I have an old HP Pavillion desktop that was using Windows XP Media Center Edition 2002, Service Pack 2. We just invested in a new imac, so now that computer is not needed for everyday family use. I would like to erase the hard drive, then reinstall Windows XP so that my son can have the computer for basic websurfing and some small programs. The system has been so "damaged" by viruses and malware that I think this is my only option.
Here's the challenge...HP acknowledges that Windows XP was preinstalled, and that they did not include a recovery disk with the computer when I bought it. However, since Windows XP is an outdated system, they no longer have any recovery disks to ship to me. I assume this means I would have to buy XP again, which would be very frustrating.
Any ideas on how to get around this problem? If my only choice is to buy Windows XP, would it even be worth it to go through this process? Will the system operate like it did when first purchased if I delete the hard drive of everything and reinstall XP? I don't want to waste my time or spend the money if the system won't be better than it currently is.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
