How can I reinstal XP without a XP program disk?

[Guest JGGS]

I bought a few laptops from Dell and the all came with XP preinstalled. Dell

don't supply an operating system disk anymore. They seem to believe that

"Restore Points" and the like solve all potential problems. But what if my

hard drive fails terminally and I need to reinstall the entire system on a

new one? Is there any way of creating an operating system disk?

 

Incidentally, I tried to backup the system with the "Automated System

Recovery Wizard" so that I would have a system disk in case of failure that

didn't require a new hard drive, but I can't get this to work. Maybe it has

something to do with the fact that it demands a floppy disk and, since none

came with the laptops, I'm using a USB external floppy.

 

Any help on these two problems would be most appreciated.

 

Thanks.

 

J.

[Guest Ken Blake]

Re: How can I reinstal XP without a XP program disk?

 

"JGGS" <jsNOOOSPAAAMM@trcNOOSSSPAAMM.ie> wrote in message

news:onfqk.26754$j7.472515@news.indigo.ie...

>I bought a few laptops from Dell and the all came with XP preinstalled.

>Dell don't supply an operating system disk anymore. They seem to believe

>that "Restore Points" and the like solve all potential problems. But what

>if my hard drive fails terminally and I need to reinstall the entire system

>on a new one? Is there any way of creating an operating system disk?

 

 

There's no way to create an installation CD, but with most OEM computers you

usually can create a restore CD that returns to the system to the stste it

was in when you recieved it. Check your documentation or contact Dell for

instructions on how to do this

..

> Incidentally, I tried to backup the system with the "Automated System

> Recovery Wizard" so that I would have a system disk in case of failure

> that didn't require a new hard drive, but I can't get this to work. Maybe

> it has something to do with the fact that it demands a floppy disk and,

> since none came with the laptops, I'm using a USB external floppy.

>

> Any help on these two problems would be most appreciated.

>

> Thanks.

>

> J.

>

[Guest Jim]

Re: How can I reinstal XP without a XP program disk?

 

 

"JGGS" <jsNOOOSPAAAMM@trcNOOSSSPAAMM.ie> wrote in message

news:onfqk.26754$j7.472515@news.indigo.ie...

>I bought a few laptops from Dell and the all came with XP preinstalled.

>Dell don't supply an operating system disk anymore. They seem to believe

>that "Restore Points" and the like solve all potential problems. But what

>if my hard drive fails terminally and I need to reinstall the entire system

>on a new one? Is there any way of creating an operating system disk?

>

> Incidentally, I tried to backup the system with the "Automated System

> Recovery Wizard" so that I would have a system disk in case of failure

> that didn't require a new hard drive, but I can't get this to work. Maybe

> it has something to do with the fact that it demands a floppy disk and,

> since none came with the laptops, I'm using a USB external floppy.

>

> Any help on these two problems would be most appreciated.

>

> Thanks.

>

> J.

>

ATI can create a backup file which can be restored either using another

system or the ATI rescue disk. Dell laptops have a restore partition on the

disk which will restore the computer to the as delivered state. This

partition is of little use if the disk itself is the problem. The ATI

backup file can contain this rescue partition if you so desire.

 

Jim

[Guest Alan]

Re: How can I reinstal XP without a XP program disk?

 

JGGS,

 

I'm not sure why you didn't receive any XP Operating System disks with your

purchases from Dell.

 

I've bought 6 Dells -- 3 desktops and 3 laptops -- within the past year, and

they ALL came with the XP Operating System installation disks, in addition

to each machine having the hidden restore partition.

 

You should call Dell and request that they send you the XP Operating System

installation disks.

 

Alan

 

"JGGS" <jsNOOOSPAAAMM@trcNOOSSSPAAMM.ie> wrote in message

news:onfqk.26754$j7.472515@news.indigo.ie...

>I bought a few laptops from Dell and the all came with XP preinstalled.

