window xp sp2 disk

[mill]

This hp came with 7 recovery cds,i was wonderingif i can do a clean install just with the windows sp2 disk, and leave off all the other junk hp came with? The only thing i will miss is the hp 24-7 instint chat support in help and support.

[Chewy]

there will be a driver disk, you could download them seperately.

is the windows xp sp2 disk for the HP?

[mill]

No when sp2 first came out i called ms and asked them to send me it on disk because i had dialup at the time and i was having problems downloading it so they sent me one

[Chewy]

that would only have sp2 on it not windows xp

[mill]

Are you sure? because when my pc came from monarch i got the same disk? They both say windows xp home edition, but one says not for retail or oem distribution,and the other says for distribution with a new pc

[Chewy]

you'll have to open them and see?

[mill]

I forgot which one monarch sent and which one ms sent but i guess there both the same.

[Chewy]

first time I have ever heard of ms sending out the oem disk to an hp customer?

how much was it?

[mill]

It was free for the asking

[Chewy]

VRMHOEM is the name, are both disks named the same, looks like MS goofed up?

the name game is how the disk decides which numbers to accept

[mill]

Yes ,i think they messed up too but in my favor for a change. there was a place on windows home page were you could have sp2 sent mailed to you i just called them up and told them windows came installed on the pc and i was having problems downloading there sp2 and this is what they sent?

[Chewy]

you are good to go then, most of your drivers should be included, nice generic clean install

do the install and only load drivers from HP site that are needed as per devicemanager

[katzdvd]

you are good to go then, most of your drivers should be included, nice generic clean install

Good luck, mill! Generic install the way to go; I hate "recovery cd" packages...

@chewy; your hair looks great!

cheers,

[mill]

Would that generic install be reverseable , if i found i was having issues?

[Chewy]

the generic/clean install will be better(sp2), none of the junk, the only issue will be drivers for devices that xpsp2 doesn't supply, you load those

might want to flash your bios if needed first

the only non-reveresible thing would be if your reinstall was on a hidden partition and you deleted it

back with W98se and some new mobos we found the only way to get a good install was to have all cards except video out of the computer, that way a mini port driver(via) would load and assign irqs right. Several major companies(NEC) never did figure it out.