Windows CDs

[Ben Rogers]

Basically you need the right download for the particular key, so you'd need 1 for Dell, 1 for HP, 1 for Compaq, 1 for general OEM, 1 for upgrade etc

Basically it's impossible to do legitimately, especially now XP is defunct.

Thanks. I will probably try and get the CD from the customers if they have them if not I will have to use an OEM XP with their COA and hope it works I guess else I dont see how else I can do it legit.

[mikerr]

AIUI you can install with any key, then use the key changer util (legit) from microsoft:

http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/sel...XPPkuinst.aspx

[peterb]

XP is just 2000 with extra stuff and it looks nicer from what I have worked out and experienced over the years, but at least its stable and not based on 9x lol
snip--->

Not exactly. There were some significant differences. The obvious one was the activation 'feature' - less obvious ones included changes to the structure of the MFT (additional fields) and some use of alternate data streams. There were/are others.

[smargh]

Are you sure about this? For just Windowx XP there are 43 distinct CD versions listed here: http://wiki.lunarsoft.net/wiki/Product_IDs - there are ones more common than others, but it'll still be a pain in the ass. Good luck figuring out which version of Windows someone has installed when they have no COA sticker and the HDD is knackered enough to prevent you from looking at the bottom of the eula.txt file.

If you do want to proceed with getting as many versions of legit Windows CDs as you can, consider this: http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=12517 - I've not tried it myself, but it looks excellent.

[Ben Rogers]

Are you sure about this? For just Windowx XP there are 43 distinct CD versions listed here: http://wiki.lunarsoft.net/wiki/Product_IDs - there are ones more common than others, but it'll still be a pain in the ass. Good luck figuring out which version of Windows someone has installed when they have no COA sticker and the HDD is knackered enough to prevent you from looking at the bottom of the eula.txt file.

If you do want to proceed with getting as many versions of legit Windows CDs as you can, consider this: http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=12517 - I've not tried it myself, but it looks excellent.

That product looks like a good idea.

I have a SATA/IDE USB device x2 (2.5" / 3.5") to get data from hdds that cannot make it into the OS from another computer arriving tomorrow. I could perhaps use one of them in the same way that product works or install a server OS onto a laptop with images of all OS' on and then PXE boot them onto PCs..if I did charge by the hour but I am not sure what would actually take longer tbh? installing over 100Mbit LAN or USB2? looks like USB2 is way quicker as I can only get upto 10MB/s on 100Mbit LAN and it says USB2 is upto 480mbps but with overheads taken into account it equates to roughly 20-25MB/s

[pipTheGeek]

MS service packs may be as large as the original, but I downloaded a service pack for Business Objects a year or 2 ago and it was well over 1GB. I seem to remember it was several 100MB larger than the original product download. Never did make it work either.

I have this same problem but on a smaller scale. As with most of us, I do tech support for various friends. Most of which have lost their Windows discs, or never built the recovery discs. I really wish MS would make this easy and make the media freely available. I can't really believe that the attempts to control supply of the Windows media has any impact on piracy rates.

On XP discs that shipped with SP2 appeared to have different keys to no SP and SP1. Also, as previously mentioned keys for different large OEMs are different. Did different languages also have different keys? Was this really necessary and does Win 7 make it all this complex? Obviously, I realise that home, pro, ultimate etc DO need different keys, but all the other "versions", really?

[Ben Rogers]

What happens if someone has an original XP install but has installed all service packs and the COA is for the original, this is getting very confusing now.

Microsoft probably do this to almost force people to buy a newer OS or even a new PC!

[lodore]

I have the same problem. atm ive got windows 98se (only because windows 2k is upgrade license),windows 2000,windows xp sp3 oem,vista 32oem,vista 64bit oem,windows 7 retail with both 32bit and 64bit discs.
most of my clients have XP.

before i got a windows xp disc i phoned up acer on behalf of my client and they wanted £55 for replacement media. most dells provide windows discs so why dont the other companies? I did have one customer that had an acer netbook and it prompted me to insert discs to create the windows recovery disc but of course netbooks dont have a disc drive... it did have an image to restore to factory but of course if the harddrive fails you would need to pay acer £55 for discs.

[Ben Rogers]

A lot of people use XP still, especially in businesses from my experience and is why I made this thread really as I could be dealing with this problem a lot.

I don't know a way to get even an OEM version of XP Home / Pro Legit.

I do not want to download them illegally and use a proper COA as I want to do things properly as I do not want anything illegal to happen within my company even if it is okay, technically.

