M45-S359 No Recovery Disks: My Options Are?

Hard drive failed, no recovery disks, what are my options?

Recently, for a HP laptop, I found an HP OEM XP Home torrent, downloaded it, installed it, and input the MS sticker key and everything was accepted and it passed WGA.

No such luck finding similar for this Toshiba.

Do I have to get the recovery disks to get a MGA OS installed, or are there Toshiba OEM XP Home images out there that will work?

Thanks,
Tom

 

You have options:
1) Make an image of the OS yourself using any of a number of free disk imaging programs. You can then restore the image at any tiime. Or image using the built in feture of Windows 7

2) Buy a copy of windows 7 - if you have an edu email you can get W7 for 64.95. Or a technet subscription for ~$250 using a coupon code. Then you have to also have the drivers for the hardward in your laptop in case windows does not have them.

I'd do number 1 if i were you.

 

If you were running Vista, you can download any copy from internet then install with the license number under your laptop. And then download drivers from Toshiba (Well, actually you must download the drivers first to an USB drive or something like that...).

Let me know the result..

 

Thanks all,

Isudvm:

I got the laptop as broken with no hard drive. I think it was only a completely dust clogged heat exchanger - so I bought a new drive for it. I have no OS whatsoever.

Tunay:

Unfortunately, the MS Genuine Key sticker is for XP Home.

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These PC manufacturers should be ashamed of themselves. They will let you DL the drivers but they won't let you DL the installed image which is something you paid for. If they won't give you the image, why give you the drivers?

And then this laptop was made in China. HaHa. The single most country who doesn't give a hoot about CopyRight or DRM. The Irony.
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Anyone: is there such a thing as a Toshiba OEM XP Home that will install and pass WGA like the HP did?

Thanks
Tom

PS. One thing very weird, I cannot install the LAN driver. I get some kind of kernel user32.cll error. I don't think the OS I have installed is not lacking in some fashion so I think I need to try another one. I thought XP would recognize all LAN drivers???

 

I can remember that I installed XP's trial version long time back. It did not ask for the serial under instellation but you had to enter a key in 30 days after. This can may work for you?

 

I have an XP Pro which did not require activation but it quit passing WGA with SP2. Actually, there is a way to reset the 30 day period which is interesting.

I'm trying to get a proper install of the OS which is a real pain.

Thanks
Tom

PS. I was looking at some torrents only to find that Port 18768 does not work on my Verizon DSL. So I'm trying to get into the Westel 2200 and "admin" and "password" do not work. Rats....