No OS disk with purch refurb laptop

Hi: I just bought a used laptop from a local refurb shop.

I am beating myself up for not asking before making the decision to buy, but I didn't, so now am trying to make the best of the situation: I didn't get any disk for reinstalling the OS (Win XP Pro). There's a Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity sticker on the bottom of the machine with my product key on it, and I'll confirm that it's legit at some point, when I figure out how, but I would like to be able to burn a reinstallation disk from what's here, if the installation left what I need on the drive for that purpose.

I called the shop to ask if maybe they'd hidden a set of files somewhere that could be used to do this, and the guy said no -- that if I were ever to need to reinstall, I'd need to borrow someone else's WinXP Pro disk to install with, and then register with my this product key.

I suspect that's what I will have to do, if the need ever arises, but thought I'd check with you folks to see if there is any standard way to deal with this, other than venting about my own lack of foresight (and warning my neighbors not to buy from that shop).

TIA!

 

sorry i can't help but even purchasing a new pc now a days they don't give you the os install disc only a drivers disc and it's really a crappy thing to do because you pay for the thing. it does suck. i wish i would have know this before i bought my newest pc because i would have demanded it.

 

Man, what a crock! I wish I knew something to help but I don't. However, let me offer a suggestion for future use. To buy a refurb and know what you are getting, buy it only from the factor that manufacturers it. Do not buy one off the web somewhere which is listed as factory refurbished. You never know in who's factory. I could sell a worn out one and advertise it as factory refurbished meaning I cleaned it up in my house. Instead, go to the company site like Dell, Gateway, etc. Then look for their refurbished pc's. They will come in three catagories: refurbished, scratch and dent, and returned. I buy all my pc's from the refurbished ones and I get good service from them. Good luck.

 

http://www.howtohaven.com/system/createwindowssetupdisk.shtml
Hope your OS isn't an upgrade, (Home to Pro, ME to Home, etc.) i386 may not have the files that you need in it).
Bug
rolleyes

 

Eh. I saw that page, thanks. Problem is, I don't have an i386 dir on my root. There are several directories by that name that are subdirs of c:\windows\, but I don't know if any of them is the one I need, nor how to tell. What would the right one have in it -- anyone know?

Thanks!

 

See screenshot...
Since you don't have it in C:\WINDOWS, disregard screenshot
http://ask-leo.com/i_dont_have_an_installation_cd_for_windows_xp_what_if_i_need_one.html
There may be several but the one we care about will contain close to 7,000 files, two of which will be winnt.exe and winnt32.exe.
Good Luck, the computer I am using now doesn't have an XP disk either, I have it backed up, but should probably make a disk myself.

 

http://www.tweakhound.com/xp/backup/1.htm
http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=27238
Check out these two pages, I imagine you have an upgrade.
You need to backup your system, preferably to an external drive, backup the drive Windows is on (C, and System State, If you ever crash where you can't boot up or your hard drive passes away then install Windows with someone elses CD, make sure it is the same version of XP you have (Home, Pro), and then restore the backup to get your system back. Windows free backup.exe has worked for me, but Acronis True Image seems to be the good paid program.
(If your backup has SP1 then you will need another SP1 Windows disk, if it is SP2 another SP2 disk.)

 

Yeah, no ... I don't have that directory. Come to think of it, I don't have it on my old desk-top machine, either. That one is WinXP Home, and I do have the WinXP Home installation disk. I don't suppose I could use that ... ?

 

No, you can't use the Home disk. It will be looking for a different license key to the one you have for Pro. Unless someone here knows a way of doing that??

 

So... help me understand what's going on here. :confused The owner of the local biz where I bought the laptop says this is standard for refurbished machines, and even for many new ones - that although the vendor is able to install the OS and provide me with a legal license/product key: 1) there's no installation disk that comes with the machine, and 2) there are not the files copied to the hard-drive that the articles I've read suggest should be there.

From what those articles say, when those files do exist, they are basically a copy of the files from an installation cd, correct? And now I'm hearing that the licenses that Microsoft sells to retailers don't permit copying of the install-files to the hard-drive. Maybe they used to and don't any more, or maybe they only do in certain circumstances (depending on what the retailer bought), but generally no -- that would be a violation of copyright, to copy the files to the hard-drive.

SO when (not if) I need access to installation files, my only **legal** options are 1) buy a copy of the OS (even though I paid for a license for the OS that's running on my machine right now) or 2) borrow a disk and use that (NOT copy it) to install, but then supply the product key of my own license during re-registration/re-authentication. AND this is standard with refurbished machines.

Is all of that right -- because the only way the vendor could have supplied me with a disk would be for him to have bought and sold me a more expensive version, the retail version of the software?

Thanks for help shedding light on this absurd situation!

 

Return the laptop. Got a receipt? You were ripped off, and I'd have to check, but I think its illegal for them to resale the machine with Windows and not the media or method to reinstall it.

 

This is untrue for a new machine. There is always a method to reinstall, if you dont have media, a recovery CD/DVD creator application is provided to you. The liecense that the OEM accepted to be able to redist. Windows REQUIRES them to provide the media or a method for reinstallation.

 

How would I check? Given that the store is saying that what they do is standard practice, you can be sure they're not going to refund my money unless I can prove that their practices are illegal. Googling and coming here to post the question were my first stabs at finding the answer to this question -- 'can they do that?' -- or actually, 'can I make them do what is right?'


Where else can I go to find out -- Microsoft, maybe?

 

I would call Microsoft.

1-(800) RU-LEGIT

Have them check your copy of Windows. They will most likely be able to clear up this confusion.

There is also a decent chance that the copy of Windows you have is not legal--in which case you can go back to the store you bought the machine with a case number, and make it clear that if they do not provide you with a legit copy of Windows, you will be more than happy to report them for piracy to Microsoft.