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    Got a Used Presario R3000

    Discussion in 'HP' started by wdro, Jun 28, 2008.

  1. wdro

    wdro Notebook Evangelist

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    My dad got this machine from my sister and it has a lot of junk and virus in it. Unfortunately my sister didn't keep any recovery disc so I am just wondering how to reinstall windows xp and format everything? If I have a windows xp home cd from Dell, can I use it and use the product key of the Presario to activate windows?

    Thanks!
     
  2. flipfire

    flipfire Moderately Boss

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    Yes, you can install it and just use the product key attached to the presario (assuming its the same version of XP).

    After XP has been installed, you can download your drivers from the HP driver and support website.
     
  3. wdro

    wdro Notebook Evangelist

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    Thanks. So I assume hp = compaq? The computer only has a C and dvd drive so that means it doesn't have a recovery drive like the hp desktop that I had before?
     
  4. mattbieg892

    mattbieg892 Notebook Geek

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    Yeah, HP bought out Compaq and I guess Compaq's line of computers became HP's business line.

    If you Compaq is post-HP buyout then it should have a recovery drive. If it is, it might be that the disk was repartitioned into a single C partition.
     
  5. flipfire

    flipfire Moderately Boss

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    No. Back then HP/Compaq provided both the XP disc and recovery discs.
     
  6. brianstretch

    brianstretch Notebook Virtuoso

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  7. wdro

    wdro Notebook Evangelist

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    So if I want to use the Dell windows xp disc, I need to follow the above steps?
     
  8. brianstretch

    brianstretch Notebook Virtuoso

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    Yes, that should work.
     
  9. wdro

    wdro Notebook Evangelist

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    Too complicated for me... why can't I just insert the windows xp cd and reinstall windows? What is the advantage of that?
     
  10. brianstretch

    brianstretch Notebook Virtuoso

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    It won't have the correct licensing info for your HP machine. All you really need to do is replace the OEM* files on the CD with the ones copied from your current HP WinXP installation, everything else is optional. With the correct OEM* files that match up with what's in your BIOS, Windows installs "pre-activated".