I lost my cd

beef · Post by **beef** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 9:13 am

Ok,
So dell either never sent me an xp cd, or i lost it sometime between the move from home to school. Anyhow, since my computer is out of warranty (its only like a month over one year old), they told me i had to call the extended warranty services department, which costs supposedly something like $2.00 a minute or something and that they could help me.

Well, im wanting to do a clean install of windows, but dont know what to do without the cd? I can get a xp cd, but, i have the media center edition, and really enjoy using it with my tuner card.

Anyone have any ideas??

eGoCeNTRoNiX · Post by **eGoCeNTRoNiX** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 9:49 am

Just download a copy of the XP MCE from a torrent that's an OEM version and go from there. You have the key, nothing wrong with downloading the software.

eGo

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 4:14 pm

All Dells by default no longer come with the OS and driver CDs unless you seperately select them in the online order form. Like most OEMs they put an image of the CD on a hidden partition on the drive. If you need to re-install the OS and the drive is still functional, you just press the proper key combination during POST and it boots to the hidden partition and does a factory restore of the OS.

The key combination is CTRL+F11 and the process is explained here: http://www.goodells.net/dellrestore/index.htm

Be aware this wipes the drive COMPLETELY (all partitions) and puts it back the way it was from the factory. So backup all your data and settings, favorites, etc first.

The OS CD usually costs $10 if purchased with a home division PC and is usually free if added to the purchase of a business division PC. You should NEVER order from the home division anyway (tech support sucks) and I tell clients to always ask for the CD - especially if it's free.

If your original hard drive is gone, then as Ego said you still have a legal serial number (your CD key on the hologram sticker) so all you need is to beg, borrow, or download an OEM MCE CD (actually MCE comes on 2 CDs). Nothing illegal about it. You have a valid CD key.

You'll also need to download the drivers from Dell's website. Any OEM MCE OS CDs from any manufacturer SHOULD work, although some of them might be BIOS locked. I'm sure you could find a copy on torrents. If I had a set of OEM MCE discs I'd be happy to copy them for you but I don't.

Ask around.

beef · Post by **beef** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 8:36 pm

Thanks FP, i do still have the original drive, so i think ill try that first.

beef · Post by **beef** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 8:19 pm

Thanks again Fp, i just completed the restor. And less then 20 minutes later and with no hassles at all, im back in business with a clean hard drive.

This is one of the first nice things ive seen from dell in a while.