Windows XP home OEM help

[marielisa2]

I have been trying for months to find a copy of a Windows XP Home OEM disk. I dont need the COA I have that already I just need the disk.

Does anyone have any idea where a person may be able to aquire one? I have tried all the auction sites and I really don't want to have to pay for the COA when I don't need it.

If anyone could offer me any sugestions I would really appreciate it.

Thanks,

Lisa

[DRauch]

To me, this sounds like an attempt for pirated software. But, if you have the CoA, you can contact Microsoft. I've had to do this twice.

The first time, the Heat/Sunlight Damaged my CD. After talking on the phone and taking a few pictures, they sent me a new one.

The second time, my dog got to my CD. Having to prove the same process, they actually had it for download on their website. They gave me a one-use download link.

[marielisa2]

No I am not trying to get pirated software. This is what happened. I have 2 dell computers that I had reformatted in the past, they both came with windows xp home on them (installed with an oem disk). Because when I reformatted them I did it using fdisk (I had a oem copy of xp at the time) the restore disk that comes with the dell's will not work, which was fine because I was doing a clean format not a restore. While installing xp on the one system something went wrong with the cd rom and my disk exploded into about 50 tiny pieces (not sure how this happened).

I have tried calling Microsoft but they say I have to go through dell to get the restore disks, I have called dell and all they can do is resend the restore disks which does me no good because I cant use them because I reformatted using fdiskand the alt F11 wont work either for the same reason. Both computes have legal valid stickers on them and I can not use the retail disk I have because the COA's for both these systems are for an OEM disk.

I'm kind of stuck, Microsoft can’t help me, Dell can’t help me. All I need is a disk but I don’t want to have to pay for another licensed copy since both system have a legal key code on them.

I just can't believe it is so hard to get ahold of a disk

[DRauch]

Wow, now that's a problem.

Part of the reason I dislike Dell's.

Are your systems still under warranty?

[marielisa2]

lol, yes it is a problem. Sadly no they are no longer under warranty. I will probably just end up spending the money to buy a licensed oem copy (hey maybe then I can sell the CoA with no disk since I don't need it, lol), but I figured maybe someone else out there had run into the same problem and knew of a resource I had not found.

Edited September 28, 2006 by marielisa2

[Takeshi]

This gives you some idea what's all about.

http://www.goodells.net/dellrestore/index.htm

You cannot legally sell the COA which is tied to the computer.

[marielisa2]

This gives you some idea what's all about.

http://www.goodells.net/dellrestore/index.htm

You cannot legally sell the COA which is tied to the computer.

Yes I understand why I am unable to use the restore feature that is why I am trying to locate a disk.

And I was only kidding about selling the CoA though it will not be tied to a computer since I do not need it I allrady have one.

[Takeshi]

Read the webpage. It tells you how to fix it.

This section explains how to fix the Ctrl+F11 and DSR process following repartitioning or OS reinstallation.

The COA is tied to the computer.

[Tarun]

Dell will either tell you that they can ship you a new hard drive with the restore information if you still have your warranty in effect. If not, they'll bill you for either a new hard drive of recovery DVDs. They're idiots for making this recovery partition crap.

[Takeshi]

To be fair, leaving the merits of having a hidden recovery partition aside, the poster formatted and fdisked the HD on purpose knowing the consequences so DELL is not directly to blame.

It's not as if the partition failed on its own accord. It is not designed to withstand formatting.

[marielisa2]

Read the webpage. It tells you how to fix it.

This section explains how to fix the Ctrl+F11 and DSR process following repartitioning or OS reinstallation.

The COA is tied to the computer.

I did not read far enough down the page (that’s what I get for doing this while I’m at work), thank you I will try this out this weekend.

Yes I understand the COA is tied to the computer. I wasn't referring to the COA on the computer when I joked about selling it. I was referring to the new COA that would come with the disk if I had to buy a new disk, since I won’t be using the new one, I would be using my existing one.

