Certainly true of older machines, but new ones are not so fussy.. it is
always a good idea to have network and modem drivers burned to CD such that
the machine can at least access the internet to get whatever else is
required..

--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/User


"Doug Kanter" <ancientangler@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:bWSuf.2732$OU3.2275@news01.roc.ny...
> Historically, Compaq machines have needed some proprietary drivers that
> were so weird, that you couldn't even get an ugly installation up and
> running long enough to download the drivers from their web site. So, his
> friend's disk may or may not be applicable for his machine.
>
>
> "Mike Hall (MS-MVP)" <mikehalll@mvps.org> wrote in message
> news:%23$mqdyUEGHA.1816@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
>>I would imagine that your friend's HP/Compaq machine would have been
>>supplied with a proprietary recovery set.. if it is in fact a genuine XP
>>Home OEM CD, then you could use it to re-install your system OS, entering
>>the COA number attached to your machine..
>>
>> You could always buy an OEM CD complete with it's own number, or even a
>> full retail version giving you more rights than you have with the OEM
>> version..
>>
>>
>> --
>> Mike Hall
>> MVP - Windows Shell/User
>>
>>
>> <engwar1@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>> news:1136390899.323686.141420@z14g2000cwz.googlegr oups.com...
>>> Thanks for the comments (except for a troll named 'Alias')
>>>
>>> I'll look into this further. My friend's disk looks like it shipped
>>> with an HP or Compaq machine. My box is also a Compaq so I'm hoping for
>>> the best.
>>>
>>> Other than Windows and proper drivers there's not much else on the box
>>> I care to keep.
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

In news:1136387878.386078.91270@g14g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com,
engwar1@yahoo.com <engwar1@yahoo.com> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

> I bought a brand new computer that shipped with XP Home but no OS
> disks.
>
> I immediately made backup disks that would allow me to reinstall the
> system and all software packages that it shipped with.
>
> If I needed to reinstall the OS and wanted to do a clean install can I
> legally do so by formatting the drive and using a borrowed copy of XP
> Home to do the install? I assume I'd need to use the serial number for
> the copy of XP Home that I purchased and not the serial number of the
> borrowed OS disk.
>
> Just curious. No need to reinstall the OS yet but at some point I'll
> need to and I'd rather do a clean install than installing all the junk
> that came on the machine in the first place. But I'd rather not have
> to go purchase XP Home disks since I bought the OS along with the
> computer.
>
> Why computer manufacturers don't ship OS disks is beyond me. The media
> can't cost them more than a few cents.

Just make the disks...

Step 1: Create a set of recovery discs or a recovery DVD:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/f...=bph07143#N387

--
Galen - MS MVP - Windows (Shell/User & IE)
http://dts-l.org/
http://kgiii.info/

"We approached the case, you remember, with an absolutely blank mind,
which is always an advantage. We had formed no theories. We were simply
there to observe and to draw inferences from our observations." -
Sherlock Holmes

<engwar1@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1136387878.386078.91270@g14g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
>I bought a brand new computer that shipped with XP Home but no OS
> disks.
>
> I immediately made backup disks that would allow me to reinstall the
> system and all software packages that it shipped with.
>
> If I needed to reinstall the OS and wanted to do a clean install can I
> legally do so by formatting the drive and using a borrowed copy of XP
> Home to do the install?

There are OEM versions of Windows XP Home Edition. There are retail
versions. There are vendor-specific BIOS-locked versions. If you are going
to rely on someone else having a copy of Windows from whom you can "borrow"
their CD, expect problems.

Why not use the backup discs that you claim to have produced? For the
serial number you can use Belarc Advisor (there are other similar tools) to
extract both the product key and the produce code for the currently
installed instance of Windows (just be sure to use the product key to do the
reinstall since the product code won't work because it is generated from the
product key).

Contact whomever sold you the computer or its manufacturer (if it was a
pre-built). Ask them to send you installation, recovery, or restoration
discs. It is unlikely that they are allowed to OEM the Windows software on
their boxes without providing a means for recovery. You never mentioned
WHICH brand and model of computer that you have but you did say it was
"brand new" (i.e., not used) so contact whomever makes that computer.

