Slipstreaming with OEM machine

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.perform_maintain (More info?)

I would love to be able to repair or reinstall when necessary, so I would
like to create an SP2 slipstreamed CD. My problem is that I have OEM restore
CDs and, from what I read, these won't work. The manufacturer is balking at
my request, only offering more restore CDs for a price. Didn't I pay for the
XP operating system? Is there a way to use these disks?
Any help would be MOST appreciated.
Thanks,
Randy

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.perform_maintain (More info?)

"olinv" <olinv@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:2BC039B9-8A25-4172-B771-DF5E43629F97@microsoft.com...
>I would love to be able to repair or reinstall when necessary, so I would
> like to create an SP2 slipstreamed CD. My problem is that I have OEM
> restore
> CDs and, from what I read, these won't work. The manufacturer is balking
> at
> my request, only offering more restore CDs for a price. Didn't I pay for
> the
> XP operating system? Is there a way to use these disks?
> Any help would be MOST appreciated.
> Thanks,
> Randy
>

Unfortunately, you paid for the OS as the manufacturer provides it, and
since they pay less, you get less (and you paid less than if you had bought
a computer from a mom & pop shop with a generic version of the OS).

One thing that a lot of people don't get is that there are different
versions of the OS and owning one doesn't entitle you to the benefits of
another. Buying a computer from a big OEM gets you the OS the way they offer
it, and unfortunately it doesn't entitle you to the OS on a generic OEM cd.

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.perform_maintain (More info?)

Is there a reliable method for OS repair with these disks (Norton Ghost
style), or should I pick up a real XP CD?

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.perform_maintain (More info?)

"Jason Haynes" <jasonlhaynes@COLDmail.com> wrote in message
news:e0GJ0m3%23EHA.1300@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
>
> "D.Currie" <dmbcurrie.nospam@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:34tuleF4fj24hU1@individual.net...
>
> <snip>
> Buying a computer from a big OEM gets you the OS the way they offer
>> it, and unfortunately it doesn't entitle you to the OS on a generic OEM
>> cd.
>>
> While that's true of most OEM's (HP/Compaq being the biggest
> practitioner), both Gateway and Dell ship with an actual Windows XP CD,
> labeled with their logos, with their systems which can be used the create
> a slipstream disk. Of course, buying one now should already have SP2
> slipstreamed in. I was able to slipstream the os disk that came with my
> Gateway purchased in 2002 without a problem.
>

Like I said, you get the OS "the way they offer it." and Dell and Gateway do
things differently than HP or Compaq. And if you don't get exactly what you
want, you aren't due anything else.

As far as it goes, those Dell CDs aren't identical to the generic OEM cds.
The install files are there, but they are customized.