Question about Dell PCs

Rebeller

Hi,

Can anyone, who has recently ordered a Dell PC with XP instead of Vista, tell me whether or not they ship OS installation/recovery discs with their machines?

I have called Dell twice and received 2 different answers (yes they do and no they don't!). Someone I know who recently purchased a dell with XP did not receive any installation discs.

I would like to have discs handy to do a clean install in the event of a bad malware infection or the like.

Anyone know?

Ghost Train

dell usually ship with the installation discs, havn't ordered anything with xp for a while though... but don't see why they wouldn't include the discs

Rebeller

Hmmm.

That's what I was thinking. It's the 2 different responses from Dell customer "services" that has me doubting!

uglyjohn

last dell i bought was about 1.5 years ago, and it didnt come with the installation disk, however the disks are in a partition on the hard drive you can restore it to exactly as it was when delivered. i think its called symmantec system recovery or something....

so...it kinda does come with disks, even though it doesnt

rrpc

uglyjohn wrote: »

last dell i bought was about 1.5 years ago, and it didnt come with the installation disk, however the disks are in a partition on the hard drive you can restore it to exactly as it was when delivered. i think its called symmantec system recovery or something....

so...it kinda does come with disks, even though it doesnt

That's really rubbish support tbh. You need to have the recovery disks off the disk that you need to recover otherwise they're as much use as well.. a reformatted recovery disk?

I've seen a new Dell laptop recently and it had recovery disks separately on CD if that's any help.

uberpixie

Dell now charge for recovery disks.

You have to tick a box when ordering to get physical disks now with a new pc.

Gadgetman496

I bought a Vostro 400 with XP Pro about 5 weeks ago & it came with the OS on CD Disc.

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AlmightyCushion

When I bought my inspiron laptop 1.5 years ago I had to pay extra for the discs (about 5 or 6 quid). When I bought my mums and my sisters vostro the discs came with them.

kaizersoze

uberpixie wrote: »

Dell now charge for recovery disks.

You have to tick a box when ordering to get physical disks now with a new pc.

Nonsense.:rolleyes:
In the days before Vista you had to add the CD as an optional extra for €15 or something like that.
Since Vista came out in Jan '07 the OS CD comes included (both Vista & XP).

Rebeller

uglyjohn wrote: »

last dell i bought was about 1.5 years ago, and it didnt come with the installation disk, however the disks are in a partition on the hard drive you can restore it to exactly as it was when delivered. i think its called symmantec system recovery or something....

so...it kinda does come with disks, even though it doesnt

uberpixie wrote:

Dell now charge for recovery disks.

You have to tick a box when ordering to get physical disks now with a new pc.

I bought a Vostro 400 with XP Pro about 5 weeks ago & it came with the OS on CD Disc.

Nonsense.
In the days before Vista you had to add the CD as an optional extra for €15 or something like that.
Since Vista came out in Jan '07 the OS CD comes included (both Vista & XP).

That's what I love about the old interweb: Everyone has a different take on reality.:D

Thanks anyway

kaizersoze

Rebeller wrote: »

That's what I love about the old interweb: Everyone has a different take on reality.:D

Thanks anyway

True, but my reality is purchasing around 100 systems from Dell in the last year.:pac:

rrpc

kaizersoze wrote: »

True, but my reality is purchasing around 100 systems from Dell in the last year.:pac:

Well you should know better

Blowfish

kaizersoze wrote: »

Nonsense.:rolleyes:
In the days before Vista you had to add the CD as an optional extra for €15 or something like that.
Since Vista came out in Jan '07 the OS CD comes included (both Vista & XP).

I've bought 2 XP machines from Dell. A Desktop in around 2002 and a laptop in 2004. Both came with the XP discs.

Cuddlesworth

Business models come with xp/Vista disks, with Home Models you are made pay for them. I think we have around 300 xp disks here, and about 80 Vista business.

kaizersoze

Blowfish wrote: »

I've bought 2 XP machines from Dell. A Desktop in around 2002 and a laptop in 2004. Both came with the XP discs.

Yeah. They went through phases of giving them free and charging. Twas the luck of the draw when ordering, not since Vista came out though.

stick-dan

Dell, when it comes to buying business computers, ship both an xp disc and a vista disc. I got a laptop in late september/early october last year and it came with both.

I wonder if they have a reason for it. Are they trying to force everyone onto vista maybe by reducing the amount of xp discs in circulation?

mathias

I wonder if they have a reason for it. Are they trying to force everyone onto vista maybe by reducing the amount of xp discs in circulation?

Unless the date has moved , XP has Sixty days or so left to live , at the end of june , you can no longer buy it ! Dealers can no longer supply it . Support only from there on in.

XP's Doomsday clock , and a petition if you want to save it , not that Microsoft ever listens to customers but you never know !

http://weblog.infoworld.com/save-xp/

AntiRip

kaizersoze wrote: »

Nonsense.:rolleyes:
In the days before Vista you had to add the CD as an optional extra for €15 or something like that.
Since Vista came out in Jan '07 the OS CD comes included (both Vista & XP).

Well my Inspiron 1520 came with no discs appart from the drivers. You get a backup WIF Image file on a recovery patition. I just rang dell just a minute ago and asked them could I get my backup discs and she said I had to pay E563 for them!!! I said What!! I thought I already paid for Vista?????

Sherifu

AntiRip wrote: »

Well my Inspiron 1520 came with no discs appart from the drivers. You get a backup WIF Image file on a recovery patition. I just rang dell just a minute ago and asked them could I get my backup discs and she said I had to pay E563 for them!!! I said What!! I thought I already paid for Vista?????

Sounds like they're trying to fob you off.

AntiRip

Sherifu wrote: »

Sounds like they're trying to fob you off.

Yeah, got the feeling alright when they transfered me three times and the last transfer was back to reception again :rolleyes:

What's the point of this WIF Image file if you can't boot or mount it? I just want one laptop with a genuine copy (that I've paid for) operating system. Had the same issue with a laptop a couple of years ago and it was much easier just to download a copy of XP

Sherifu

There's a key you can hit at boot to enter the restore menu, F11 I think. It'd still be nice to have the dvd though.

AntiRip

I've heard somewhere that it doesn't matter what copy of vista you have that you can enter your own licence key and that would be the same but I call bullsh1t on that one. Don't think they'd make it that easy to activate a copy

mukki

i have ordered about 30 pcs since christmas, and they all came with windows on cd/dvd

AntiRip

mukki wrote: »

i have ordered about 30 pcs since christmas, and they all came with windows on cd/dvd

Wait now. I got a system recovery cd. But I thought this was just for a system recovery if you still have your vista installed. You see I downgraded from Vista to XP and I wanted just to have a backup for the future. Can I use this recovery disc even though I've overwritten my Vista with XP?

AlmightyCushion

Yep, that should work fine.

AntiRip

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

Yep, that should work fine.

Excellent! Thanks AlmightyCushion

Rebeller

Ordered a fairly basic PC from Dell a couple of weeks ago and opted for XP instead of Vista.

Happy to report that it came with OS installation discs.