A friend bought a pc with windows xp installed but did not receive any installation disks. She has since asked them for one but they say they do not provide them and if something went wrong with her pc she would have to return it for them to ghost it! Why did she not receive the disk - is this not what she paid for when buying the computer in the first place?
2006-09-12 01:42:34 · 18 answers · asked by shoecrank 1 in Computers & Internet ➔ Software
Windows XP computers usually come with a restore or recovery disk. It is not really the full operating system but it will restore the computer to the condition the operating system was in when you bought it.
Windows XP itself has a pretty good restore function, which I have used to back out of bad software installations. With a current installation of Win XP, you can quickly restore the computer the point before you installed something. This same restore function works great to restore it to before you were infected with some virus or malware. You do not need a disk to do this restoration.
For more info on this, go to the help menu and search on "restore."
To answer your question, computers today generally do not come with a Win XP operating system disk but they do come with a restore or recovery disk. Your friend should have received that.
2006-09-12 01:55:09 · answer #1 · answered by svcbench 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think companies should make it clear before you buy the pc if they're not going to provide you with a disc.
The problem is that profit margins are ridiculously low on pc's, so every company is looking for ways to cut corners. All you've paid for is a licence to use a copy of Windows; and its been installed from a multi license. The company has one disc and pays a fee per activated copy of XP. That's why you don't get a Microsoft disc.
When your friend bought her pc she should have been given instructions on how to make a recovery disc herself. Or there should be a back up on a partition on her drive, which she could use to recover her system.
I've never heard of having to return the pc to have a ghosted image installed. That's ridiculous. But its probably legal, if unusual.
It might be worth your friend phoning Trading Standards. They could at least have a chat with this company about their policy.
2006-09-12 10:04:53 · answer #2 · answered by sarah c 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no, when you buy a computer, you should know exactly what is coming with it. Usually you pay for the computer itself, with little cost that offsets the operating system. When I worked as a computer tech & manger for Lone Star Computers, some of our computers were priced cheaper than the rest because we didn't include the windows XP disc, which was small print on the spec's of the computer. Now, we did sell computers that had the XP disc's with them too, but at that point in time, 1 copy license was like $200, so a computer ended up being back in the $700-800 dollar range. Even companies like Dell & compaq have systems that do not come with the XP disc... now they do carry the system restore disc's... I'm just letting you know the insides. Other retailers, do that to keep customers coming back for repairs etc.. Obviously if stated, they should give the Xp cd to someone, but those come expensive, and buying a used, or refurb or even new systems, might not come with it, unless your willing to pay the premium cost of the same computer.
The person's answer right above me is also right, that's another reason why they don't.
_______________________________________________________
I make my own music & produce it too. PLEASE Check out our recording label Mindset Entertainment. Music at http://www.soundclick.com/mindsentertainmentinc - Keepin' it real
2006-09-12 08:48:55 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would not buy a PC with out the disk. We got a new HP and it came with all kinds of stuff. I think about ten disks, I have not opened the packages yet. Some people make up computers, they have operating systems they install and then make up another PC and use the same operating system for that PC.
2006-09-12 08:53:19 · answer #4 · answered by Thomas S 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ive just bought a new pc with windows xp but it now comes already installed on the computers hard drive apparently to stop people copying disks .
2006-09-12 08:50:52 · answer #5 · answered by candyfloss 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dell charges an addition $10 for a real Install disk. There should be some restoration disks there - that load the operating system and all the other stuff that manufacturers are compelled to load.
Have her call the company and see if she can BUY a reinstallation CD. It's worth it's weight in gold
2006-09-12 08:45:21 · answer #6 · answered by words_smith_4u 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If when you purchased the PC it said that you got the software discs then you would have it. Most times you do not get a full version of your software as a manufacturer will use a ghost to program X amount of PC`s a day. This is quite normal. I don`t think it`s fair to charge for windows xp when you only get it in an electronic form but this is what normally happens.
2006-09-12 08:49:32 · answer #7 · answered by besrkdwarf 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is a question of software licensing not of the media on which the the software is supplied.As far as I am aware your friend has a legal entitlement to a copy of the software.Check with Microsoft and badger the vendor.She is has paid for the license and I would not be happy (for what it costs) without without the installation disk.
2006-09-14 18:45:37 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
when buying a new PC windows xp should already be installed into the system. an older computer should have windows me or 2000 depending on how old it is but these new computers their installed at the factory an you cant delete them either which helps. if you want xp on an older computer then you can buy windows xp software which can be installed..........
2006-09-12 10:49:14 · answer #9 · answered by gary1 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
a lot of places do not send the disk any more. The liense is a label on the computer itself. This is what is worth the money. Computer companies are trying to reduce pirarcy and by not sending disks helps
2006-09-12 08:48:41 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