>Dell don't supply an operating system disk anymore. They seem to believe

>that "Restore Points" and the like solve all potential problems. But what

>if my hard drive fails terminally and I need to reinstall the entire system

>on a new one? Is there any way of creating an operating system disk?

>

> Incidentally, I tried to backup the system with the "Automated System

> Recovery Wizard" so that I would have a system disk in case of failure

> that didn't require a new hard drive, but I can't get this to work. Maybe

> it has something to do with the fact that it demands a floppy disk and,

> since none came with the laptops, I'm using a USB external floppy.

>

> Any help on these two problems would be most appreciated.

>

> Thanks.

>

> J.

>

[Guest JGGS]

Re: How can I reinstal XP without a XP program disk?

 

Thanks, Jim. But excuse my ignorance, what is ATI?

 

Sorry,

 

Jay.

 

"Jim" <j.n@invalid.invalid> wrote in message

news:OPYLkLUAJHA.3380@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

>

> "JGGS" <jsNOOOSPAAAMM@trcNOOSSSPAAMM.ie> wrote in message

> news:onfqk.26754$j7.472515@news.indigo.ie...

>>I bought a few laptops from Dell and the all came with XP preinstalled.

>>Dell don't supply an operating system disk anymore. They seem to believe

>>that "Restore Points" and the like solve all potential problems. But what

>>if my hard drive fails terminally and I need to reinstall the entire

>>system on a new one? Is there any way of creating an operating system

>>disk?

>>

>> Incidentally, I tried to backup the system with the "Automated System

>> Recovery Wizard" so that I would have a system disk in case of failure

>> that didn't require a new hard drive, but I can't get this to work. Maybe

>> it has something to do with the fact that it demands a floppy disk and,

>> since none came with the laptops, I'm using a USB external floppy.

>>

>> Any help on these two problems would be most appreciated.

>>

>> Thanks.

>>

>> J.

>>

> ATI can create a backup file which can be restored either using another

> system or the ATI rescue disk. Dell laptops have a restore partition on

> the disk which will restore the computer to the as delivered state. This

> partition is of little use if the disk itself is the problem. The ATI

> backup file can contain this rescue partition if you so desire.

>

> Jim

>

[Guest JGGS]

Re: How can I reinstal XP without a XP program disk?

 

Thanks, Alan.

 

I will certainly ask our purchasing dept. to get onto Dell, because we

bought seven laptops in the last year from Dell and never got one Operating

System disk with any of them!

 

Jay.

 

 

"Alan" <somewhere@nospam.not> wrote in message

news:OFWujcUAJHA.4456@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

> JGGS,

>

> I'm not sure why you didn't receive any XP Operating System disks with

> your purchases from Dell.

>

> I've bought 6 Dells -- 3 desktops and 3 laptops -- within the past year,

> and they ALL came with the XP Operating System installation disks, in

> addition to each machine having the hidden restore partition.

>

> You should call Dell and request that they send you the XP Operating

> System installation disks.

>

> Alan

>

> "JGGS" <jsNOOOSPAAAMM@trcNOOSSSPAAMM.ie> wrote in message

> news:onfqk.26754$j7.472515@news.indigo.ie...

>>I bought a few laptops from Dell and the all came with XP preinstalled.

>>Dell don't supply an operating system disk anymore. They seem to believe

>>that "Restore Points" and the like solve all potential problems. But what

>>if my hard drive fails terminally and I need to reinstall the entire

>>system on a new one? Is there any way of creating an operating system

>>disk?

>>

>> Incidentally, I tried to backup the system with the "Automated System

>> Recovery Wizard" so that I would have a system disk in case of failure

>> that didn't require a new hard drive, but I can't get this to work. Maybe

>> it has something to do with the fact that it demands a floppy disk and,

>> since none came with the laptops, I'm using a USB external floppy.

>>

>> Any help on these two problems would be most appreciated.

>>

>> Thanks.

>>

>> J.

>>

>

>

[Guest Patty]

Re: How can I reinstal XP without a XP program disk?

 

On Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:03:56 +0100, JGGS wrote:

> Thanks, Alan.

