... agaaaain...

ok.. do a hjt log and post.. (as an attachment pse) there may be something there..
the fact youve done (I assume) a repair install there could be something in the System.INI or Win.INI causingg the problem

Oki, here is the HJT log and I will just attach the win.ini and system.ini as well then...
I can't find anything that pokes ya in the eye, but hopefully you might find a clue?

Thanks!

Undertaker: BTW, about getting a copy of Win XP...
Obviously MS doesn't care at all. All they care about is that you really have paid for it once and have a legit Product Key.

Else how do you explain Computer Renissance having ISO files, burning CD's for customers???
Or are they doing illegal business!?!?

I bet there is even a way to be able to download the ISO files directly from MS?!

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Originally posted here by Und3ertak3r
I hate *****s who ring at closing time with tech support questions, the staff do have a life..

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Alright, since I can't mess anymore with this stupid computer for the moment, I can go back and answer secondary issues...

I don't care if it's 10 minutes before closing or 30 minutes before closing! If you are supposed to be available you should be available to the last minute! I didn't plan on calling 10 minutes before, I just happened to need help right then. Then if I happen to have an issue that goes over the closing time, well say so nicely and don't hang up on me while I'm talking...!
Not just computers having problems though, phone systems do too, so might not have been her being rude...

My second call though. Calling an hour before closing. A receptionist answers pretty much right away, and says she will forward me to the Service Pack Support Department. I ended up waiting on the phone for 3 hours before I gave up, but nothing indicating they were closed and unavailable.. !

I think I have all right to be very dissatisfied with their customer support!
They sure got some real bad issues they need to fix.

I don't call MS very often, and 2 calls out of 2... 100% worthless... wish I got one of those MS surveys that I don't care to fill out normally..

Maybe it's just me... and this wonderful weekend of mine... heh!?!
Hopefully my third call tomorrow will be a good one, and the last one for a while!

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I think I have all right to be very dissatisfied with their customer support!

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I never call customer support, because I already know that, if
I can't solve the problem myself, the problem cannot be solved.

I guess I'm a lot like those people who would pipe up now with the
suggestion that you should install LINUX. Better yet, you should
wait until they finally answer your call and then tell them.

"I'm sorry to have bothered you, but I wound up solving the problem
myself. I formatted my hard drive and installed LINUX. Thanks,
and have a nice day" And hang up.
:cool:

SawPer,
bitching about service centres is about as usefull as asking, "how long is a piece of string". For every negative post I have seen there is the same amount of positive posts.

I do feel for you, my Dell laptop started to fall apart and no amount of my frustration would get through to the Indian call centre opps..................In the end i gave up trying and just fixed it myself with super glue. So far it's holding up.

...story continues...!
I thought, well.. I better call them right at the opening hour, Sunday morning, can't be too many calling them at that time.. !
Well... got through quickly, forwarded to a tech girl and she ran through some "quick" fixes that supposedly should fix these kinda problems...
After an hour she gave up.. heh! So now she documented everything we have gone through, and forwarded it to higest level support to take a look at it, and they are supposed to call me back sometime tomorrow.. !

We tried adding a registry key... some w3svc key that has to be there she said, and it was completely missing...
Added full permissions to everything in the registry...
Ran a batch file: http://www.michna.com/kb/fixdb.bat that is supposed to fix a bunch of stuff...tried to install SP2 from Safe Mode... but still having the very same problem!
Says: Failed!
Even before it starts installing, right when it finishes the download of the pre-download of the SP2 itself.

rcgreen: welllll... I don't call support too quickly, I usually figure most things out myself, but I do realize I don't know everything.. heh! And hopefully I'm not the first one with this problem, so hopefully someone figured out what the problem is and they will call me tomorrow with a stupid "bug-solution" and then everything will be fine again... ! :)
I mean, something is obviously wrong, so as soon as what ever gets fixed, it'll be fine. Of course it can be solved, it's just a matter of finding the problem.
Linux is fun and cool... and good.. ! But Windows is what my friend wants to run and she would never want me to put Linux on her box.. hehe!

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Originally posted here by jinxy
SawPer,
bitching about service centres is about as usefull as asking, "how long is a piece of string". For every negative post I have seen there is the same amount of positive posts.

I do feel for you, my Dell laptop started to fall apart and no amount of my frustration would get through to the Indian call centre opps..................In the end i gave up trying and just fixed it myself with super glue. So far it's holding up.

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Hehe!! ...India Call Centre! I do feel for you too! hehe! ;) A friend at work who is a Database guru, working with People Soft, has an endless amount of stories from the People Soft Support, from India.. hehe! Maaan, it always helps when you talk the same language first of all.. heh!

Well.. I hope I will even this whole story out in the end with some positive stuff from MS.. heh!
The rude people and the bad way of handling customers on hold could get resolved. I'm just hoping some good MS person will read this message and do something about it! Don't we have some good MS people visiting this awesome site?!?!!? :)

Well.. I just have to tell you that the negative trend is holding on.. ! Still no call back from Microsoft! Hmmm... I guess I will call them tonight when I get back home from work...

I guess nobody had any suggestions from the HJT log?

Undertaker: You still in here... ? :)