Buy the restore discs or just get XP OEM?

[Heresy]

My HP Pavilion 522c that is going on 3 years old now. It has never been reformatted, and I have since deleted important programs and bogged it down with tons of crap. Now, I really want to just wipe the main hard drive clean and start anew. The problem is that the computer didn't come with restore discs and the program that is supposed to burn restore discs for you is MIA. Basically, I will be forced to buy a set of 7 discs from HP to reformat my computer which will cost $25 plus shipping. Is it better to just say screw it and buy Windows XP off of newegg or from Costco?

Also, I want to build a new computer later that has better specs than what I have now and would like to run a Windows XP on it. If I bought the XP, could I install it on both systems without getting hassled by Microsoft?

 

[KSoD]

Yes on both accounts. All you owuld have to do is call customer service and explain to them you got a new Pc and would like to transfer and theywill give you a new activation number. I have done it personally. So i would say just get XP instead of this since most older OS's are ntot supported and can be exploited. At least with XP you can still get new updates and fixes for those problems while older OS's wont heve them.

 

[EricB]

My HP Pavilion 522c that is going on 3 years old now. It has never been reformatted, and I have since deleted important programs and bogged it down with tons of crap. Now, I really want to just wipe the main hard drive clean and start anew. The problem is that the computer didn't come with restore discs and the program that is supposed to burn restore discs for you is MIA. Basically, I will be forced to buy a set of 7 discs from HP to reformat my computer which will cost $25 plus shipping. Is it better to just say screw it and buy Windows XP off of newegg or from Costco?

Also, I want to build a new computer later that has better specs than what I have now and would like to run a Windows XP on it. If I bought the XP, could I install it on both systems without getting hassled by Microsoft?

did you hit f10 upon booting and try their system recovery?

 

[mestizo122]

My HP Pavilion 522c that is going on 3 years old now. It has never been reformatted, and I have since deleted important programs and bogged it down with tons of crap. Now, I really want to just wipe the main hard drive clean and start anew. The problem is that the computer didn't come with restore discs and the program that is supposed to burn restore discs for you is MIA. Basically, I will be forced to buy a set of 7 discs from HP to reformat my computer which will cost $25 plus shipping. Is it better to just say screw it and buy Windows XP off of newegg or from Costco?

Also, I want to build a new computer later that has better specs than what I have now and would like to run a Windows XP on it. If I bought the XP, could I install it on both systems without getting hassled by Microsoft?

Assuming that your computer was running Windows XP in the first place, you should be able to purchase an OEM copy of Windows XP, use the CD to install, but use the serial number on the computer to install. That will make sure that you won't get any hassle from Microsoft when you want to install the purchase OEM serial on the new computer.

Not sure if that was what Makaveli213 was saying, but what I got from him was to try and install with the same serial.

 

[KSoD]

You can use the same serial just make sur eyou tell M$. If not you might get hasseled. Prob not but when you go to activate it, it goes by the hardware you have installed. So they might give a hassle since it wont be the same hardware but you can just call them and tell them you got a new PC and you put XP on it and they will talk for a few minutes then just give you a new ID.

 

[mestizo122]

You can use the same serial just make sur eyou tell M$. If not you might get hasseled. Prob not but when you go to activate it, it goes by the hardware you have installed. So they might give a hassle since it wont be the same hardware but you can just call them and tell them you got a new PC and you put XP on it and they will talk for a few minutes then just give you a new ID.

Sorry if I am missing something obvious, but why use the same serial, when he has two? If he is purchasing a new one, and has an old one, why not use both?

 

[EricB]

Sorry if I am missing something obvious, but why use the same serial, when he has two? If he is purchasing a new one, and has an old one, why not use both?

true

 

[simplechords]

YOu don't need to burn the recover disk. Just click start menu-programs-hewlett packard-hp system tools-system recovery.

Go to hp.com and type in you model to get better instructions. YOu only need to use the recovery dics if you hd gets corrupt.

 

[EricB]

YOu don't need to burn the recover disk. Just click start menu-programs-hewlett packard-hp system tools-system recovery.

Go to hp.com and type in you model to get better instructions. YOu only need to use the recovery dics if you hd gets corrupt.

I was ignored when I gave that advice.

did you hit f10 upon booting and try their system recovery?

this will also take you the hidden partition take HP keep on their hard drives, so that you can restore the computer back to the condition it was when it left the store (with it's original applications), which is a better way than reinstalling xp, plus you don't have to activate XP when you do it like this