Member Avatar for bufflobreath

it wil be delivered on Monday, I ordered the windows xp 2pk. Does anyone know if I will have to download this or will it already be installed on my mother board. Thanks in advance Buff

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Dani AI

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Quick practical checklist for when your Dell arrives — following the thread from , and the recovery-media points raised by , , , and .

When you unbox it, do these first: keep the outer box and all paperwork; locate the Certificate of Authenticity (COA) sticker (product key) and the Dell service tag; look through the printed docs for any mention of recovery discs or a recovery-creation utility. Note the exact Windows edition printed on the COA or paperwork so you know whether you have an OEM-install or a retail "2‑pack" license (retail keys are generally transferable; OEM keys are tied to that machine).

Before you change partitions or install anything else, create recovery media and a full image. If Dell installed a recovery utility you should find a “create recovery discs” option in the Start menu or a Dell tools folder — use that first. If not, make a full disk image to an external drive with an imaging tool (image + a bootable rescue medium). Keep that image and any burned recovery discs safe; they are your fastest route to factory condition if the hard drive fails.

Save copies of drivers and the service tag. Visit Dell’s support page (use the service tag) to download chipset, network and video drivers and store them on USB media. If you plan a clean reinstall later, make sure you have the correct drivers and the COA/product key before wiping the drive.

Important note for anyone reading this years later: Windows XP reached end of support on April 8, 2014 and no longer receives security updates. If you will use the machine online, consider upgrading to a supported OS or isolating the PC from the Internet and keeping full offline backups. If anything is missing or unclear, Dell support can usually supply recovery media when you provide the service tag.

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Member Avatar for nanosani

Most probably (one guy with a dell machine told me) that the windows will come installed by default.

Member Avatar for alc6379

I can back this up; Dell has been shipping SP2 on their systems since about late September.

Member Avatar for dlh6213

It'll come pre-installed, but it will be on the hard drive, not on the motherboard :)

They used to include a recovery CD; hopefully they still do that.

Member Avatar for alc6379

They used to include a recovery CD; hopefully they still do that.

You can get one, but you usually have to call and ask for one...

Member Avatar for zeroth

I didn´t get one with my Dell notebook...

Member Avatar for alc6379

I didn´t get one with my Dell notebook...

When did you buy it? They started eliminating media from their systems the same time they started shipping SP2. Regardless, if you call them up, you can get the CDs you're supposed to have .

Member Avatar for belama

I thought every new computer with windows installed came with a recovery disk.

Member Avatar for dlh6213

I thought every new computer with windows installed came with a recovery disk.

They used to, but not anymore, though they should.

Actually, they should come with the actual OS OEM CD and all the driver CD's/disks as well, in my opinion.

Member Avatar for belama

Well it would be logic in my opinion too.

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