# Recovery CD lost



## SpetsnazFox (Sep 28, 2009)

Hi there

recently the hard drive of my desktop stopped working and is replaced at the moment, the problem is that I have lost my recovery CD

Can I still request a replacement CD from the producer? (even though my warranty expired).

 I still have the recovery CD of my laptop here, would that work or rather just f*ck up my desktop?


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## Aurali (Sep 28, 2009)

The laptop recovery CD might work if they are the same OS (down to the service pack) and possibly same maker.


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## SpetsnazFox (Sep 28, 2009)

hm same OS but different maker


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## Runefox (Sep 28, 2009)

I wouldn't recommend it. The laptop's recovery CD is likely an image of the OS that was installed on the laptop when it first shipped. That's like pulling the laptop's hard drive and trying to boot from it in a (likely completely different) desktop. There'd need to be an awful lot of common hardware for that to work.

You can still request a new recovery CD, but I think most companies charge for it (either the S&H or some sort of flat fee). For that matter, you could always go find a CD for the OS you need, if a friend has one. The only thing that really matters as far as Windows goes is the serial key - All the discs for a given version are the same. You just need to make sure that you match up the version (for example, a Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2 OEM serial key will need that disc).


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## Aurali (Sep 28, 2009)

Runefox said:


> I wouldn't recommend it. The laptop's recovery CD is likely an image of the OS that was installed on the laptop when it first shipped. That's like pulling the laptop's hard drive and trying to boot from it in a (likely completely different) desktop. There'd need to be an awful lot of common hardware for that to work.



Every laptop recovery disk I've owned was just a copy of windows with the Key already in place, all my dells work together and all my hps work together.. they always had the drivers on a separate disk.


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## SailorYue (Sep 28, 2009)

you could try to look for a boot download, but i'd buy one. thats what my broters did when we couldnt find the recovery set for my moms crappy e-machine.


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## Irreverent (Sep 28, 2009)

Eli said:


> Every laptop recovery disk I've owned was just a copy of windows with the Key already in place, all my dells work together and all my hps work together.. they always had the drivers on a separate disk.



The Dell one (well, the XP one) works with their entire line.  I've used the same disk it on laptops, desktops, workstations and servers.  NOTE: not a license violation, I was at work and we are covered for that.

OTOH, the Gateway recovery cd's tend to be machine specific.


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## Runefox (Sep 28, 2009)

Most of those "recovery CD's" are actually labelled "(OEM) Operating System Disc/Disk" (as in the case of Dell). An actual recovery CD is an image of the operating system from day one, which _is_ machine-specific. Dell _used_ to do that, and offered a copy of the Windows disc for something like $10.

In other words, it depends on whether or not it comes up with a full copy of Windows or just some image file when you pop it in a computer and browse its contents.


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## Carenath (Sep 28, 2009)

Eli said:


> Every laptop recovery disk I've owned was just a copy of windows with the Key already in place, all my dells work together and all my hps work together.. they always had the drivers on a separate disk.


Yep :3
That's what's known as System Locked Preactivation.. Dell and the other big-name's have a master key for the different editions of windows they sell, and they stick a unique product key onto the laptop or PC case. The CD installs Windows preactivated, without any drivers in unattended mode.

OP: If you know a friend with the same make of desktop.. with the same version of Windows, borrow his 'windows' disc and try it. If it installs Windows, it should be preactivated, and so long as you install the same edition that matches the sticker on your case, you should be fine as far as licencing goes.
Your PC maker might also have been one of those, that supplied a recovery image on a hidden part of the hard drive, and the recovery CD was simply a means to trigger the restore process.. Packard Bell and Compaq are notorious for this.

If you cannot get a copy of the operating system or recovery-image discs from the manufacturer, then you will need to track down an OEM disc to reinstall from, using the licence key stuck to the side of your PC.

Windows XP OEM CDs should be rather easy to come by.. Dell did give them away like candy with their PCs (I have three of them here).. If you can track one down from a friend, that should do the trick.


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## Aurali (Sep 28, 2009)

Runefox said:


> Most of those "recovery CD's" are actually labelled "(OEM) Operating System Disc/Disk" (as in the case of Dell).



Yep :3, that's why I said something.


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## Lillica (Sep 29, 2009)

Boot CDs usually come with proprietary software from the manufacturer, and your best bet is to contact the manufacturer.  They cna usually send you a new one for very little cost, and this time MAKE A BACKUP COPY!

If you don't want to do that, my suggestion is to search places like the site listed above and look into TinyXP


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## Aden (Sep 29, 2009)

Lillica said:


> Boot CDs usually come with proprietary software from the manufacturer



which invariably sucks balls and does nothing except pre-clutter your computer.


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## ArielMT (Sep 29, 2009)

Aden said:


> which invariably sucks balls and does nothing except pre-clutter your computer.



There's the PC Decrapifier for that.

@OP:

If you use any Windows CD except the one specifically for your computer (whether or not it's the edition matching your Windows key), you will also have to install your drivers separately.  Find and download the driver for your modem or network adapter from your PC's manufacturer, and save it to a USB disk or burn it to CD.  Ideally, you should do this for all your drivers, but if you skip the driver for the device you connect to the Internet with, you run the risk of being left without a working Internet connection after you reinstall, which means no way to download the driver you need.

Call your PC's manufacturer and see if you can get a replacement restore CD set, and depending on the age of your PC, you may need to call them very soon.  OEMs tend to stop offering restore disks for specific models much sooner than Microsoft stop selling that model's version of Windows.


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## SpetsnazFox (Oct 2, 2009)

allright, thanks for the aid everyone


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