>

> I will certainly ask our purchasing dept. to get onto Dell, because we

> bought seven laptops in the last year from Dell and never got one Operating

> System disk with any of them!

>

> Jay.

>

 

You can get the full OS disk by just ordering it with the system and paying

for it. We did that last year with a laptop we purchased. You have to ask

for it and pay extra to get it.

 

Patty

[Guest Jim]

Re: How can I reinstal XP without a XP program disk?

 

 

"JGGS" <jsNOOOSPAAAMM@trcNOOSSSPAAMM.ie> wrote in message

news:OVhqk.26760$j7.472670@news.indigo.ie...

> Thanks, Jim. But excuse my ignorance, what is ATI?

>

> Sorry,

>

> Jay.

>

> "Jim" <j.n@invalid.invalid> wrote in message

> news:OPYLkLUAJHA.3380@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

>>

>> "JGGS" <jsNOOOSPAAAMM@trcNOOSSSPAAMM.ie> wrote in message

>> news:onfqk.26754$j7.472515@news.indigo.ie...

>>>I bought a few laptops from Dell and the all came with XP preinstalled.

>>>Dell don't supply an operating system disk anymore. They seem to believe

>>>that "Restore Points" and the like solve all potential problems. But what

>>>if my hard drive fails terminally and I need to reinstall the entire

>>>system on a new one? Is there any way of creating an operating system

>>>disk?

>>>

>>> Incidentally, I tried to backup the system with the "Automated System

>>> Recovery Wizard" so that I would have a system disk in case of failure

>>> that didn't require a new hard drive, but I can't get this to work.

>>> Maybe it has something to do with the fact that it demands a floppy disk

>>> and, since none came with the laptops, I'm using a USB external floppy.

>>>

>>> Any help on these two problems would be most appreciated.

>>>

>>> Thanks.

>>>

>>> J.

>>>

>> ATI can create a backup file which can be restored either using another

>> system or the ATI rescue disk. Dell laptops have a restore partition on

>> the disk which will restore the computer to the as delivered state. This

>> partition is of little use if the disk itself is the problem. The ATI

>> backup file can contain this rescue partition if you so desire.

>>

>> Jim

>>

>

>

Sorry, my mistake. ATI is Acronis True Image.

Jim

[Guest Jo-Anne]

Re: How can I reinstal XP without a XP program disk?

 

Last month I got the OS disk with my my Dell Precision (which is considered

a business machine) at no extra charge. I thought everyone did--and then I

looked at the manual: "Depending on the region from where you ordered your

computer, or whether you requested the media, the Dell Drivers and Utilities

media and Operating System media may not ship with your computer."

 

At that point I remembered that in "customizing" the laptop, one of the

choices is:

 

Quick Reference Guide add $0

Resource DVD - Contains Diagnostics and Drivers for Vista add $0

Resource CD and DVD contains Diagnostics and Drivers for XP and Vista add $0

[this option apparently refers to the OS Reinstallation CD and the

drivers/utilities CD, both of which I received]

 

The default is No System Documentation, but there's no charge for adding

either documentation or the resource CD/DVD. I was fortunate in that I

clicked on the resource CD and DVD. But having done that, I couldn't also

click on the Quick Reference Guide; it was one or the other. I didn't

realize it at the time, but that meant that the box would come with

absolutely no information about setting up the computer, not even a

schematic.

 

Jo-Anne

 

"Patty" <patty@iainttellin.com> wrote in message

news:bp63654hkxx2$.18zzkv8sdzdu5.dlg@40tude.net...

> On Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:03:56 +0100, JGGS wrote:

>

>> Thanks, Alan.

>>

>> I will certainly ask our purchasing dept. to get onto Dell, because we

>> bought seven laptops in the last year from Dell and never got one

>> Operating

>> System disk with any of them!

>>

>> Jay.

>>

>

> You can get the full OS disk by just ordering it with the system and

> paying

> for it. We did that last year with a laptop we purchased. You have to

> ask

> for it and pay extra to get it.