To be fair, leaving the merits of having a hidden recovery partition aside, the poster formatted and fdisked the HD on purpose knowing the consequences so DELL is not directly to blame.

It's not as if the partition failed on its own accord. It is not designed to withstand formatting.

Yes that is true, I'm not blaming anyone, just trying to get it formatted. I have always used fdisk when reformatting a computer. I have used Ctrl+F11 in the past but have found that the computer still doesn't seem to run as clean as doing fdisk. It was never a problem until my Win XP disk broke.

[Plamdi]

I was having the same problem. The Acer "recovery CD's" are nothing of the sort, and contacting Acer got me nowhere. So I contacted Microfost, and talked to the department involved in issuing replacement media - the person I talked to explained I would have to pay for a replacement key once I provided evidence of having one and they'd send me a CD, he also told me I could NOT use someone else's OEM disc to install off and that I would have problems with Genuine advantage if I did (which really wouldn't matter, since I don't actually require this PC to connect to the net, adn thus it doesn't need all the latest security fixes and what-not). No thanks, so I talked to the tech department, who informed me I COULD use someone else's OEM CD to install off, and that I wouldn't have problems with WGA if I did.

So much for consistency! One of Microsoft's support employees lied to me. It's probably the same reason you can't reinstall, I bought an ex-lease computer and evidently they wiped the HDD clean. Anyhow, I went and downloaded a CD, I haven't installed it yet (as I'm going to slipstream the hotfixes into it first). The CD's are NOT difficult to find for download on torrent sites, and while they'll all contain things like "activation cracks" and a list of serial numbers... you can just delete those and you essentially have a copy of a legitimate disc (don't forget to rebuild a bootable ISO once you've slipstreamed in the updates). Just remember to download an OEM disc for XP Home (or an "all in one), and you'll be set. It won't work if you download a different version XP disc.

My uncle actually has an OEM Home disc, and I made a copy of that at one point slipstreamed with SP2 + hotfixes, but I must have deleted it from my HDD. Interestingly enough when I reinstalled using the preactivation key (rather than his real product key) it bypassed activation, and validated through WGA no problems, AND it was a DELL machine!! AND their CD was a real WinCD not some worthless "recovery CD".

Anyhow, good luck with it. MS does like to make it difficult! I’ve actually found the image file on my “recovery cd” now, and I’m using VirtualPC to try and extract the damned thing… wish me luck!

[Bigbrit]

I always use a RETAIL CD with RyanVM, Nlite and BTS Driverpacks integrated, hate the Restore Disks.

Always use the Sticker Key # and then call Microsoft for an activation code based on the # on the case.

Never had a problem. Also if you use a "DriverPack" disk it finds all the drivers.

http://www.driverpacks.net/

http://www.ryanvm.net/msfn/

http://www.nliteos.com/download.html

It's kinda fun to play with the "unattended install" stuff

[severach]

>Part of the reason I dislike Dell's.

There's lots of things to like about Dell.

>I could NOT use someone else's OEM disc to install off and that I would have problems with Genuine advantage if I did

This would refer to someone else's OEM COA System Builder disc which would go with his license.

>One of Microsoft's support employees lied to me.

Don't fault them for not being told how to correctly install a brand name PC.

>I made a copy of that at one point slipstreamed with SP2 + hotfixes

Don't waste time slipstreaming. Slipstreaming sometimes destroys the validity of the install.

>it bypassed activation, and validated through WGA no problems

You can have this for any brand name PC.

>Always use the Sticker Key

NEVER use the sticker key. There is a better way.

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=63258

[Plamdi]

>>One of Microsoft's support employees lied to me.

>Don't fault them for not being told how to correctly install a brand name PC.

Two MS employees told me two completetly different things, when asked exactly the same question. And you say don't fault them for not knowing how to install branded PCs? I know they don't know how Acer's recovery discs work, and they don't have to. The point is they don't seem to know how their install CD works.

>>Always use the Sticker Key

>NEVER use the sticker key. There is a better way.

I don't have much of a choice in the matter, as I have no way of knowing Acer's master key.