Question about OS's that come with new laptops

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Do new laptops come pre-formatted? (I would prefer not.)

Does the retailer give you an actual XP OEM disc, or does it give you,
for example, one of those "Dell Exclusive XP" discs, which don't let
you reformat (because they reformat FOR you, so you aren't given any
chances to make changes)?

I am asking this because I have never bought a retail computer, not to
mention a laptop, before (I have always hand-built them from parts).

(Sorry for the run-on-ish grammar.)

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

"Citizen" <UncleScam@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1118180209.912058.37840@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> Do new laptops come pre-formatted? (I would prefer not.)
>
> Does the retailer give you an actual XP OEM disc,

Unfortunately most frequently NOT and that's for both laptops and desktops.
I wouldn't accept a system with the image restore CDs many mfgs supply these
days. It's an essential feature for a PC enthusiast to be able to clean
install the OS from an MS CD.

> or does it give you,
> for example, one of those "Dell Exclusive XP" discs, which don't let
> you reformat (because they reformat FOR you, so you aren't given any
> chances to make changes)?
>
> I am asking this because I have never bought a retail computer, not to
> mention a laptop, before (I have always hand-built them from parts).

You may be able to insist on an OS install(MS[OEM] release) CD at order
time. The difference between an MS retail release CD and an OEM OS release
CD is not important regarding the purposes I describe. The OEM CD may only
be able to install on the supplying mfg's hardware is the primary
difference.

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

"Citizen" <UncleScam@gmail.com> writes:
> Do new laptops come pre-formatted? (I would prefer not.)

Yes, almost always.

> Does the retailer give you an actual XP OEM disc,

No, almost never.

> or does it give you,
> for example, one of those "Dell Exclusive XP" discs, which don't let
> you reformat (because they reformat FOR you, so you aren't given any
> chances to make changes)?

Most commonly, XP is pre-installed on the hard drive and you don't
get any reinstallation CD's at all, though you can sometimes order
them separately.

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

since i just ordered a laptop from Dell, is there a way I can call them
up and insist on an OEM cd if they don't give me one?

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Yes, new computers come preformatted with the OS and other software
already installed.

The retailer doesn't give you anything. You get what is in the box (the
Gateway or HP or Compaq or {whoever} box). Exactly what that is, in
terms of the OS, varies. Sometimes you get nothing, sometimes you get a
CD which is very, very different from a "retail" Windows XP CD, and
sometimes you get, essentially, a full retail CD (although technically
it will always be an "OEM" edition of Windows).

Microsoft requires that OEMs provide a means to reinstall Windows,
however they are pretty flexible. So, depending on which of the above
options you have, you may find:

- A "restore" partition on the hard drive. Which is fine unless the
hard drive itself dies, in which case you may be out of luck

- A "restore" CD that can only restore the machine to it's full
configuration as it left the factory. This means that the OS will be
new, but so will all of the other factory supplied software, and in most
cases these CDs reformat the drive, wiping out any of your own software
or files that were on the machine.

- As mentioned, with some models you may get a CD that is essentially
the same as a retail CD and that will let you do anything that you could
do with a retail CD. This, however, is very much the exception rather
than the rule. And it varies not only by mfgr., but by model (e.g. some
Dell computers might come with it while other Dells won't).

Quite often, someone who knows what they are doing can effectively
"make" a general purpose CD from the hard drive. For example, while
many Toshiba systems only come with a "restore CD", the factory
installation has a full, uncompromised "I386" folder. This is all that
is necessary to do anything that you could do with a retail CD, if you
know how to use it. But Toshiba will never acknowledge this, and will
tell you, for example, that if you want to configure Dual boot, you will
have to buy a retail copy of Windows XP when in fact it can be done with
the factory distribution if you make your own Windows install disc by
burning the I386 folder to a CD.

[By the way, all of this applies equally to both laptops and desktops.
In this regard, there is nothing unique about laptops]


Citizen wrote:

> Do new laptops come pre-formatted? (I would prefer not.)
>
> Does the retailer give you an actual XP OEM disc, or does it give you,
> for example, one of those "Dell Exclusive XP" discs, which don't let
> you reformat (because they reformat FOR you, so you aren't given any
> chances to make changes)?
>
> I am asking this because I have never bought a retail computer, not to
> mention a laptop, before (I have always hand-built them from parts).
>
> (Sorry for the run-on-ish grammar.)
>

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Actually, some of the Dell systems do still come with real OS CDs. If
yours doesn't, your only option is to call them after the fact and ask
for them. They may or may not have them available, and if they do they
may (almost certainly will) charge for them.

If you have an "I386" folder on your computer (it could be almost
anywhere), and it's about 500 megabytes in size, and it has the files
Winnt.exe and Winnt32.exe on it, burn that folder to a CD. Before you
do this, however, create a text file in that folder called "Prodkey.txt"
and in that text folder, enter the product key for your computer. Enter
both the product key on the sticker on the computer itself, and also the
actual product key key of the running system, obtained with Aida,
Belarc, Everest, Magical Jelly bean or another program that can display
the product key. Sometimes, the sticker and the product key of the
running system will not match (which is ok, but it's good to have a
record of them both).



Citizen wrote:

> since i just ordered a laptop from Dell, is there a way I can call them
> up and insist on an OEM cd if they don't give me one?
>

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Only if they lowered the price to make it worth it to the consumer...

And it would have to be an optional choice, as many aren't
technologically ept enough to format a computer.