is my XP legit?

Newboy · Joined: 24 Jun 2008 Posts: 86

i got a new dell (refurbed) on which XP incl SP3 was preinstalled. but i didn't get any disks with it.

on my old PC, i had to reinstall XP like 2ce a month. granted, this one shud b a lot better, but i can still imagine i'll have to do it at least ONCE at some point. when that day comes, what on earth am i supposed to do?

is this just some "oversight" and i should demand disks from the guy? or am i poking a hornets nest, i.e., cheap refurb with "questionable" XP...nudge nudge wink wink????

come to think of it, i hear ppl buying NEW laptops that don't come with the disks. what do THEY do?

i kno there are ways to make reinstall disks or shadow copies or w/e they're called, but that's prolly way beyond the ken of the average luddite like me. esp as it involves using them at the very time that the PC is dead, when one really needs an idiot-proof solution.

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on a related note, i still have the install disks from the previous one (compaq). can i use THESE on my new pc, or are they somehow coded for the specific pc they came with? or are they are least geared to the model of pc, such that these "compaq XP" disks won't jibe w the "dell XP" pc anyways?

and is this LEGAL? since the old one is dead/gone/dissected, it's still considered ONE installation, right? or did i lose the right when i lost the pc it came with?

TIA!

Deborah · Joined: 06 Feb 2001 Posts: 4334 Location: Seattle

You might be able to restore the system software without using a disc. There is a mechanism on Dell computers that allow this.

Restart the computer and when the blue line appears, immediately press CTRL and F10 at the same time. It has to be immediate, if you do it slowly, it will continue to reboot and not reinstall XP. It will bring your computer back to when it was new. Anything that was installed later will not be included.

I did that a few times of my computer.

Good luck.

Deb

Newboy · Joined: 24 Jun 2008 Posts: 86

anything later "installed", literally, or anything later SAVED?

iv had good luck reinstalling XP w/o ever losing my regular files/data/etc. is what you're suggesting along those lines, or a full "reformat" type deal?

and what "blue line" do you speak of? are dells so consistent that they can predict how things will look when everything crashes?!

seems to me the pc could be in any sort of weird state when you normally go looking for the reinstall disks.

bruce bailey · ๑۞๑ Joined: 11 Apr 2002 Posts: 5712 Location: miami

All of the Dells I have bought did not come with the disc.

Newboy · Joined: 24 Jun 2008 Posts: 86

Really? As in "bought new"??

So what do YOU do in case of OS failure? Something like what Deborah describes?

I bought a Dell refurb years back and it came with disks galore. That was from Dell itself.

Unlike the current one, from the local tech guy.

techie · Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 3:58 am Post subject:

Yes, as in new Dell does not provide recovery disk, with computers, it is stored in the recovery partition as indicated by the other users. You do have an option on some system purchases, from Dell to buy a recovery disk, for an additional $10.00 or low price when purchasing.

You have an option to create your own recovery disk, after you first setup the computer. Yes normally a recovery disk will completely wipe the system. Depending on the recovery option, some have a non-destructive rebuild option, means you will not lose your data. You as well have an option of buying a set of recovery disk, from Dell. Lookup your system model at Dell and see what they offer.

nevadacrab · Joined: 02 Feb 2008 Posts: 479 Location: Henderson, Nevada

When did this start? I bought my Dell Inspiron 1100 laptop from Dell new in 11/03 and got a full set of recovery discs. Is this a cutback on Dell's part? I would eventually like a new Dell and this is important information to know.

techie · Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 11:49 am Post subject:

That has been at least a few years ago, you had an option to purchase a recovery media.

Under Dell system configurations ordering, I do not believe you even have the option to buy the Recovery Disc on CD/DVD any longer.

Most all systems come with a recovery partition, but normally allows you to make one CD-DVD version of the system recovery disk.

If you are the original owner you can request one copy for free from Dell.

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/glo...redirect=1

Dell is not the only manufacture doing this, Acer, HP, Compaq, etc. all use a recovery partition.

richc46 · Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 5:56 am Post subject:

Can Deborah, or any other member, please give more information about the blue line, Cntrl F-10 and restoring the OS.?
_________________
Richard

CaptainTripps · Joined: 18 Sep 2005 Posts: 880

I can't help with the system recovery via the partition because the Dell desktop's I either purchased or helped in ordering came with full reinstallation discs. Last September, I helped a friend order a new Dell Inspiron 530 with Vista Home SP1 and it came with the reistallation disc and did not show that it was thrown in as a bonus and it wasn't a purchased option. Later that month, I ordered a refurbished Dell with XP Pro and it, too, came with the OS disc. My niece purchased a Dell laptop about 18 months ago and it had the disc included, too. What I'd like to know is why did these 3 recent purchases come with the OS discs when supposedly Dell only offers them as an option? Coincidence?

plodr · Administrator Joined: 12 Apr 2001 Posts: 7415

Maybe they finally discovered that it is cheaper to provide the disk than have customers on the phone with tech support?
If I were running a company, I'd figure give the customers the tools and instructions to get out of a tight spot then they won't be calling me.

techie · Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 23:19 pm Post subject:

From Dell's site, restore or reinstall

Qoute:

The Dell Backup & Utilities CD, if one was provided for your computer.

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/glo...mp;s=gen#1

Dell may be back to giving disk with new systems, but at one point, in the 2006 time frame, you had to pay for it, wasn't much, around $10.00

If you didn't buy it, you needed to create it, from the restore partition.

This is how to restore or reinstall based on Dell.

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/glo...&s=gen

Newboy · Joined: 24 Jun 2008 Posts: 86

I'm a little confused. Partition-restore is supposed to be unaffected by any XP problems/crashes, right? So why would you ever need to offline the process to a disk?

I take back my previous comment to that effect. If the PC can't run a partition-restore, it wouldn't be able to manage one from disk either.

Kinda blurred "dead XP" and "dead PC" before, but I think I've got it straight now. So why the disks?

plodr · Administrator Joined: 12 Apr 2001 Posts: 7415

If the hard drive dies, what good is a restore partition? On the other hand, a restore disk can be used on a new hard drive put into the Dell BUT remember, it is tied to the Dell computer and hardware on that computer so you can't put it in any computer and expect it to work.