Thinking of buying XP Home on E-bay, any opinions!

[Raptor]

And where do I get the Linux you are using?

[GX1_Man]

Have you tried any Linux to this point? Virtually all of the free distros can be downloaded at

www.distrowatch.com

either by http or bittorrent. Just burn the ISO and boot and you are on your way.

Linspire LiveCD can be downloaded free at:

http://media.linspire.com/cnr_linspirelive/

The installable version usually costs, but it frequently is offered substantially reduced or free during special promotions. You can periodically google "free linspire" and you might get lucky. Do you have an extra machine or an empty hard drive that needs the experience?

Linspire has more eye candy than most so they recommend an 800 Mhz processor and 256 RAM as minimum. You can do it on less but it is slower, though just as stable. As I mentioned other versions can run on a lot less. As with Windows more can be better, but certainly not necessary.

Of course the Live CD is going to be slower than a hard drive install. You also will not be able to download through click and run to see how easy ijnstalling programs in because you can't install to a spinning CD running your OS. It is pretty sweet. They don't always have cutting edge last second releases, but what they have is stable. You can download with apt-get like any Debian distro, but because it is a specialized install, it could break the Linspire system. As long as you use click and run, the installs go easily, and if a new version of an installed program is available, it can automatically download the updates!

If you have any "exotic" hardware, Linux lags behind onlyh because the manufacturers only provide Windows drivers and then they have to be reverse engineered.

At the very least it would be an interesting experiment. What kind of computer setup do you have?

[Fordtruckmaniac]

Another question. Where I had in my other post a few weeks ago, about my local computer guru wanting more than I want to spend to reload this coumputer.

He wants to start with a new disk and product key.

Can't he grab from somewhere in this computer the product key number for the XP Pro system thats already installed in it and just use it again? I keep asking him this and he just worms around the issue saying it may be a robbed number or something to that effect. But heck, maybe it not.

I realize I would not have a disk still, but the computer would be healed up, and I could get the proper security measures taken care of to "try" and keep it clean. I have never had to reload my Gateway for any reason in 5 years of healthy use. So I am fairing well with it, and could surely do it again.

Thanks,

[Raptor]

Can't he grab from somewhere in this computer the product key number for the XP Pro system thats already installed in it and just use it again? I keep asking him this and he just worms around the issue saying it may be a robbed number or something to that effect. But heck, maybe it not.  

He is right if:

• The OS was not allready installed when you bought the PC
  
• You do not have a valid license with the serial number
  
• You do not have a sticker with the serial number
  
• You do not have a recovery or installation CD.
  

How much is he charging?

[Fordtruckmaniac]

He is right if:

• The OS was not allready installed when you bought the PC
• You do not have a valid license with the serial number
• You do not have a sticker with the serial number
• You do not have a recovery or installation CD.

How much is he charging?

The OS was already on the computer when it was given to me. The computer was given to me by my sons girlfriend. It was her families computer.

It was a custom built computer for the family. The computer was dead in the water when she gave it to me. She knew I liked to tinker with computers, just to see if I can get them going again.

It was horribly corrupted with spyware and adware and many trojans. They just bought a new computer rather than try and fix this one.

So anyway, no I do not have the valid license with the serial number. Or a start up disk or anything.

But as said, the OS, XP Pro was already installed on the computer and used by them for more than a year. They can't find the disk from where the computer was built. It has been misplaced.

So am I SOL?  

Oh yeah, for a new XP Home disk and license, etc, and to install it he was wanting $160.00 or $180.00.

[merlin_2]

If you have the product key.......ask msoft for a replacement disk.....no comments on emay.....

[Fordtruckmaniac]

Can I myself, access this product information key from within the computer somehow?

Thanks.

[GX1_Man]

Can I myself, access this product information key from within the computer somehow?

Thanks.

Here is a great freeware download. It's legal:

http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml

It will give you the info you need.

[Fordtruckmaniac]

Here is a great freeware download. It's legal:

http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml

It will give you the info you need.

Thanks, I'll check it out.

[Fordtruckmaniac]

If you have the product key.......ask msoft for a replacement disk.....no comments on emay.....

Can a person request a replacement disk from their web-site? Or how does one go about doing this?

I am going to try the "magic jellybean" route here in little while, if the computer will take the download.

[GX1_Man]

It is a very small download (will fit on a floppy if you need someone else to download it).

[Fordtruckmaniac]

I switched out the computers.

I am on the free one now.

The magic jellybean worked like a charm! It downloaded fine and I now have the XP Pro CD key number.

Now what the heck do I do with it? Is there somewhere on Microsofts web-site I can request a new CD, or verify if its a good number?

I will go there now and look around.


GX1_Man, thanks much for that tip.

Thanks to all, who have responded to my post .

[GX1_Man]

The magic jellybean worked like a charm! It downloaded fine and I now have the XP Pro CD key number.

Now what the heck do I do with it? Is there somewhere on Microsofts web-site I can request a new CD, or verify if its a good number?

Well, I think I would give Microsoft a call. Let's see how good their customer support is. ("Where do you want to go today?"

[Raptor]

Oh yeah, for a new XP Home disk and license, etc, and to install it he was wanting $160.00 or $180.00.

Fair, but you can do it yourself as well.

[Fordtruckmaniac]

I did check the number with the "valadation assistant" on Microsofts web-site and it said the product key is a good number.