i didn't receive my xp install cd with my PC..why?

[kerim]

hi, i want to know if it is normal to not receive the XP installation CD along with my PC when i bought it from PCworld in London,UK about 13 months ago.

i had a 1 year guarantee which expired this month.

i have a product ID or a product key, but no xp pro cd.

My computer:AMD athlon XP 3000+,compaq

My system:MS windows xp pro 2002

When i bought my PC i didnt have my XP installtion cd, but my PC had a recovery console, but i never used it to back up data. However, when my pc was infected by a sasser virus after 8 months after i bought the cd, i had to take it to the nearby computer engineer to fix it. He formated my hard drive and added couple of programs.After i brought the computer home, the recovery console wasn't there, but there was a back up and restore wizard.

i want to know what do i do if i again have a problem with my computer and need to reinstall ms windows.

and also, would it be possible to back up all my stuff in the PC (about 5.5 GB) to two DVDs (each 4.7 gb)?

if yes, would they take the place of XP installation cd?

help !!!!

[CoffeeFiend]

Many ways around this...

Since you have a license for Win XP and a legit key... "borrowing" the CD from someone might be ok? (I don't see why it would not be legit, having paid for it already)

Else, you can use programs like ghost to make an image of it as is. (that would fit on a single bootable DVD to restore it, as is, and in no time at all)

backing up the files as is won't work.

[oioldman]

You may find that the XP Pro CD is somewhere on your PC.

A company i worked for once used to place them all c:\windows\options\cabs.

An easy way to tell, is

Open Control Panel

Click Add/remove Programs

Click Add/Remove Windows Components (may be wrong, but def Components)

Add or Remove something, if asks for your CD then yyou need to find it, if not then the files are probably on your PC

In the registry do a search for SourcePath and it should point to where your CD possibly is.

The recovbery CD you got does contain teh XP CD, thing is, when you have a problem the idea is you insert them one after the other and it will rebuild PC to state it was when you bought it.

Hope that helps a little.

[jpatto]

I guess you have the answers of what you have to do. Just to add some info on PC World.......

They do offer you a CD (or should do) however at the time many dont take it because you have to pay extra for it (i think around £90). Its usually the way many modern computer places work - so if one day your stuck or have a problem you probabaly have to call a premium rate number to get it fixed. If you dont have a CD then............I guess you get the idea.

Back up your PC/ data as soon as you can.