Contact the manufacturer of your new PC
and order their Recovery CD. The Product
Key affixed to your PC is only valid when using
the PC manufacturer's recovery method and is
not valid when used with any other Windows XP CD.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"engwar1" wrote:

| I bought a brand new computer that shipped with XP Home but no OS
| disks.
|
| I immediately made backup disks that would allow me to reinstall the
| system and all software packages that it shipped with.
|
| If I needed to reinstall the OS and wanted to do a clean install can I
| legally do so by formatting the drive and using a borrowed copy of XP
| Home to do the install? I assume I'd need to use the serial number for
| the copy of XP Home that I purchased and not the serial number of the
| borrowed OS disk.
|
| Just curious. No need to reinstall the OS yet but at some point I'll
| need to and I'd rather do a clean install than installing all the junk
| that came on the machine in the first place. But I'd rather not have to
| go purchase XP Home disks since I bought the OS along with the
| computer.
|
| Why computer manufacturers don't ship OS disks is beyond me. The media
| can't cost them more than a few cents.

On Wed, 4 Jan 2006 22:00:46 -0600, "Carey Frisch [MVP]"
<cnfrisch@nospamgmail.com> wrote:

>Contact the manufacturer of your new PC
>and order their Recovery CD. The Product
>Key affixed to your PC is only valid when using
>the PC manufacturer's recovery method and is
>not valid when used with any other Windows XP CD.


That depends.

There is a way around it. It is a pain to do and is legal.
These may not be complete instructions. This is for expert use only.

DISCLAMIER
DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!


Look on your computer for an I386 folder.
Burn the i386 folder to a cd drive
Download all the drivers for your system.
Get a Linux live cd. (This will be used for copying)
Get the windows xp key viewer.
Use xp key viewer to get the hidden image key
You need to get a windows 98se boot disk or 98se boot cd.
(Boot cd should work if you don't have a floppy drive)
Using the boot disk
Fdisk the drive into at least two partitions depending on your disk.
Reboot
Format all drives.
This will take awhile.
Do this from the A prompt
SYS C:
Insert the live cd in one drive
Reboot
Copy the i386 to the c drive
Remove floppy
reboot computer
install xp
c:\i386\winnt.exe
Note do not chose ntfs at this time.
Do the conversion after the install.
It should not need activating.
Install all hardware.

to fix the boot menu
remove the a extra line in c:\boot.ini
titled something like this c:\ previous os or c:\ microsoft windows
convert to ntfs in you want.


If you try to install it from the cd drive it will fail.
Greg Ro

I forgot to add one thing.
Burn your drivers to the cd.


Greg Ro

engwar1@yahoo.com wrote:
> I bought a brand new computer that shipped with XP Home but no OS
> disks.
>
> I immediately made backup disks that would allow me to reinstall the
> system and all software packages that it shipped with.
>
> If I needed to reinstall the OS and wanted to do a clean install can I
> legally do so by formatting the drive and using a borrowed copy of XP
> Home to do the install? I assume I'd need to use the serial number for
> the copy of XP Home that I purchased and not the serial number of the
> borrowed OS disk.
>
> Just curious. No need to reinstall the OS yet but at some point I'll
> need to and I'd rather do a clean install than installing all the junk
> that came on the machine in the first place. But I'd rather not have
> to go purchase XP Home disks since I bought the OS along with the
> computer.
>
> Why computer manufacturers don't ship OS disks is beyond me. The media
> can't cost them more than a few cents.

The legality? I am not a lawyer. Is it "piracy". No. You have bought a
legimate licence/copy and "fair use" says you are entitled to make a backup.

I agree with you about them not giving you a disc.

Ask, and the manufacturer might give you a Recovery disc specific to that
computer. These discs are so-so. Sure it might have all the drivers right
there, but it also contains a lot of fluff-ware perhaps and the use of it
might actually wipe your harddrive. So any files stored in My Documents on
that harddrive get wiped when you go to recover using that CD-ROM disc. On
the other hand, a proper Microsoft Windows disc might mean you have to root
for some hardware drivers, but enables much more flexibility when it comes
to recovery and re-installation etc.

You might survey the lay-of-the-land first? Check the website of the
manufacturer - are drivers for your model available etc. etc. Windows XP
might catch everything, but not necessarily, and you will want the proper
drivers. If the drivers are available on the website, then a Microsoft
Windows disc might be the preferred disc over a fluff-ware stuffed
inflexible good-bye My Documents "recovery" disc.