kasue
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posted on September 12, 2004 04:19:26 PM new
Does anyone know if it is true that Microsoft made it impossible to load their Windows XP on to more than one computer? Even if it is two computers in the same household? My brother has messed his computer up royally and his backup copies are sealed into his Hewlett Packard. He can't even get into his main screen to reboot anything. Forget about going to BIOS setup because we aren't that smart once we get there. A friend of his has a little newer version of Windows NT that he can borrow to boot it up, but it is my understanding that since it is a "pirated" copy it won't work in another machine. Any ideas?
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tomwiii
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posted on September 12, 2004 04:23:18 PM new
Does he not have the SYSTEM RESTORE cds that came with his PC??
If mine were 100% totaled, & I didn't have my CDs, I'd just take to over to COMP USA & pay them the measley $50 to re-format & re-load XP 
Although, I've always kept my CDs safe just-in-case
"Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country."—George W. Bush, Poplar Bluff, Mo., Sept. 6, 2004
http://politicalhumor.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=politicalhumor&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.buzzflash.com%2F04%2F09%2Fbushlove.wmv
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kasue
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posted on September 12, 2004 04:26:10 PM new
He didn't get external cd's with the computer. They are all internal. Do you know that from experience that is all Comp USA charges? $50?
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CBlev65252
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posted on September 12, 2004 04:28:13 PM new
A boot CD generally contains information relating to your computer. That's why you are urged to create one.
I have XP and to get the serial number, you have to call MicroSoft. I wouldn't chance "borrowing" someone else's copy.
Do as Tom suggested. CompUSA or even Best Buy will repair the computer for relatively little money. Gettin caught by MicroSoft will cost a whole lot more.
Edited to add: Tell him to call the computer's maker. They will send him out CD's. My son's didn't come with any either and HP sent him out a set when he called them. He got them next day.
Cheryl
. . .if you still try to defend the infamies and horrors perpetrated by that Antichrist- I really believe he is Antichrist- I will have nothing more to do with you and you are no longer my friend.. . - War and Peace, Tolstoy
[ edited by CBlev65252 on Sep 12, 2004 04:29 PM ]
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Twelvepole
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posted on September 12, 2004 04:33:09 PM new
You can't use updates with a pirated copy in most cases, it is work to get a key to install it and XP is not worth all that work.
Now Win2k is a different story... easy...
Don't go to compusa, find a good local that you feel comfortable with and let them do a reinstall.
AIN'T LIFE GRAND... 
Re-Elect President Bush... the only true choice.
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tomwiii
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posted on September 12, 2004 04:33:19 PM new
Yikes!
I've never heard of "internal" restore CDs???
I've owned 4 modern PCs (donna count the COMMODORE or the TI or the TIMEX/SINCLAIR or the TANDY or the ATARI 400/800  ) -- Gateway, Dell, & 2 SONYs & they ALL had SYSTEM RESTORE CDs & APPLICATIONS RESTORE CDs...
ANYHOO -- the last time my kid ruined his PC, yes, he took it to COMP USA, &, for (?) $50, they re-installed WINDOZE after re-formatting his HD!
Although COMP USA is on shakey ground financially, I've always been satisfied with their in-store service DEPT
Call them MON & ask! Can't lose anything, right??
"Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country."—George W. Bush, Poplar Bluff, Mo., Sept. 6, 2004
http://politicalhumor.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=politicalhumor&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.buzzflash.com%2F04%2F09%2Fbushlove.wmv
[ edited by tomwiii on Sep 12, 2004 04:35 PM ]
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kasue
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posted on September 12, 2004 04:34:28 PM new
My experiences with Best Buy have been bad. And expensive. It is about $100 just to start. My brother doesn't have much money. Would CompUSA be the one to call Microsoft to get the serial number of his WindowsXP?I don't know what Hewlett Packard was thinking of not providing an external copy.
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tomwiii
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posted on September 12, 2004 04:35:51 PM new
HOW OLD is the PC?
"Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country."—George W. Bush, Poplar Bluff, Mo., Sept. 6, 2004
http://politicalhumor.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=politicalhumor&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.buzzflash.com%2F04%2F09%2Fbushlove.wmv
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kasue
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posted on September 12, 2004 04:36:52 PM new
twelvepole, How can they do a reinstall without an external copy of his Windows NT?
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glassgrl
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posted on September 12, 2004 04:44:08 PM new
I have an HP desktop and yes they come with "restore" cd's. The Windows OS is inside the restore cd, you won't see it.
And yes...they made XP so that essentially it can't be copied.
Although there are ways around it.
I don't know anything about NT.
