Windows XP

Miroslav

Yes, I know the it becomes unsupported in April 2014, but right now, after being conned when buying a machine with Windows 7 on it which is a pirated copy, I cannot afford to buy Windows 7 or 8, so until I can, there are options of Windows XP which will see me through for the time being - assuming I can install XP on a machine which has Windows 7 on it.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Microsoft-Windows-XP-Home-Edition/dp/B00005RG56/ref=sr_1_66?s=software&ie=UTF8&qid=1361114645&sr=1-66

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000JTDV6M/ref=s9_simh_gw_p65_d0_i2?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1ZHQX2EPF40A7EPCCDQB&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=358549767&pf_rd_i=468294

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-Microsoft-Windows-XP-Professional-Service-Pack-3-CD-and-COA-OEM-SP3-7-/130828168556?pt=UK_Computing_Software_Software_SR&hash=item1e75f76d6c

http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/10109237/741780576/Microsoft-Windows-XP-Professional-With-Service-Pack-3-1-Pack/ListingDetails.html?searchstring=windows&searchtype=&searchsource=2&ob=4&searchfilters=s%7bwindows%7d+c%7b420%7d+c%7b3265%7d+c%7b3269%7d+ae36%7bMicrosoft%7d+&urlrefer=search

Can anybody find any 'issues' with any of these? I want to make sure it's 100% legal and 100% compatible. I've been done once, which is once too many, or if there any other recommendations as to where I can buy XP SP3 cheaply, legally and working - or Windows 7 - £60 is the cheapest I can find - I only want basic, I don't need all the ultimate etc - just so I can browse the internet etc and wirelessly connect to the internet from the router that is connected to my Vista machine.

Thanks for any advice - money really is stupidly tight now!

JJ_Egan

I would be looking to buy Windows 8 at tha sort of price not XP

Amazon OEM £70 Win 8


Win 8 pro upgrade £45 again Amazon

jje

Miroslav

Thanks.

Sorry, the £60 was Windows 7.

XP is available £20-£30 - If I stretched to £70, i'd miss a bill payment elsewhere - hard times!

spannerzone

Yes you need to be careful as many XP software sold are either removed from old machines, pirated or worse. Most will be OEM and if second hand they're not transferable to another PC (from MS licencing point of view)

Also you need to check that all the parts in your machine have XP drivers before buying.

Personally I'd not be considering XP on any recent PC. Is there no recourse against the supplier of your PC with the pirated software he supplied?

Miroslav

spannerzone wrote: »

Yes you need to be careful as many XP software sold are either removed from old machines, pirated or worse. Most will be OEM and if second hand they're not transferable to another PC (from MS licencing point of view)

Also you need to check that all the parts in your machine have XP drivers before buying.

Personally I'd not be considering XP on any recent PC. Is there no recourse against the supplier of your PC with the pirated software he supplied?

It's a very old PC - HP DC5750. Should that automatically have the drivers?

It's got an XP COA on the machine, although it's ripped about 3/4 of the way down (looking from left to right) but it has the product key on it - can I use my XP Disc (if I can find it) and input this code that's already stuck on the machine? Assuming this key is legal too.

I'm trying with this seller on eBay - I opened a non delivery case and shut it when it arrived. I now find it's pirated Windows 7, he didn't include the Windows 7 CD (although he says he will now send it) and the DVD player is just a player, not a recorder as he said it was - I checked so carefully, so many things, yet I was unsavvy at the end of the day.

EDIT - The COA looks like this, but where the two lines are (red writing and the black/grey one) it's missing.

http://oemby.com/images/2012/08/26/HP%20PRO%20X12.jpg

spannerzone

Miroslav wrote: »

It's a very old PC - HP DC5750. Should that automatically have the drivers?

It's got an XP COA on the machine, although it's ripped about 3/4 of the way down (looking from left to right) but it has the product key on it - can I use my XP Disc (if I can find it) and input this code that's already stuck on the machine? Assuming this key is legal too.

I'm trying with this seller on eBay - I opened a non delivery case and shut it when it arrived. I now find it's pirated Windows 7, he didn't include the Windows 7 CD (although he says he will now send it) and the DVD player is just a player, not a recorder as he said it was - I checked so carefully, so many things, yet I was unsavvy at the end of the day.

EDIT - The COA looks like this, but where the two lines are (red writing and the black/grey one) it's missing.

http://oemby.com/images/2012/08/26/HP%20PRO%20X12.jpg

If you can read the COA product key code then you should be in luck, it needs to be used with a same version of XP install CD (so if it's a Home Premium sticker use with Home Premium install CD or if XP Pro sticker you have to use XP Pro install CD etc - different versions cannot be used with the code.

Whilst you can't (legally) download Windows XP, if you have an XP install CD or can borrow one of the same version as the sticker then you can install XP legitimately (well pretty much as MS licencing is complex and not necessarily enforcible in Europe but that's another matter)

XP drivers are available, download these and put on a CD or memory stick before you reload Windows. Download Link

Miroslav

spannerzone wrote: »

If you can read the COA product key code then you should be in luck, it needs to be used with a same version of XP install CD (so if it's a Home Premium sticker use with Home Premium install CD or if XP Pro sticker you have to use XP Pro install CD etc

Whilst you can't (legally) download Windows XP, if you have an XP install CD or can borrow one of the same version as the sticker then you can install XP legitimately (well pretty much as MS licencing is complex and not necessarily enforcible in Europe but that's another matter)

Well, it's XP Pro on the COA - i'm not sure what I had before, but I shall look for the CD and find out - I can see all 25 digits of the key.

Here's hoping - I bet I had home premium or something

Thanks for the drivers - I will download them. I'm on my Vista PC at the moment, so can download them and put them on CD from here.

NiftyDigits

You don't need to buy anything. Since you already have a valid COA, you only need the DELL XP recovery disc. It's in the post.
Is it the Micro Tower or the Small Form Factor PC?

Johnmcl7

XP may be a little more fussy about the install media so it may need to be an XP Pro OEM disc rather than an XP Pro Retail or VLU disc. Ideally you want to try and get hold of the manufacturer's disc particularly if it's an HP as it should recognise the bios and activate automatically. I've found some machines are ok with OEM discs from other manufacturers but HP machines have been more problematic. Having said that I've dealt with very few HP machines so that may have just been bad luck.

John

spannerzone

Ironically I've just thrown out some HP XP Pro install CD's at work that probably would have done.

The Dell CD's offered (very kind) might work but sometimes they'll only work on a Dell PC.

NiftyDigits

NiftyDigits wrote: »

You don't need to buy anything. Since you already have a valid COA, you only need the DELL XP recovery disc. It's in the post.
Is it the Micro Tower or the Small Form Factor PC?

Oops.... got confused with another thread mentioning a DELL machine.

HP Recovery disc is in the post.