HP Windows XP?

xbadwolfx

xbadwolfx

New Member
I bought a computer from ecollegepc.com .
Normally they don't give you an operating system.

Long story short, I got him to install Windows XP Pro SP2.
He said it was an HP (Hewlett Packard) disc and did not require a activation key.

Should I be worried? Did he install some type of budget operating system with a bunch of crap software on my PC?
 
Branded pcs come with preactivated copies of Windows preinstalled on them. The disk is most likely a recovery disk for system restoration with essentials tucked away on a hidden recovery partition. Prepackaged software is usually selected when seeing a system come with the OS already preinstalled on it.
 
PC eye said:
Branded pcs come with preactivated copies of Windows preinstalled on them. The disk is most likely a recovery disk for system restoration with essentials tucked away on a hidden recovery partition. Prepackaged software is usually selected when seeing a system come with the OS already preinstalled on it.
Click to expand...

So what does this mean? Is it a fully working edition of Windows, or are "pieces" missing?
 
What that is a full version of Windows preinstalled on the system you bought. If you were to swap drives out or that one fails then you would need to buy a full install copy of Windows to replace the version of Windows now on.

With prebuild systems the set of recovery disks will see various files spread apart over the entire set as well as stored on the drive. That syncs everything together there over the full install you would buy for a custom case. At your request the vendor prepared the drive with a recovery partition already having an available recovery disk onhand.
 
PC eye said:
What that is a full version of Windows preinstalled on the system you bought. If you were to swap drives out or that one fails then you would need to buy a full install copy of Windows to replace the version of Windows now on.

With prebuild systems the set of recovery disks will see various files spread apart over the entire set as well as stored on the drive. That syncs everything together there over the full install you would buy for a custom case. At your request the vendor prepared the drive with a recovery partition already having an available recovery disk onhand.
Click to expand...

So do you suggest I install MY copy of Windows XP? Or should I be just fine running on the HP copy?
 
With a legitimate preinstall from a reputable vendor they have to go through MS there in order to stay in business. For changing the edition or version of Windows in order to see a custom install like dual booting then you would want your own full install disks in use and simply download the essential drivers needed from HP.

The serial number of the system there had to be included when preinstalling the OS in order to see the branded copy used for that one machine. Generally you shouldn't see any problems since that is still a full version while bonded there. On the next system without an OS or a custom case then you would need to use an OEM for system builders if not a retail copy of the OS.
 
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