Reformatting and installing OS

[RisingFalls]

I have to reformat my laptop due to an unforunate virus, but I can't find the original windows XP installation CD/DVD.
Can I use any other windows XP's recovery CD/DVD or installation CD/DVD for it? I still have my desktop one, I'm hoping it will work, since I don't use and haven't used the desktop in months now.

Also, can I use that recovery/installation CD/DVD to instal a working OS on a hard drive without an OS?

 

[Alvin.C]

Hello,

What edition of Windows XP do you have on your laptop?

What edition of Windows XP is the installation disc?

Do you have a Certificate of Authenticity label on the underside of your laptop / Product Key?

The Windows XP installation CD will need to be the same edition as the OS you currently have on your laptop, otherwise you won't be able to use the Product Key on the COA label.

Also, what laptop do you have? And has it ever been formatted? I ask because nearly all laptops sold don't come with a recovery disc or OS installation CD, because the OS is a preinstalled and OEM. Commonly, the hard drive has a 'recovery partition' where the user can restore the system to a factory state, and the user is usually forced to burn a set of recover discs themselves.

If you have a retail Windows XP installation CD, then yes, you can use that disc to install Windows XP on any PC. However, you can't use the same product key on all machines. Each PC will need it's own product key.

 

[RisingFalls]

They are both XP Home Edition.

I have a certificate of authenticity on the desktop one.

The laptop is a Dell, not very good, the desktop one is a Vaio from Sony. To my knowledge it has never been formatted before.

I don't have the retail version of Windows XP, I am asking if the recovery disk I have now will work to install Windows XP Home Edition on a hard drive, using the key that came with it on a computer I am not using. The key is not my concern at the moment. I can buy windows XP Home Edition again and wait for Vista to improve, I guess.

 

[Alvin.C]

Hello,

Alright. Unfortunately, you can't use recovery discs intended for your Sony desktop, on your Dell laptop.

You will need to get hold of a retail version of Windows XP Home Edition, or a set of recovery discs for your particular laptop.

What Dell laptop do you have?

 

[ZenOswyn]

If you do have your product key, give dell a call and see if they can get you an extra disk.

 

[jebathan]

The product key should be stuck to the bottom of your laptop. Dell or Windows should be able to send you a new disk for cheap. The key is where they make all the money.
Which brings up a question I have. Is it legal to download an image of the Windows disk as long as you have your product key? or for any product that requires an activation key of some sort?
Sorry to take this off from his topic.

 

[Alvin.C]

The product key should be stuck to the bottom of your laptop. Dell or Windows should be able to send you a new disk for cheap. The key is where they make all the money.
Which brings up a question I have. Is it legal to download an image of the Windows disk as long as you have your product key? or for any product that requires an activation key of some sort?
Sorry to take this off from his topic.

Yes it is.

 

[RisingFalls]

I'll try emailing Microsoft, for the laptop.
Maybe I'll try that for the desktop too, an installation disk using the cd key of my desktop, saying it wasn't working. Seeing as how it isn't, to be true.