Need to re-install XP on Dell laptop, can't find XP CD, free/legal way to acquire?

LoneIgadzra

Hey, I need to reformat and reinstall Windows XP on a Dell Inspiron 6000 laptop due to catastrophic virus damage. However, the owner can't find the original XP Home SP2 CD that came with the laptop. Is there some way we can, say, acquire the image legally? I don't need a product key because the laptop came with one; just the bootable XP install disc.

(I thought I might be able to use my own XP Professional SP2 disc, until I looked at the sticker on the bottom of the laptop and realized it was for XP Home. Ugh.)

Chanus

You used to be able to contact Microsoft if you had the Serial Key and get a new copy issued. Don't know if that's still the case (this was at least Windows 98-era when I did it).

PeregrineFalcon

Do you know someone with another Dell OEM copy of XP Home?

That's about your only (free) solution, because the key on the bottom there is a Dell-OEM-locked key.

MisterGrok

The laptop most likely did not come with a Windows Home cd but an "application recovery disc" - this is a pretty common practice and easy to miss if you're looking for a straight-up windows cd. It also looks like this computer might have the Dell System Restore:

Inspiron 6000 Manual said:

Using Dell PC Restore by Symantec
NOTE: Dell PC Restore is available only on computers purchased in certain regions.
Use Dell PC Restore by Symantec only as the last method to restore your operating system. PC Restore
restores your hard drive to the operating state it was in when you purchased the computer. Any programs or
files added since you received your computer—including data files—are permanently deleted from the hard
drive. Data files include documents, spreadsheets, e-mail messages, digital photos, music files, and so on.
If possible, back up all data before using PC Restore.
NOTICE: Using PC Restore permanently deletes all data on the hard drive and removes any applications or drivers
installed after you received your computer. If possible, back up the data before using PC Restore.
To use PC Restore:
1 Turn on the computer.
During the boot process, a blue bar with www.dell.com appears at the top of the screen.
2 Immediately upon seeing the blue bar, press <Ctrl><F11>.
If you do not press <Ctrl><F11> in time, let the computer finish restarting, and then restart the
computer again.
NOTICE: If you do not want to proceed with PC Restore, click Reboot in the following step.
3 On the next screen that appears, click Restore.
4 On the next screen, click Confirm.
The restore process takes approximately 6–10 minutes to complete.
5 When prompted, click Finish to reboot the computer.
NOTE: Do not manually shut down the computer. Click Finish and let the computer completely reboot.

TL DR

LoneIgadzra wrote: »

Hey, I need to reformat and reinstall Windows XP on a Dell Inspiron 6000 laptop due to catastrophic virus damage. However, the owner can't find the original XP Home SP2 CD that came with the laptop. Is there some way we can, say, acquire the image legally? I don't need a product key because the laptop came with one; just the bootable XP install disc.

(I thought I might be able to use my own XP Professional SP2 disc, until I looked at the sticker on the bottom of the laptop and realized it was for XP Home. Ugh.)

You can use any XP disc without technical difficulty. From a legal perspective, you still own the license that came with the Dell, even if the disc is missing. So if you can either find another XP Home disc or are no longer using your XP Pro license on another machine, you're legally covered.

Tofystedeth

You can also usually contact the OEM, Dell in this case, and get a replacement disc from them as well if you have the SN or Service Tag number of the laptop.

edit: But in order to use another disc/image with the Key associated with that laptop, you will need an OEM disc as those are different types of keys.

LoneIgadzra

Couldn't find any generic "restore" disks - first possibility I thought of.

Dell wanted $50 for a replacement disc, which we reluctantly paid assuming that was the only way to get one that worked with the dell product key because we could not find an application restore disk and my client didn't want to search any more.

Now I feel silly, because there was indeed a restore partition, but I think the real problem is the hard drive is dying because the reason we had to go through this in the first place was a bad sector.

TL DR

$50 is outrageous.

LoneIgadzra

yeah I'm trying not to think about it, I didn't see what other option there was though

Fizban140

I had a somewhat similar problem, I decided to upgrade to free Win7 and it has worked perfectly.

MKR

I've never had trouble installing a normal XP disc with an OEM key. Every Windows disc has every version of that particular Windows. They key just tells the installer which one you've paid for.