Adventures in Formatting

Enc

Good morning, H/A!

I need to reformat my computer, but I don't have the XP disk that came with this guy back in 2003. Any ideas of how I could get the ability to format my computer without finding someone else with a disk? I've pretty much run into a wall on options here, as almost all of my friends are on Macs or out of the country.

Thanks!

MurphysParadox

Just for clarification, by reformat you mean wipe the computer and then install windows XP?

OR do you just mean wipe the data off the hard drive so you can sell it or use it as an external hard drive or various other non-operating-system related tasks?

Enc

Wipe and Reinstall. I use the PC for pretty much all of my gaming needs and I won't be able to afford a new computer for another six months.

Spam

How were you planning on reinstalling windows after formatting if you don't have your disk?

If you want to use your existing Windows CD-Key (which I assume you've got stuck to the top of your case, or at least written down somewhere), you'll need to find your old disk, or get a copy of the same version.

Windows CD-Keys are specific to disk versions btw, so a Windows XP Pro SP1 retail disk won't work with a Windows XP Pro SP2 OEM CD-Key for example.

Enc

Spam wrote: »

How were you planning on reinstalling windows after formatting if you don't have your disk?

If you want to use your existing Windows CD-Key (which I assume you've got stuck to the top of your case, or at least written down somewhere), you'll need to find your old disk, or get a copy of the same version.

Windows CD-Keys are specific to disk versions btw, so a Windows XP Pro SP1 retail disk won't work with a Windows XP Pro SP2 OEM CD-Key for example.

That's kinda my problem. I have my key on my case, but no disk and no one in my contact sphere with the same version as me (all Mac or Vista). It's an old machine. : /

Are there resources for the various system cds? The Windows website has not been helpful.

Spam

Try here:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;326246

Improvolone

Call MS. They deal with this fairly often.

TK-42-1

if its a prebuilt system like a dell, you can request a copy of your install disks from them for either free or cheap

Enc

TK-42-1 wrote: »

if its a prebuilt system like a dell, you can request a copy of your install disks from them for either free or cheap

Dell is telling me that since the machine is so old they will require $50 for the replacement cds plus shipping. That seems a bit much, since I could almost buy a new copy of Windows for that. Ugh. I'm going to try the Windows hotline on my lunch break. Hopefully they will be more helpful.