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kasue
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posted on September 12, 2004 04:47:40 PM new
glassgrl, Are those internal or external restore cd's? He has internal restore cd's but can't get to his start up window to access them.
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tomwiii
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posted on September 12, 2004 04:50:55 PM new
Has he called HP?
Do they have any support??
That's where I'd begin!
Not sure about MS -- since your WINDOZE was OEM, they're more than likely to tell you to cantact HP.
At least that has been my experience with MS -- they're VERY HELPFUL about retail sw, but will do NADA about OEM sw 
"Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country."—George W. Bush, Poplar Bluff, Mo., Sept. 6, 2004
http://politicalhumor.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=politicalhumor&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.buzzflash.com%2F04%2F09%2Fbushlove.wmv
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glassgrl
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posted on September 12, 2004 04:51:30 PM new
external.
it is physically impossible for the HP to ONLY have internal restore cd's. tell him to keep looking. He's thinking about the XP restore feature.
let me know if you find my Toshiba restore cd's..I'm still looking for them.
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Twelvepole
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posted on September 12, 2004 05:17:09 PM new
windows nt is not compatible with XP, you would need to make a choice.
If he just bought the computer and/or it is still under warranty
he should be able to get the restore cds from HP
AIN'T LIFE GRAND...
Re-Elect President Bush... the only true choice.
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replaymedia
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posted on September 12, 2004 05:50:15 PM new
I've never used an HP computer, but I did once have a Compaq. Compaq was bought out by HP, so my experience there apply in this case.
The computer did NOT come with system CDs. All the system stuff was on a seperate hard drive partition. One of the steps during the first time setup was to create your system CDs by writing to CDRs (Which are not included).
If you don't happen to have a couple of blank CDRs handy, you can skip the process, but you have to jump through hoops to do this step later. I assume it's Microsoft's way of causing just enough inconvenience to get you to buy a retail copy of XP.
--------------------------------------
We do not stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing -- Anonymous
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kasue
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posted on September 12, 2004 07:06:52 PM new
BINGO! replaymedia, you hit the nail on the head. I believed Bro when he said they weren't included. He isn't THAT computer illiterate. I think where the problem is, is that he apparently didn't make the system cd's, not having the cd's. I don't blame Microsoft though, I blame Hewlett Packard. And my brother for never making the cd's. He never realized that he would ever need an external copy. Thanks everybody. I appreciate your taking the time to help.
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secondmoon
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posted on September 13, 2004 09:33:41 AM new
I had the same copy of xp on 3 different desktops and a notebook. All you need to do is set the bios to boot direcrly fron the cd and re-load xp that way. However,you cannot do the system updates etc. Best thing to do is to do all updates on one machine and set a restore point. Copy that restore file to s cd and then overlay that file on the other machines and then restore them. It works. It is really very simple to Fdisk. partion and then load XP, once you get past the initial fear factor of doing it. There are some really good tutorials online. Save the $100 and do it yourself
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sanmar
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posted on September 13, 2004 12:10:30 PM new
Do what I did, go onm eBay & buy an unused XP cdrom. By installing this you can get all of the updates. I had to get a new HD so it was loaded on that. I have XP Professional. My local Guru told me it was better than Home Edition.
Life Is Too Short To Drink Bad Wine
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Kevinatgrannys
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posted on September 13, 2004 12:58:39 PM new
I have an HP and, no they did not come with load/restore cds. Just call HP and they will tell you where to get the numbers from and will mail it off to you. I did this shortly after getting mine and had no problems.
Kevin
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stonecold613
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posted on September 13, 2004 07:23:56 PM new
It's clearly an HP problem. I have a neighbor that has all kinds of problems with hers. First problem is your XP isn't just XP. HP will had some of their own crap that often will interfere with the XP operating system and can cause it to crash. She has had to take the computer back 3 times to the computer place in just 6 months for the same reasons that you state. If you can dump the HP software and make the computer an XP system only, you will be better off.
Good luck.
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kasue
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posted on September 13, 2004 09:11:23 PM new
I hope my brother had a red face when he emailed me this message this morning! ;>
"Karen got computer fixed. guess I needed to read the whole book,da. on HP. any way if you push f-10 as soon as your computer starts it goes straight in to recovery mode. wish i would have restarted the computer yesterday and who would guess you only had 10 secounds to push f-10? now i have to straighten out the rest of this redo.
Kelly"
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Twelvepole
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posted on September 14, 2004 05:50:57 AM new
LOL well congrats, at least he is now on his way back up and running...
AIN'T LIFE GRAND...
Re-Elect President Bush... the only true choice.
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