The official Microsoft word on Windows media supplied with new computers

I don't mind not getting the CD for windows installation, but all I have is a recovery disk. You can not just install windows, you have to install the recovery like it was when you got it. I would like to make a copy of The OS I have so I can just repair the OS.
Can anytell me, How or if you can make a copy of just the OS with the install. I sure am not smart enough to know how to do it

Have a look on your restore CD and see if there is a folder called i386 on it. If there is then you can boot up with a Win98 Startup floppy with CDROM support, then navigate to the i386 folder on the CD and run Winnt.exe. That will run the normal Windows Setup.

You can get a startup floppy here:

Bootdisks


If your recovery CD doesn't have the i386 folder, then it is probably a disk image, and there is nothing you can do other than buying another Windows CD.

SuperSparks
Thanks for the reply.
I went to c:\windows
and it has both files.
i386 folder and
Winnt.exe.
Do you think I could burn the file Windows to a cd
and be able to repair Windows from there.
I contacted Sony, and they told me they did not sell,
nor with they supply just a copy of Windows XP Pro

Thanks for your time

hi

some OEM's have a CD building tool in their non_CD_supplied systems.

some of the CD building tools zap the existing hidden copies after the burn,
some don't.

hmmm. This thread is almost a year old;)

But it was great to see DrMDJs comments! Man I miss that guy and his computer encyclopedic mind!

And jtdoom too :)

I am still trying to find a way to repair, instead of
a complete install in windows xp pro

If I figure it out, I will let you know.

The closest thing I found,

I have Ghost.

I make a copy on another partition, and I make a backup
about once a month.

Thanks for your time

First off, reading the thread, I understand that I was lucky when I was handed a Win XP SP2 CD at my request w my custom built comp.

I got it w my first such one, so the guys here are really cool.

Secondly, Ghosting the platform takes care of the dll's? I ask this b/c I know that when transfering a hard drive it's not fullproof w the softwares, it is w the data, but not w the software b/c of the dll's. They can be corrupted or not transfered at all.
Correct me if I'm wrong.

I'm not entirely sure about this. I believe they need to provide you with a copy of the software. This could, and often does, take the form of a restore installation on a second partition (Acer and IBM are well known for this). I do not believe you can just install Windows and give them a COA. That is a bit of a stretch as far as I know, and certainly is not my MO when I do builds.

A full image backup, using TrueImage or Ghost, copies everything bit for bit, including all Dlls.

SK, they can just install Windows and supply a COA. I checked this with my MVP lead and got the info from Microsoft directly. I don't agree with the practice though, I think everyone should be supplied with a means of repairing or reinstalling the OS.

What the heck do they do with all of the OEM disks they accumulate, then? The COA is put on the computer and the Getting Started manual is probably tossed, but what a waste if they're tossing perfectly good Redmond disks - thousands of them, no less. I'd think giving the disk with the computer would generate goodwill with the customers. The way things are handled now, they're giving their customers the shaft.

Where do you think the OEM cds come from?

I assumed straight from Microsoft/Redmond, like the ones that I buy. Just slightly different for the individual mfrs.

They don't have to buy OEM discs from Microsoft, indeed it costs them extra if they do, AFAIK. The big system builders are allowed to, and so far as I know usually do, install Windows from a master image, and also to make their own recovery media (or not). The OEM discs that the rest of us can buy tend to only be used by the smaller builders (and is a good reason to buy from one, if you're not building your own PC, IMO).