>

> Patty

[Guest JGGS]

Re: How can I reinstal XP without a XP program disk?

 

Thanks to everyone who helped. I will be in touch with Dell. because I don't

accept that you would never need a installation CD, as they seem to hint. I

have sad experience of a hard drive on a HP laptop giving up the ghost and

having to reinstall everything from an installation CD which contained the

operating system and had been luckily supplied with the system. "System

Restore" is not much use in such a scenario. Maybe Dell believe their hard

drives never fail!

 

Thanks

 

Jay.

 

"Jo-Anne" <naples@tbcnet.com> wrote in message

news:%2376nIUWAJHA.2060@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

> Last month I got the OS disk with my my Dell Precision (which is

> considered a business machine) at no extra charge. I thought everyone

> did--and then I looked at the manual: "Depending on the region from where

> you ordered your computer, or whether you requested the media, the Dell

> Drivers and Utilities media and Operating System media may not ship with

> your computer."

>

> At that point I remembered that in "customizing" the laptop, one of the

> choices is:

>

> Quick Reference Guide add $0

> Resource DVD - Contains Diagnostics and Drivers for Vista add $0

> Resource CD and DVD contains Diagnostics and Drivers for XP and Vista add

> $0 [this option apparently refers to the OS Reinstallation CD and the

> drivers/utilities CD, both of which I received]

>

> The default is No System Documentation, but there's no charge for adding

> either documentation or the resource CD/DVD. I was fortunate in that I

> clicked on the resource CD and DVD. But having done that, I couldn't also

> click on the Quick Reference Guide; it was one or the other. I didn't

> realize it at the time, but that meant that the box would come with

> absolutely no information about setting up the computer, not even a

> schematic.

>

> Jo-Anne

>

> "Patty" <patty@iainttellin.com> wrote in message

> news:bp63654hkxx2$.18zzkv8sdzdu5.dlg@40tude.net...

>> On Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:03:56 +0100, JGGS wrote:

>>

>>> Thanks, Alan.

>>>

>>> I will certainly ask our purchasing dept. to get onto Dell, because we

>>> bought seven laptops in the last year from Dell and never got one

>>> Operating

>>> System disk with any of them!

>>>

>>> Jay.

>>>

>>

>> You can get the full OS disk by just ordering it with the system and

>> paying

>> for it. We did that last year with a laptop we purchased. You have to

>> ask

>> for it and pay extra to get it.

>>

>> Patty

>

>

[Guest ju.c]

Re: How can I reinstal XP without a XP program disk?

 

Dell charged me 10 bucks for my Windows CD, but still money well spent!

 

 

ju.c

 

 

"JGGS" <jsNOOOSPAAAMM@trcNOOSSSPAAMM.ie> wrote in message

news:P8yqk.26766$j7.472636@news.indigo.ie...

> Thanks to everyone who helped. I will be in touch with Dell. because I don't accept that

> you would never need a installation CD, as they seem to hint. I have sad experience of a

> hard drive on a HP laptop giving up the ghost and having to reinstall everything from an

> installation CD which contained the operating system and had been luckily supplied with

> the system. "System Restore" is not much use in such a scenario. Maybe Dell believe

> their hard drives never fail!

>

> Thanks

>

> Jay.

>

> "Jo-Anne" <naples@tbcnet.com> wrote in message

> news:%2376nIUWAJHA.2060@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>> Last month I got the OS disk with my my Dell Precision (which is considered a business

>> machine) at no extra charge. I thought everyone did--and then I looked at the manual:

>> "Depending on the region from where you ordered your computer, or whether you requested

>> the media, the Dell Drivers and Utilities media and Operating System media may not ship

>> with your computer."

