Dell no longer provides Vista Product Keys?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Justin
  • Start date Start date
J

Justin

So who brokered that deal?
I have a Studio Laptop I was going to reinstall the OS but can't because
I have to wait for the owner to get me the Dell DVDs.
So how does that work? Are the days of clean installations of Windows over?
 
Justin said:
So who brokered that deal?
I have a Studio Laptop I was going to reinstall the OS but can't because
I have to wait for the owner to get me the Dell DVDs.
So how does that work? Are the days of clean installations of Windows over?
Click to expand...

WTF are you whining about? OEMs have long been providing only a
recovery partition, or optical recovery media, rather than a standard
installation disc.

This is nothing new.
 
Bill said:
WTF are you whining about? OEMs have long been providing only a
recovery partition, or optical recovery media, rather than a standard
installation disc.

This is nothing new.
Click to expand...

No, jackass. Where is the product key?
 
Justin said:
No, jackass. Where is the product key?
Click to expand...

Just because you can't bloody find it does not make your subject header
true! It will be most likely be either on the bottom of the cover for the
battery or inside the battery case.

Camper
 
Justin said:
No, jackass. Where is the product key?
Click to expand...

If it came with the OS already installed and no disks, it most likely has a
partition for restoring, an option to create disks, and a product key on a
sticker somewhere on the machine.
If you buy the OS separate the product key should be in the box with the OS.
Some PCs still come with disks to install an OS and/or drivers, but for most
the days of selling PCs with disks is pretty much over. If the OS on your
disk goes bad you should be able to restore it from the recovery partition.
If the recovery partition goes bad you better hope you created your own
disks. I need to burn some myself yet since my new PC didn't come with
disks. Some give you an option of what disks to create. I checked an old
HP purchased from Best Buy several years ago and it has an option to burn
about 11 CDs or 2 DVDs.
 
Alpha said:
Moron.
Click to expand...

Yeah, only an idiot would want to reinstall Windows the standard way -
without using OEM specific and spyware infested junk.
What was I thinking?
 
Eric said:
If it came with the OS already installed and no disks, it most likely has a
partition for restoring, an option to create disks, and a product key on a
sticker somewhere on the machine.
If you buy the OS separate the product key should be in the box with the OS.
Some PCs still come with disks to install an OS and/or drivers, but for most
the days of selling PCs with disks is pretty much over. If the OS on your
disk goes bad you should be able to restore it from the recovery partition.
If the recovery partition goes bad you better hope you created your own
disks. I need to burn some myself yet since my new PC didn't come with
disks. Some give you an option of what disks to create. I checked an old
HP purchased from Best Buy several years ago and it has an option to burn
about 11 CDs or 2 DVDs.
Click to expand...

I serviced an HP which was the same way - the Windows key was still on
the bottom of the machine.
I broke the law by using a normal Vista DVD and reinstalled using that
key and didn't bother using the useless restore partition.
However I did make the DVDs and I keep them handy so when the next
customer comes in without their DVDs I'll have the apps.
 
Justin said:
Yeah, only an idiot would want to reinstall Windows the standard way -
without using OEM specific and spyware infested junk.
What was I thinking?
Click to expand...

So did you find the sticker in the battery compartment?

Camper
 
Gordon said:
If it's OEM, should be on the computer casing.
Click to expand...

Err <sigh> it's embedded in the Err software, Err. The OEM, Err will
only work on Dell, Err.
 
Justin said:
I serviced an HP which was the same way - the Windows key was still on the
bottom of the machine.
I broke the law by using a normal Vista DVD and reinstalled using that key
and didn't bother using the useless restore partition.
Click to expand...

How exactly is that breaking the law? I doubt very much it's even in breach
of the EULA as you re-installed on the same machine.
 
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