Need Windows XP CD

  • Thread starter Thread starter Pamela
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Pamela

Windows XP was installed on my computer when I purchased
it. There was no CD provided for back up. Now it has been
damaged by a virus, and I need the CD. How do I get it? It
should be free, as XP was included with my computer, and
it had too many bugs in it to be available on disk at the
time.
 
Absolutely not true. It was not provided on CD at the option of your system
manufacturer and was likely an economic consideration. Nonetheless, virus
or no, even if your hard drive fails, your system manufacturer is obligated
to provide you with a means of restoring your setup if they did not provide
you with a CD, something which is entirely their option.

As to the rest of your premise, Microsoft would have no way of knowing
whether or not you purchased a system with XP installed or if you were
simply someone trying to dupe them out of a free disk, that is one of the
reasons all matters such as this are between the user and the manufacturer.
Check your documentation for your system's recovery procedure or contact
their tech support for that information as they are obligated to provide you
with a means of restoring your setup.
 
If XP came pre-installed, then it is probably what is called an "OEM"
version. An OEM version does not allow for a "repair" installation, only a
full installation. Most major brand PC either come with a restoration CD
(not an XP CD) or a restoration parition. Read your manuals (which may be
on CD, or disk as PDF files). If nothing seems obvious, contact the PC
maker. It is they, not Microsoft, from whom you need to request support.
Part of the reason that OEM software is cheaper than retail software is that
users are supposed to complain to the PC maker, not the software maker.
However, all the PC maker owes you, if anything, is to give you the ability
to restore the PC to day zero, when you first received it. They are NOT
responsible for any lost personal files. You should have made your own
backups of those. If this is a Dell or Gateway, they will certainly coach
you on doing a restore.
 
Greetings --

Contact the PC's manufacturer.

Bruce Chambers
--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH
 
In
Pamela said:
Windows XP was installed on my computer when I purchased
it. There was no CD provided for back up. Now it has been
damaged by a virus, and I need the CD. How do I get it? It
should be free, as XP was included with my computer,
Click to expand...


If you bought a computer with XP installed, you have an OEM
version of XP. The requirement for OEMs is not to provide a CD,
but that they provide a means of reinstalling the operating
system. They typically do this in any of three ways:

1. Provide an OEM CD of Windows XP.

2. Provide a restore CD.

3. Provide a hidden partition with an image of the operating
system that can be restored.

You need to contact your vendor to find out what they provide and
get instructions for reinstallation.

Do not assume that they, or anyone else, will provide a CD. It
may not be available at all, or it may be available at a charge.
It depends on your vendor.

Personally I would never buy a computer that came with Windows
preinstalled unless it also came with a complete Windows CD. I
don't find either of the other alternatives satisfactory,
although they are the most common ways you see systems sold.

and
it had too many bugs in it to be available on disk at the
time.
Click to expand...


Where did you get that idea? That's completely false, and has
never been true. From the first day of its release (and even
earlier), Windows XP has been available on a CD.
 
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