I really hope Microsoft get back to me, but I am not holding my breath to say the least.

I just want to do things properly and not resort to methods that are not legal ever.

lodore, can I ask you - where did you get the discs for the OS' you mentioned as I need to get them ASAP.

[Stringent]

I don't know if what I am going to say will cross a line. However if you have lost the CD, if you have a licensing subscription then you can download the image file from Microsoft, alternatively, if you have an MSDN subs then from there as well. If you know someone with either then you can get them to download you a copy and burn it for you.

There are other ways of obtaining the Microsoft Operating Systems with the Service Packs all Slipstreamed into them which is very handy, provided you have a legit key to install them on, I don't see the problem in getting it this way.

If you have an OEM machine (Dell, HP) then you would have to look for that specific image file though.

[mikerr]

If you do want to proceed with getting as many versions of legit Windows CDs as you can, consider this: http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=12517 - I've not tried it myself, but it looks excellent.

Actually, that looks to be a good useful multi-boot HDD - thanks, ordered.
Especially, as I currently have usb sticks each with a different bootable ISO on them

[Ben Rogers]

I don't know if what I am going to say will cross a line. However if you have lost the CD, if you have a licensing subscription then you can download the image file from Microsoft, alternatively, if you have an MSDN subs then from there as well. If you know someone with either then you can get them to download you a copy and burn it for you.

There are other ways of obtaining the Microsoft Operating Systems with the Service Packs all Slipstreamed into them which is very handy, provided you have a legit key to install them on, I don't see the problem in getting it this way.

If you have an OEM machine (Dell, HP) then you would have to look for that specific image file though.

Hi,

I have been on the phone to Microsoft, having been put through to 4 different departments they said that I can phone them when I have a customer who needs Windows re-installing and they will contact the manufacturer of the PC and somehow give me a link for an ISO to download.

I have signed up to be a Microsoft Partner through the systems builder part of the site as someone from MS told me this could be useful.

Thanks

[Saracen]

....

I just want to do things properly and not resort to methods that are not legal ever.

....

I would strongly advise you stick to that, too. It's not that hard to add stuff and build an ISO, and if you install using something from an untrustworthy source and it install a nasty surprise, it's bad enough if it's your own home PC. But if you've done it to a client's PC??? Imagine the potential for consequential loss? Your client has to call in someone to clean up their network and you get the bill. Your client loses a potential contact because confidential information leaks and is tracked to them? Your client gets arrested because someone used a backdoor you unknowingly installed via dodgy software to download child porn?

As a new business, one lesson to learn is when not to take a job, and how far to not go to help a client. That is, when to just say "no".

Oh, and by the way, if you pirate Windows for your own PC, it's a civil dispute between MS and you and you might (but almost certainly won't) get sued. But if you do it as part of a business, it's also a criminal offence and you could be prosecuted and fined, or in extreme cases, jailed ... as well as getting sued by MS.

Providing a good service to clients is one thing, but breaking the law to do it is entirely another. If they've lost the disc and you can legitimately get a replacement, great. They'll have to wait while you do it, or pay for a new OS. After all, they lost the OS disc. If they won't wait and won't pay for a new one, I urge you to walk away rather than risk getting in trouble yourself.

[Ben Rogers]

I would strongly advise you stick to that, too. It's not that hard to add stuff and build an ISO, and if you install using something from an untrustworthy source and it install a nasty surprise, it's bad enough if it's your own home PC. But if you've done it to a client's PC??? Imagine the potential for consequential loss? Your client has to call in someone to clean up their network and you get the bill. Your client loses a potential contact because confidential information leaks and is tracked to them? Your client gets arrested because someone used a backdoor you unknowingly installed via dodgy software to download child porn?

As a new business, one lesson to learn is when not to take a job, and how far to not go to help a client. That is, when to just say "no".

Oh, and by the way, if you pirate Windows for your own PC, it's a civil dispute between MS and you and you might (but almost certainly won't) get sued. But if you do it as part of a business, it's also a criminal offence and you could be prosecuted and fined, or in extreme cases, jailed ... as well as getting sued by MS.

Providing a good service to clients is one thing, but breaking the law to do it is entirely another. If they've lost the disc and you can legitimately get a replacement, great. They'll have to wait while you do it, or pay for a new OS. After all, they lost the OS disc. If they won't wait and won't pay for a new one, I urge you to walk away rather than risk getting in trouble yourself.