>>

>> At that point I remembered that in "customizing" the laptop, one of the choices is:

>>

>> Quick Reference Guide add $0

>> Resource DVD - Contains Diagnostics and Drivers for Vista add $0

>> Resource CD and DVD contains Diagnostics and Drivers for XP and Vista add $0 [this

>> option apparently refers to the OS Reinstallation CD and the drivers/utilities CD, both

>> of which I received]

>>

>> The default is No System Documentation, but there's no charge for adding either

>> documentation or the resource CD/DVD. I was fortunate in that I clicked on the resource

>> CD and DVD. But having done that, I couldn't also click on the Quick Reference Guide;

>> it was one or the other. I didn't realize it at the time, but that meant that the box

>> would come with absolutely no information about setting up the computer, not even a

>> schematic.

>>

>> Jo-Anne

>>

>> "Patty" <patty@iainttellin.com> wrote in message

>> news:bp63654hkxx2$.18zzkv8sdzdu5.dlg@40tude.net...

>>> On Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:03:56 +0100, JGGS wrote:

>>>

>>>> Thanks, Alan.

>>>>

>>>> I will certainly ask our purchasing dept. to get onto Dell, because we

>>>> bought seven laptops in the last year from Dell and never got one Operating

>>>> System disk with any of them!

>>>>

>>>> Jay.

>>>>

>>>

>>> You can get the full OS disk by just ordering it with the system and paying

>>> for it. We did that last year with a laptop we purchased. You have to ask

>>> for it and pay extra to get it.

>>>

>>> Patty

>>

>>

>

>

[Guest R. McCarty]

Re: How can I reinstal XP without a XP program disk?

 

You can thank customer research/feedback for the lack of an OS disk

with a new computer purchase. In their eternal quest to save a nickel it

was Dell management who had data indicating a small % of users needed

the disk. So in true form they did away with it to save a miniscule amount

of money. The same as if car manufacturers left out a spare tire and

jack in new cars because very few people have flat tires.

 

"JGGS" <jsNOOOSPAAAMM@trcNOOSSSPAAMM.ie> wrote in message

news:P8yqk.26766$j7.472636@news.indigo.ie...

> Thanks to everyone who helped. I will be in touch with Dell. because I

> don't accept that you would never need a installation CD, as they seem to

> hint. I have sad experience of a hard drive on a HP laptop giving up the

> ghost and having to reinstall everything from an installation CD which

> contained the operating system and had been luckily supplied with the

> system. "System Restore" is not much use in such a scenario. Maybe Dell

> believe their hard drives never fail!

>

> Thanks

>

> Jay.

>

> "Jo-Anne" <naples@tbcnet.com> wrote in message

> news:%2376nIUWAJHA.2060@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>> Last month I got the OS disk with my my Dell Precision (which is

>> considered a business machine) at no extra charge. I thought everyone

>> did--and then I looked at the manual: "Depending on the region from where

>> you ordered your computer, or whether you requested the media, the Dell

>> Drivers and Utilities media and Operating System media may not ship with

>> your computer."

>>

>> At that point I remembered that in "customizing" the laptop, one of the

>> choices is:

>>

>> Quick Reference Guide add $0

>> Resource DVD - Contains Diagnostics and Drivers for Vista add $0

>> Resource CD and DVD contains Diagnostics and Drivers for XP and Vista add

>> $0 [this option apparently refers to the OS Reinstallation CD and the

>> drivers/utilities CD, both of which I received]

>>

>> The default is No System Documentation, but there's no charge for adding

>> either documentation or the resource CD/DVD. I was fortunate in that I

>> clicked on the resource CD and DVD. But having done that, I couldn't also

>> click on the Quick Reference Guide; it was one or the other. I didn't

>> realize it at the time, but that meant that the box would come with

>> absolutely no information about setting up the computer, not even a

>> schematic.

>>

>> Jo-Anne

>>

>> "Patty" <patty@iainttellin.com> wrote in message

>> news:bp63654hkxx2$.18zzkv8sdzdu5.dlg@40tude.net...

>>> On Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:03:56 +0100, JGGS wrote:

>>>

>>>> Thanks, Alan.

