Packard Bell laptop - OEM Windows XP Home ISO or restore CD

does anyone have a Packard Bell laptop ?

I'm fixing one like that about 6 years old, could be more. No restore CD or OS CD present, laptop is out of warranty thus the manufacturer wont provide restore CD without charge, and on top of that somebody installed Windows XP Pro with invalid key, thus windows genuine tool from the updates now shows bunch of warnings ... No hidden recovery partition exists on the HDD.

laptop has OEM Windows XP Home sticker with license number, but I dont have OEM CD to use it with, thus the current situation. So if somebody has laptop like that, can you please either upload the restore CD that came with it (ISO of it), or just the i386 folder so that I can make XP installation CD from it ?? I cant find such uploaded so far, and I'm pretty sure MS retail XP Home CD wont work with the COA key on the laptop, so I'm stuck.

the model is EasyNote R4622, and I'm fixing it over the internet as the laptop is in another country.

any help would be priceless, thanks

EDIT: I was going to post this in the Packard Bell section but it looks pretty dead

 

While I don't have link for .iso download (none legit actually exists) there is a tool that lets you convert existing installation into a legit one:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/help/genuine/product-key

Unfortunately you need to install XP Home or obtain a valid Pro key first.

 

yes I have that tool, thanks. Doesn't do me any good right now though .. heh.

now if only I could change Pro to Home with a tool like that

the only XP Home CD I have is from HP - it's OEM and I dont think it will work on this computer. I could try it but I seriously doubt that it will work.

 

If that disc is a regular install disc with HP OEM branding it should work just fine. When you install it on HP machine it automatically activates, on that Packard Bell it should just ask for a proper key. In My Computer properties you might find some HP Branding still...

Whole another story is if that is a recovery disc for some particular computer. That probably won't work ever, or needs extensive fixing afterwards.

 

it's a XP Home SP2 OS only CD, came with my old HP Pavilion laptop so has some HP marks on it, I'm pretty sure its OEM. I think I used it once to do clean install on that laptop some 7-8 years ago. There wasn't a recovery option such as those that we have these days, only a separate CD with drivers for that laptop.

but I'll try it, I guess might work out fine .. or at least that's some light in the tunnel, thanks.

 

That procedure doesn't apply to XP. To change a key in XP, go to Start > All Programs > Windows Activation (should be just above your programs list with the Windows Update tool). Or, you can pull it up from the run command: http://0.tqn.com/d/pcsupport/1/0/p/6/-/-/change-xp-product-key-09.jpg

Your HP OEM CD should work; I use OEM discs all the time on various machines. You'll just have to remove the branding if it bothers you; otherwise, there shouldn't be a problem. If it doesn't take, though, you may try downloading the legitimate ISO here: Download Windows XP Service Pack 3 - ISO-9660 CD Image File from Official Microsoft Download Center

You COULD get the Pro ISO as well from Microsoft, but you would need a valid key to activate it.

 

It specifically applies to XP. Without that tool one still cannot change from invalid retail license to OEM one for example. Not really knowing what the original install is doesn't help either.

With Vista and 7 one can mix between OEM, Retail, Upgrade install discs and licenses. Disc is basically always the same, used key determines license/activation scheme.

Windows XP this is the exact opposite and correct disc version requires matching install key. That tool I linked allows one to install using pretty much whatever disc/license combo they get their hands on and then update said installation with a legit license key. Even the FCKGW works for XP Pro. Unfortunately it won't change installation from Pro to Home.

 

I've used that tool to change XP keys before, it works fine. That's how I cloned my clean XP install from my Intel T61 to my nVidia T61 (in my sig), then changed couple of drivers and the OEM key and that's it

 

OK so it worked with the HP OEM CD, Windows is recognized as Genuine so no more problems of that matter

another pain was that the computer had 256mb of RAM only, oh man, and the CD drive didn't work without tilting the laptop to the side, heh .... but today we managed to fit 1GB out of two DDR modules from my old HP laptop, so it's all up and running (after 3 days worth of updates, since my XP CD was SP1 and not SP2 as I thought).

the LAN card doesn't seem to recognize when cable is plugged in so it goes on WiFi only (which surprisingly is a G), battery is crapped out and would last for around 5 min, and the keyboard is missing a key - the (') or the (\), not sure. But heck I'm about to put some MS Office on it and I know one mom would be happy to browse the net, use skype, and type and print a page when needed

Celeron M on 1.4Ghz, 1GB RAM (and no page file), 40GB HDD, wifi G, CD drive that works sometimes ..... and a good clean install of XP Home, what else could be needed there

 

Sorry! It went straight to the Windows 7 guideline - I overlooked the XP one.