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I am thinking about getting a laptop and want to know this. I know that most PC’s come pre-bundled with the OS as well as everything else. Usually called a recovery CD. Are these companies legally obligated to provide you an original COPY of XP instead of the recovery disk or no?? I mean you ARE paying for it no??
Most manufacturers of name brand computers supply a Recovery disk with all the programs etc. that came with the original machine. They also usually have a partition on the machine that stores some of the settings. You are not paying for an XP cd, so don't expect one. You may consider buying a custom built machine and purchasing an XP cd on your own. That way you can designate what programs etc. you install. Hope this helps...
Keep Smiling
It makes them think you're up to something...
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If you decide to go with a brand name without the full OS cd then remember to copy the recovery partition for backup. If your hdd goes West and you cannot access the recovery partition you may/will then have to purchase a full edition OS cd.
Good luck
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Usually VAR's will provide you with a COA sticker taped to the system. It is a matter of conscience burning yourself the appropriate OS disc for the system afterwards.
Is it illegal to burn such a disc....go figure !!!
I agree; computing.net does need an edit button.
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""" I mean you ARE paying for it no??""
Well, no, you're not. Paying for "it" that is.
What you are paying for, is whatever the "company" says you are paying for. Unfortunately, many of these companies have entered into special deals with Bill and his Buddies over at Mihroshafted for license purposes.
This is no different than buying a car, or anything else.In fact, it is getting closer and closer--and is in some cases reality--that you cannot load a system from one system to a second IF THE FIRST ONE GOES DEAD.
What this means, is, that after your desktop/laptop dies, out of warrenty, you won't even be able, in some cases, to reinstall the system on a replacement machine.
In some cases, IF you know who to rattle in the vast jungle that is "service" you CAN (for a price) get HP, Comcrap, Grateway, or whoever to supply you (for a small, additional, phenominal fee) a system disk.
Welcome to the world
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Most manufacturers of name brand computers supply a Recovery disk ...
That's not what I have seen everyday. Most (especially HP, Compaq, Sony, and now Dell) don't give you recovery cd other than a GUI prompt to create one yourself the very first time your desktop finish loading.
i_XpUser
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Also, I know when you are buying from dell, you have the option to have them send you a CD for like $10 or $20.
jablonskia@morejavagames.com
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Well lets put it this way. In my life I have only bought 2 brand name PC’s.. the rest I built myself cause I wanted to put in what I wanted and not pay an arm and a leg. So this has been since maybe. .. 1994??.. and back then they Did used to give you recovery disks. I can see things have changed quite a lot. .. but to say you are not paying for an operating system. well I would have to disagree. I mean it is figured in there somewhere . even though they give you all the useless extras.. let me ask this. If you Did get a laptop with a recovery disk. Is there any way to create an OS disk from that? I am sure there isn’t but I am just asking. .. I just hate all that extra crap they stick on PC’s.. I am sure their recovery disks are encoded some how so that you are unable to do that?? .. just a thought.. I am just not knowledgeable enough about a laptop to actually build one and I don’t know if you can build one from scratch anyway. I have always had the desktops and that has suited me fine. But I may be needing a laptop soon.
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When I bought my HP 3yrs. ago I called HP and requested recovery CD's and they sent them to me for free and I believe they will still do that. You just have to make sure to call right away after you get it because I was told when they run out for your model there are no more to be had.
God knew I couldn't be a pioneer, that's why he gave me a computer!
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I did a little editing
""" but to say you are not paying for an operating system. well I would have to disagree. I mean it is figured in there somewhere """.The thing is, you ARE paying sorta, but what you are doing, is buying a working computer from someone, like HP, IBM. THOSE people are actually the ones that did the "special" negotiating with Microsoft or whoever, and that sorta gives them the right to change the way they pass things on to you. Recently, the name branders have pretty much held that you don't have unlimited use rights to an operating system. This means, that once your Dell Dies, and is out of warranty, you don't have the "rights" (in some cases) to reinstall Whendoes on some other machine.
"". If you Did get a laptop with a recovery disk. Is there any way to create an OS disk from that? I am sure there isn’t but I am just asking. ..""
The answer is, maybe. USUALLY, factory machines such as this are going to have the I386 folder in there SOMEWHERE. If you can extract the Product key, and the I386 folder, you have the makings of being able to reinstall "clean." This does NOT mean, however, that you can reinstall and reactivate on SOME OTHER machine. For example, if you buy an "unbranded" so called OEM XP cd somewhere, you SHOULD be able to install and activate it, UNLESS (at the present) it happens to be a Dell CD. Those look just like the others, except they have a little "Dell" logo on the outside, and they will NOT properly install or activate on a non Dell motherboard.
HERE:http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-MICROSOFT-WINDOWS-XP-PROFESSIONAL-FULL-OEM-pro-COA_W0QQitemZ7208552104QQcategoryZ41888QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
is an "unbranded" install media for "OEM" software
HERE
http://cgi.ebay.com/Dell-Windows-XP-Pro-W-SP2-CD-Also-works-on-NON-Dell-PCs_W0QQitemZ7208543601QQcategoryZ41888QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
is a "Dell" cd."" I just hate all that extra crap they stick on PC’s.. I am sure their recovery disks are encoded some how so that you are unable to do that?? .""
You probably won't be able to create a reinstall CD from the recovery CD, but rather, from a working, installed version off the machine hard drive"". just a thought.. I am just not knowledgeable enough about a laptop to actually build one and I don’t know if you can build one from scratch anyway. I have always had the desktops and that has suited me fine. But I may be needing a laptop soon.""
Nope, pretty much, can't build a laptop. They all have special proprietary hardware, no different, than, say, a Chivvy engine is different from a Ford, etc.
However, there ARE a number of basic components that are the same, including removeable drives, HDD's, and obviously PCMCIA cards, some forms of memory, etc.
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Yeah . if I bought a laptop. I would not want to use the OS CD to add to another Pc.. I have XP on my other Desktop PC’s.. but I wanted to simply add a clean Os to the laptop and get rid of all the factory stuff. I guess if push comes to shove and I cannot do that with the “recovery disk” or whatever the heck they give you . then I guess I would break down and get another one on E-bay.. .. thanks for the advice though. One last thing. If anyone still reads this. Does anyone have a clue as to how long the batteries last on these laptops?? I ma not talking the 2000 dollar ones. But the cheaper models?? .. like an hour or less?? Or can you buy better batteries to make them last?? Thanks again for all the info : )
DJ
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