Where can I find a legitimate copy of Windows XP online?

[KSoD]

This is what I thought. I just can't see spending $100+ for a copy of windows I already rightfully own. It's not my fault they don't send restore disks with laptops anymore. If it hadn't have crashed the first week I had it I would have made the restore disks.

That is why you can order the media from the device manufacturer or use the Recovery Drive on the device. Microsoft is in no way responsible for what your laptop manufacturer does. You are making a mistake thinking that Microsoft is behind you not getting a disk. That is wrong. That is the manufacturer of the laptop. Complain to them about not getting a disk, not Microsoft.

The facts are this. You NEVER OWN Windows at all. You purchase a serial for you to use. But the fact is Microsoft still owns the software and the rights to distribute it the way they want. They have MSDN, TechNET and a way to order replacement media if yours is lost. So since those options are available, you downloading it from any source other than those 3, are technically illegal since they are not sanctioned by Microsoft to host the media for download.

So despite what any of us feel, that is the honest truth. Microsoft has taken steps since XP to offer the media replacements. Back in the days of XP there was no way other than to download it via 3rd party sources. Now they have the Replacement Media site where you can get a copy shipped to you. That is now the legal way to do it.

 

[Thomas]

That is why you can order the media from the device manufacturer or use the Recovery Drive on the device. Microsoft is in no way responsible for what your laptop manufacturer does. You are making a mistake thinking that Microsoft is behind you not getting a disk. That is wrong. That is the manufacturer of the laptop. Complain to them about not getting a disk, not Microsoft.

The facts are this. You NEVER OWN Windows at all. You purchase a serial for you to use. But the fact is Microsoft still owns the software and the rights to distribute it the way they want. They have MSDN, TechNET and a way to order replacement media if yours is lost. So since those options are available, you downloading it from any source other than those 3, are technically illegal since they are not sanctioned by Microsoft to host the media for download.

So despite what any of us feel, that is the honest truth. Microsoft has taken steps since XP to offer the media replacements. Back in the days of XP there was no way other than to download it via 3rd party sources. Now they have the Replacement Media site where you can get a copy shipped to you. That is now the legal way to do it.

That makes sense, Thanks for the clarification As for my situation I bought the laptop as a demo of sorts so there was no warranty and when I contacted Asus in regards to this they only suggested buying a replacement copy. They seemed oblivious to the fact that I had a key and it was not my fault the recovery partition was lost.

 

[KSoD]

That could be why. The laptop should have been factory reset before it was sold. I know at my job, Walmart, we have special software we put on there. When the time comes that the laptop is no longer being sold in store we try to send it back for credit to the manufacturer. If that isnt possible I, personally, go through each one and reset them back to factory settings. That way when it is purchased when the customer opens it up and powers it on for the first time it is just as it would be if they had bought it new. They get 10-20% off since it was a demo, but no software or anything else is left on the machine.

I take in my geek toolkit to do this as well. I first scrub the drive with DBAN or KillDisk then use the factory restore options to put it back. Some laptop manufacturer's are nasty about their restore options and that you can only access them from within Windows. Some like Sony have special software that you run within Windows that you must use to start the recovery process. Which is useless if Windows isnt working. So I went and purchased OEM media for putting Windows back on those machines. It is useful to have OEM disks anyways if you repair others PC's cause they might have a pre-built and you might need the disk to reinstall Windows anyways. So the $20 was well spent.

I havent dealt with to many Asus laptops, since we dont sell them in store. But they should have an option within the F8 Advanced Boot Menu to do a restore.

 

[Thomas]

That could be why. The laptop should have been factory reset before it was sold. I know at my job, Walmart, we have special software we put on there. When the time comes that the laptop is no longer being sold in store we try to send it back for credit to the manufacturer. If that isnt possible I, personally, go through each one and reset them back to factory settings. That way when it is purchased when the customer opens it up and powers it on for the first time it is just as it would be if they had bought it new. They get 10-20% off since it was a demo, but no software or anything else is left on the machine.

I take in my geek toolkit to do this as well. I first scrub the drive with DBAN or KillDisk then use the factory restore options to put it back. Some laptop manufacturer's are nasty about their restore options and that you can only access them from within Windows. Some like Sony have special software that you run within Windows that you must use to start the recovery process. Which is useless if Windows isnt working. So I went and purchased OEM media for putting Windows back on those machines. It is useful to have OEM disks anyways if you repair others PC's cause they might have a pre-built and you might need the disk to reinstall Windows anyways. So the $20 was well spent.

I havent dealt with to many Asus laptops, since we dont sell them in store. But they should have an option within the F8 Advanced Boot Menu to do a restore.

Yea this laptop was a mistake from the start. I got it home to find I couldn't use it due to some Officemax in store demo so I had to do a system restore right off. Then over the next few days as I was removing the bloatware and getting my apps and such it was left unattended and somehow the hd crashed when the batt went dead. So I Contacted Asus to find out they wouldn't help and Officemax refused to admit they sold it with store software on it.

 

[KSoD]

Ouch. Yeah I can understand why you would want to get OEM branded software at that point. Sadly not all companies are diligent when it comes to making sure that demo models are restored and in proper working condition before they are sold. It is for such reasons that I dont recommend demo units unless you can see it before it is sold to make sure that it is restored.

 

[Thomas]

Ouch. Yeah I can understand why you would want to get OEM branded software at that point. Sadly not all companies are diligent when it comes to making sure that demo models are restored and in proper working condition before they are sold. It is for such reasons that I dont recommend demo units unless you can see it before it is sold to make sure that it is restored.

Yea this is not something I would do again! At the time saving half the cost of new seemed like a good idea