Exactly, I want everything I do to be above board as I don't want any thing illegal to be carried out for obvious reasons. The customer having to wait for me to get the correct ISO is not my fault and to it legally afaik this is the only way to do it.

I want to provide an excellent level of customer service as it is word of mouth (especially in this area) that generates business and once a customer has a bad experience they will tell they're freinds and the size of the towns in this location everyone either knows each other or they know someone who knows them etc.

I will ask them to wait, providing I can get an ISO online (legit) from the manufacturer by first contacting MS as they told me to do this then I can download the ISO in 10 minutes or so for XP and burn it in another 2 minutes so it wouldn't take long at all. The problem is if I cannot download an ISO and have to wait for a CD/DVD to be sent in the post then I don't expect many customers would be willing to wait for days on end, depending on where the media is coming from.

If they won't wait I will say that to install it legally I have to follow the correct rules as this company provides a professional, above board service.

I won't say that other companies will install it differently even though I know for a fact they do but they will then get the hint.

If they have a legit COA on the PC or they have a legit product key that passes activation and Windows says it's genuine then I don't think they have to pay for the media. Of course there can be much more to it such as a COA from a different brand PC that someone has stuck on another PC of a different make and I don't think this is legal but have seen it done before and the product key worked, but I won't be doing this.

[CaptainCrash]

Oh, and by the way, if you pirate Windows for your own PC, it's a civil dispute between MS and you and you might (but almost certainly won't) get sued. But if you do it as part of a business, it's also a criminal offence and you could be prosecuted and fined, or in extreme cases, jailed ... as well as getting sued by MS.

Providing a good service to clients is one thing, but breaking the law to do it is entirely another. If they've lost the disc and you can legitimately get a replacement, great. They'll have to wait while you do it, or pay for a new OS. After all, they lost the OS disc. If they won't wait and won't pay for a new one, I urge you to walk away rather than risk getting in trouble yourself.

I may have misunderstood, but I don't think he was ever intending to supply a pirated OS, he was simply trying to find a legitimate way to reinstall an OS that the client had already bought and paid for.

If a client (or anyone else for that matter) already owns an XP licence, asking them to fork out again for a whole new OS simply because the installation medium is lost or damaged (or perhaps was never even supplied in the first place) seems wholly unreasonable to me, although admittedly I'm not aware of any case law in this area.

If they have a legit COA on the PC or they have a legit product key that passes activation and Windows says it's genuine then I don't think they have to pay for the media. Of course there can be much more to it such as a COA from a different brand PC that someone has stuck on another PC of a different make and I don't think this is legal but have seen it done before and the product key worked, but I won't be doing this.

As far as I'm aware, any *generic* OEM disc will work with the product key on the COA sticker on a Dell, HP, Acer or whatever, provided of course it's the same version (eg Home, Professional). It's only the other way round where you have problems (eg a branded Dell OEM disc is BIOS-locked and specific to that make, and probably won't work with a non-Dell machine). Furthermore, you don't have to try and source an actual OEM disc ISO - if you can get hold of a *retail* ISO such as those provided to MSDN/Technet subscribers (by whatever means), you can "convert" it into an OEM disc by editing the file \i386\setupp.ini and changing the PID so that the last three digits read "OEM" instead of "000".

The advantage of doing it this way is that you can check the SHA1 hash of the original download against the values published by MS on their Technet download page (freely available to anyone), so if you've obtained the ISO by "unconventional" means you don't need to worry about it having been tampered with.

Things became much easier with Vista, where any disc will work with any key, and it's the key alone which determines the type of installation.

I think it bears repeating - this is *in no way* remotely comparable to pirating software - the ISOs you'll be using are effectively useless without a valid product key, and to that end you're simply providing a means by which a client can continue to avail themselves of the product they've paid for, and are legally entitled to use. I guess it's easy for me to say, but I'd be very surprised to see MS bring about a successful civil action (much less a prosecution) under these circumstances, and I don't for one minute think they'd even try.

[Ben Rogers]

Thanks, I have XP Home OEM - it had OEM in the last 3 digits of the file you mentioned. The name when mounted with PowerISO is correct but I cannot find the sha1sum for xp home sp2 oem anywhere online but I have got it on my PC from the ISO I just need to see if it matches.

This cmd business is annoying when the keyboard has no backslash key lol

The below is a quote from another forum, does that mean that some brands of computer won't install with an OEM XP CD with the COA that the company was given and put on the PC?

nomar is offline
I think your best bet is trying to find someone local to you that has one. Unfortunately it will be tough because a lot of OEM versions will only install for that brand of computer.