legit windows installlation but no windows cd?

Hello,
my pc is working fine atm and i normaly do a full image using acronis true image 9 once a month but i cannot do a format even if i wanted to since the company that i got my pc off of never gave me a windows xp cd.
is there anyway of contacting microsoft using a Uk number so i can prove i have a legal version of xp home and they send me a windows xp cd at a small cost?
surely other people are in the same boat right?
lodore

 

I asked that too, but concerning the recovery CD (which i have). I don't know the difference, except the obvious (only reformat, nothing else).
I got this:

and
http://www.winfuture.de/xpisobuilder3_en
I don't know if they're good, particularly the software from link no.2, if it is legit.

 

see here to contact Microsoft

 

has microsoft got any Uk numbers?
i dont wanna ring an american number and get a mega phone billl.
lodore

 

lets hope watford electronics are willing to listen
basically i brought my pc in december 2years ago.
it was for xmas 2 years ago.
but in the january after i got my pc aka one month after they went bank corropt and got brought by watford electronics.
lets hope watford will give me a windows xp home cd.
lodore

 

Of course they have . Here it is :
0870 60 10 100

MS UK address
Microsoft
Microsoft Campus
Thames Valley Park
Reading Berkshire RG6 1WG

Microsoft International Support (free)
http://support.microsoft.com/common/international.aspx




Contacting them , however , will be pointless since they will not provide you with a CD if your Windows is OEM or Recovery . They may only give you one if the Windows is retail version (at no cost here) .

But there are many things you should do in order to prove them your Windows and license is genuie (legal)

Yes , I have . I got my Windows CD broken and they didn't send me a new one . Thanks God my Windows is OEM type and at the office all are OEM type , too , so I got one Windows XP cd from the office but there are conditions which should be checked . I checked and it worked but in some cases it won't

 

Soooo, would it be fair to say if you no longer have your original Install/Recovery Discs (for whatever reason) that were supplied with your OEM OS, YOUR STUFFED....should you ever wish to do a Reinstall or Format/Recovery etc., without it costing lots of Quids??.....


Cochise.

 

Not so sure.
Even if it were necessary to reinstall and no option to re-use your keys, unless it's very cheap, that's when Linux makes perfect sense. Linux is not too geeky nowadays (depends of course on hardware etc.), SUSE and Ubuntu seem to make it easy.

If i were in that position, i would think twice before buying Windows...

 

@lodore

i'd follow the link in Someone's message and make your own backup of windows using that program at the link. i even asked my friend if it would be legal and he said yes (but ask microsoft first or maybe a lawyer type here can confirm).

if it's not legal, then by all means try ubuntu. again like Someone said, it's very user-friendly and painless to install. i highly recommend it if all else fails.

 

Windows Product Activation (WPA)
on Windows XP

The above site should give you an idea of the process, if you could borrow an XP CD.

 

Re: legit windows installation but no windows cd?

Actually, you have paid for Windows XP for that box and you have the key. You can use any Microsoft Windows-XP Home Installation Disk and put in the key you paid for and 95% of the time it will activate with no problem. Surely a neighbor or somebody has a copy of XP Home you could use? Your first activation was probably on the same PC, right? If that's the case, the key that came with your PC will activate your Windows, as it's registered to your PC hardware (usually motherboard ID). If it doesn't, make the call to Microsoft and explain the situation. As long as you have a valid key, not having been used anyplace else for activation, there's really no problem. If online activation doesn't work, the process is this: You will call Microsoft and they will look up your key and they will see your recent attempt at online activation. They will compare the motherboard ID (or whatever else they used before - there are several) and if it matches the same hardware that just attempted the activation, they will simply give you a new key that will work with the CD you have. Remember, it's not the disk per se they care about. It's that all important key and product activation scheme which should sail through if all is as you say it is. And by the way, if that key you have has not been used multiple times with other hardware, they are very liberal and rarely blink twice before issuing you the new key that will work for the CD you have. It's actually, surprisingly, a pretty painless experience.

Gerard

 

Thank you Gerard and Pilotart. Case closed!

 

so that means microsoft wont give me a cd but i can borrow a neigbours or friends windows xp home cd and use my code and it will activate?
if not i can ring up ms and explain the problem and they can maybe help me get windows xp installed with my legal xp key?
its a shame ms cant just send me a windows xp home cd so i can install it using my keycode.
has anyone ever rung up the company they brought the pc off of and managed to get a windows xp cd sent?
because if so the ball is in watford electroinc's caught.
i have got a recovery cd so can i just use that software the had a link earlier and press the convert recovery cd button and it does the rest?
and i end up with another cd with is full windows xp home?
because if its that easy i can do that.
sure there must be more steps to it but is that the jist of it?
then i can intograte service pack 2 and drivers on to it.
lodore

 

Hi,

If you wish and if your in school, most universities will provide free of charge a copy of XP Pro and most of these copy's are open liscense with no CD key to enter and or activation process. Windows update will work for all the software.

You also might want to check up on that.

Cheers.
fluxgfx.com

 

lodore, i would do this: yes, try watford first. Then, image the disk if you didn't already, AND copy all the files to external HD (image + files) to be sure nothing is lost. You probably have this already, i'm the one who's catching up lol.

If the watford connection fails, Microsoft. That way you contacted them all, and know for sure what is the case. If it's ok, copy XP and use your keys. Gerard Morentzy says it should work, and he's probably right. Seems logic anyway, and i've heard it from others too.

This way you're on the safe side. Also, trying to build your CD sounds fun

 

i will get my dad to ring up watford soon.
do colleges offfer free xp pro as well?
lodore

 

I don't think anyone will give you a Windows Install cd. Maybe you can get a restore cd. Using the XP-ISO program you can indeed make a install cd just one problem if you have a DVD restore disc it may not work. You also should add the proprietary drivers for your computer. The oem should have one. You also can add them using xp-iso.I tried this program it did not make a workable disc.

 

I can confirm that e-machines will not send you an oem disc. My computer only came with the software to create the restore discs which I made. My point to e-machines was that if I run sfc/scannow and it ask for the disc, I'm basically screwed. I believe and someone can confirm this that if I run the scan I can use another valid copy of windows xp that it will work.

I was also looking into creating an oem disc lately and came across this:

XP-ISO faqs:

When I made my recovery discs there were 4. From the above faq, it seems that it can only convert a disc if you have only on disc. Can anyone confirm this? I also think I have the recovery image on my harddrive, could I use xp-iso to build a disc from my HD? Sorry for the long post, innerpeace

 

Well, google has another great thing, a text translator. It can "translate" (not very accurate, but considering it's an automatic free translator, it rocks)

http://www.google.com/language_tools?hl=en

So i translated a page from WinFuture's forum (xp-Iso-Builder)

Hope it helps you search the forum for answers

 

oh, and you can continue on in translate.google, clicking on the links, and it's all translated.

 

Tip:

Most OEM vendors put a little Windows sticker on your PC. It mentions your product key and an identification code (just below the bar code starting with three zero's). When you have got that info your fine with a 'borrowed'installation CD.

Problems start when you do some case moddeling (like my son did) and throw the old PC-case away with the sticker. When you change some hardware and try to re-install windows, they think you are cheating and besides the product key you will need the identification code (the one starting with 000).

When you lost that sticker you have a big problem.

In the Netherlands they collect garbage seperately. Go the garbage dump, give the guy a tenner, write down the product id plus activiation code of a dumped PC and try again. Microsoft will give you a new activation key by telephone.

The garbage dump work around is a bit taggy, but after all you have paid for it

 

Thank you Someone! That is a cool tool. I will try digging a bit to see what I can find out.