Legal or Illegal? Dangerous or Safe?

When I bought my computer new it came with XP Home installed on it and a recovery disk. I learned the hard way that a recovery disk is a safeguard used by the computer manufacturers to get your computer back on its feet by simply reformatting and writing over everything rather than allowing you to fix things. I managed to recover everything with a recovery program.

I looked for a long time for some way to get to the Recovery Console, or whatever it's called in English, and couldn't get there, no matter what I tried. I then started reading about this and found out it's a fact, but one that can be gotten around by a backdoor provided by Microsoft itself. I was instructed to go to http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/release.asp?releaseid=33293 and download WinXP_DE_HOM_BF.EXE

I went to the Microsoft website which gave me this message:

The download you requested is unavailable. If you continue to see this message when trying to access this download, go to the "Search for a Download" area on the Download Center home page.​

I searched away at MS and found nothing. I then put the name of the program into Google and found a copy in Turkey. I can't read Turkish, but I'm wondering how you can determine if something is legal or illegal when you download it?

I'm also wondering why XP is so unmanageable in the Home version? Is it some strategy to make you break down and cry and buy Pro? Or is there some simple economic explanation for this? (also, but unrelated: I would like something like a Linux with default points to work outwards from or even better, an interactive computer I can talk to in the microphone and tell it what I want)

abri

 

You could try translating the website (using google) and try to find some info on the files you want to download. They may tell you if what they are doing is legit or not.

 

I have used the Recovery console from my Windows disk and bailed my self out of serious trouble a couple of times when I had a failing RAM module and data kept becoming corrupted. Possibly the best revovery package you can have is the Ultimate Boot CD full of recovery and rescue applications and avail from this site but I would certainly google UBCD and go to the developers website to get the heads up as well:

http://majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=4981

Now some info on the "Recovery Console":

http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=185301251

Possibly one of the most important articles you can find is to use the reinstall XP without losing "ANY" settings and or software:

http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2006/2006-06-22.htm

Look at the second article and follow all of the links (empowering the recovery console, etc etc).

As far as legality goes wrt to your early point it is very hard to say but everything I provided will empower your capacity to restore your OS in all but the most direst of situations.

 

Technically itt's illegal, since you are only supposed to get MS products from MS or authorized distributors. In reality it's highly unlikely MS would take any action against you since you have a valid license which you have paid for. Their main concern is those who pirate their products and don't pay for them.

 

ABRI....

The links you are looking for are here without the quotes

Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
"http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=E8FE6868-6E4F-471C-B455-BD5AFEE126D8"

Microsoft Windows XP Professional
"http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=55820EDB-5039-4955-BCB7-4FED408EA73F"

The WINXP_EN_HOM_BF.EXE file which you refer to will build six XP setup floppies. These are legal as they come directly from Microsoft. Now, perhaps you can get around the "recovery" issue with OEM recovery CD's but I have not tried myself. If you do, please report back your results. In theory it seems like it should work.

 

See my answer to you in the other thread.
abri

 

The links work fine. I just downloaded both the the HOME and PRO editions without a problem. Did you copy and paste the link exactly as I have it without the quotes?

 

MS Restore point procedure has saved my bacon on more than one occasion, since using XP.
I try to remember to do a weekly Restore point, and also every time I have a bad feeling about something I am about to install.
It is (not) surprising how few XP computer users know nothing about restore points.
Bazza

 

In a high school project my neighbour's son installed an illegal copy of Windows XP although he had the original licensed copy at home. It has fallen to me to correct this.
Is it possible for me to use the method described in Langas XP's No-Reformat, Nondestructive Total-Rebuild Option as shown at:
http://www.informationweek.com/windows/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=189400897
to install the legal version?
Or am I going to have to do it the hard way.

 

The "repair" option, as stated in the article, should do what you want. Part of the repair process will ask you for the KEY which you would enter using your legal key.

 

I know I'm being really dumb here, but what is an illegal copy of windows? I have a lot of ideas of what an illegal copy could be, like one that doesn't require any activation key at all, or one that's been installed on several computers, but is that what you're talking about? Or does this refer to software that's OEM and which has been installed on the wrong equipment? <curious>
abri

 

I was simply referring to FUZZY'S

But, while on the subject, the definition of illegal Windows would be one that is not on the original media, not having the original EULA, or using a KEY that has already been used on another machine.

OEM versions are interesting because the strictest interpretation of the license indicates that the OEM copy can only be used with the serial number of the machine it was sold with. If, however the original machine was destroyed, I believe the license can then be used on another machine.

 

What does "cracked" refer to? Does that mean there is no longer a validation key?
abri

 

Sorry, I am not familiar with the term. Perhaps a reference to a code that bypasses the validation check?

 

In this case, "cracked" means the application has been altered in some way in order use it without actually purchasing it.

 

I've been reading about WGA and OGA (Windows/Office Genuine Advantage), and Hartje, the director of this program at Microsoft, says people must be educated with regard to illegal software to stop the resale of the software. Since the tactics Microsoft has been using, to get their updates into everyone's computers, go as far as being veiled, I have to question what is behind all this, since a company should not have to "sneak" things into your computer unless there's some problem about what they're doing. If you have a choice about installing software, how can it suddenly be in your computer if you've unchecked it from the install list? Who's the one doing something "illegal" here and why? Why deceive your customers unless you want to give your own company the image of being the bad guy? Aggressively asking you to give up your privacy is ... well ... not a very good business practice.
abri