[caeli_]

ok so i didn't actually lose it. i kinda sat on it while my bf and i were fooling around. now i have to reformat and i tried looking for an iso of windows xp home but i cant find one. the ones i found have very few seeders and it might take days before i get to download it completely. i was able to download one but it wasnt bootable. i dont need a serial number, just the iso. any ideas?

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Borrow a CD from a friend.

[Neil Jones]

Borrow a CD from a friend.

[piper]

Hi caeli_!

You can also call Microsoft at (800) 360-7561 to order replacement media. This would be a better solution for the long-term.

See Microsoft article 326246 for additional support options.

[caeli_]

tnx for the replies. problem is, i bought my laptop from dell back when i was in the us. so my xp home is oem. now im back in the philippines and most of the people i know use xp pro. and if i would order a replacement from dell, it would take days, and shipping would also cost a lot. any more ideas?

[rharris270]

If you really just want to format the hard drive, then any XP CD will do. Run the reocvery console and format.

But, if you also want to re-install XP, then you need the original CD, not a random CD.

OK, technically you can install with any XP CD, but XP will immediately demand that you activate, and the MIcrososft computers (or service people, if you get one) will not permit you to activate the same license that someone else has already used. Thus, in no more than 30 days, the PC will stop working.

But, since it is an OEM PC, you should contact the OEM, which in your case sounbds like Dell.

By the way, the "CD" you received from Dell may not be an XP CD at all ! Instead, it might be a bootable CD that runs a restoration program (e.g., like Norton GHOST) and the real data is on a hidden partition on the hard drive. In this case, the hidden image would not only include XP, but all hardware-specific drivers, and maybe even all other programs purchased from Dell with the PC.

Bottom-line: Call Dell for their advice. If the CD is only a restoration program, it will be very small, and maybe Dell could point you to their website to get an ISO copy.