>>>>

>>>> I will certainly ask our purchasing dept. to get onto Dell, because we

>>>> bought seven laptops in the last year from Dell and never got one

>>>> Operating

>>>> System disk with any of them!

>>>>

>>>> Jay.

>>>>

>>>

>>> You can get the full OS disk by just ordering it with the system and

>>> paying

>>> for it. We did that last year with a laptop we purchased. You have to

>>> ask

>>> for it and pay extra to get it.

>>>

>>> Patty

>>

>>

>

>

[Guest John John (MVP)]

Re: How can I reinstal XP without a XP program disk?

 

R. McCarty wrote:

> You can thank customer research/feedback for the lack of an OS disk

> with a new computer purchase. In their eternal quest to save a nickel it

> was Dell management who had data indicating a small % of users needed

> the disk. So in true form they did away with it to save a miniscule amount

> of money. The same as if car manufacturers left out a spare tire and

> jack in new cars because very few people have flat tires.

 

My Rolls-Royce came without a spare tire...

[Guest Bob I]

Re: How can I reinstal XP without a XP program disk?

 

 

 

John John (MVP) wrote:

> R. McCarty wrote:

>

>> You can thank customer research/feedback for the lack of an OS disk

>> with a new computer purchase. In their eternal quest to save a nickel it

>> was Dell management who had data indicating a small % of users needed

>> the disk. So in true form they did away with it to save a miniscule

>> amount

>> of money. The same as if car manufacturers left out a spare tire and

>> jack in new cars because very few people have flat tires.

>

>

> My Rolls-Royce came without a spare tire...

>

 

Cars that come with run-flats don't normally come with a spare, just as

OEM boxes that have a restore partition may not come with CD's (that the

users frequently lose anyway). So what was offered as clever analogy,

suffers from bad assumtions and conclusions.

[Guest John John (MVP)]

Re: How can I reinstal XP without a XP program disk?

 

Bob I wrote:

>

>

> John John (MVP) wrote:

>

>> R. McCarty wrote:

>>

>>> You can thank customer research/feedback for the lack of an OS disk

>>> with a new computer purchase. In their eternal quest to save a nickel it

>>> was Dell management who had data indicating a small % of users needed

>>> the disk. So in true form they did away with it to save a miniscule

>>> amount

>>> of money. The same as if car manufacturers left out a spare tire and

>>> jack in new cars because very few people have flat tires.

>>

>>

>>

>> My Rolls-Royce came without a spare tire...

>>

>

> Cars that come with run-flats don't normally come with a spare, just as

> OEM boxes that have a restore partition may not come with CD's (that the

> users frequently lose anyway). So what was offered as clever analogy,

> suffers from bad assumtions and conclusions.

 

My Bentley has run-flats and it came with a spare tire...

 

John

[Guest Bob I]

Re: How can I reinstal XP without a XP program disk?

 

 

 

John John (MVP) wrote:

> Bob I wrote:

>

>>

>>

>> John John (MVP) wrote:

>>

>>> R. McCarty wrote:

>>>

>>>> You can thank customer research/feedback for the lack of an OS disk

>>>> with a new computer purchase. In their eternal quest to save a

>>>> nickel it

>>>> was Dell management who had data indicating a small % of users needed

>>>> the disk. So in true form they did away with it to save a miniscule

>>>> amount

>>>> of money. The same as if car manufacturers left out a spare tire and

>>>> jack in new cars because very few people have flat tires.

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>> My Rolls-Royce came without a spare tire...

>>>

>>

>> Cars that come with run-flats don't normally come with a spare, just

>> as OEM boxes that have a restore partition may not come with CD's

>> (that the users frequently lose anyway). So what was offered as clever

>> analogy, suffers from bad assumtions and conclusions.

>

>

> My Bentley has run-flats and it came with a spare tire...

>

> John

>

 

hence the use of the word "normally" ;-)

[Guest Plato]

Re: How can I reinstal XP without a XP program disk?

 

Ken Blake wrote:

>

Hi Ken, just writing to say hello. Living in South Central KY now.