XP CD and CDKEY on back..ARRRRRGH!!!

Um................

Dude,,,,,,,, are you smoking a bong or something????? or just not too knowledgeable about installing windows.. if you are installing XP with YOUR cd then how come you dont use YOUR product key.. the key thats on the BACK of the Acer if for the OEM copy of windows that is or was on your HD.

Anyhow if you didnt partition your HD, you still have a cpoy of windows on the HD just when you boot you system up at the Acer screen just hold down ALT and tap on F10.. brings your up to recovery mode.

ok, the cd key on the back is a OEM key it only works on Acer XP home versions, if you are using a retail copy of XP home, it's not gonna work, microsoft has differen keys for different versions of windows.. i.e XP Home, XP SP1, XP SP2, XP OEM, XP OEM SP1, XP OEM SP2, XP PRO, XP PRO SP1, XP PRO SP2, XP PRO OEM, XP OEM SP1, XP OEM SP2....but yea..lol that's why once u format and delete windows xp, fromur PQSERVICE parition, the possibility of find a acer oem copy to reinstall is a lil hard if it is not provided by the manufacturer, best bet, buy a copy of XP, so you always have it, and if you are trying to use windows xp on 2 different systems, you can always just install it, i don't know if it will let u do updates, but you can call microsoft and "tell" them you had it installed on another system but formatted it, removed it from that system and have it installed on a different system, again, not sure if u can get updates on the other one u used the key with...microsoft have become annoying with there "attempts" to stop piracy, and things will only get more complicated when vista is released and they drop volume license keys and beef up the Genuine advantage pop-ups, and other tactics, but yea, as far as loading with a used key and trying it, go for it, if you can switch it once it is loaded...not sure, u might get locked out, but worth a shot, but would kinda suck to get your system all the way you like it then get a update that locks up you computer because you key is for a different version of xp

well, I wasnt tring to be too harsh lol, but was just kinda funny,, best bet is you can buy the Setup disc for $20 Recovery for $20 from Acer , run ISO program to partition and format HD back to Fat 32 where it suppose to be which can be Download from acerpanam.com support solutions, then you can run the recovery.

Haha I was just messing around about that noob part, but seriously I would go ahead and just buy the CDs from acer they can give ya image with SP2 on it. Cheapest with shipping is $50 plus what ever tax. Running your own copy you have a chance of some hardware not working properly... trust me..

There really not many extra programs, but you could alway uninstall what ever you dont want and to get ntfs
open command prompt and type
convert c: /FS:ntfs

then use partition magic to partition drive to how you want it

I totally agree thats why I have a custom desktop lol, as far as notebooks your limited sometimes. I work for Acer in Texas at the repair depot and id would say 50% or more people that have installed there own copy of windows or linux usally have problems with some hardware not functioning correctly, why? not sure. I guess thats why they have engineer's that make up these systems and images.

well then just get on torrents, snag pro, then get the latest legitcheckcontroller.dll patch drop that in your system32 folder in windows, get all your updates from microsoft EXCEPT( WGA windows genuine advantage) and there you go, you have a working up to date windows... i was trying to beat around the bush on this, as i wasn't sure to the policies of the forum on such discussion.

explain to me why they made a image of a fat32 partition??? cutting ghost by not updating there ghosting software? alotta software and games require ntfs as it supports 2gb+, and the recovery cd/dvd doesn't do you any good, if you lost your pqservice parition thru a format, as it works with pqservice, pulling files from that parition, if that is gone, the disks are useless, hang them in ur rearview mirror, cuz there just uber car accents

well of course you still have users that require fat32 for older programs, therefor you cant convert NTFS to fat32 but you can change fat32 to NTFS but when you change it, when and if you have any problems theres nothing Acer can or will do to help you exept tell you to take it back down to fat32. As far as the built-in Image, if you loose it during a partition/format change you pretty much are screwed for that and half to format back to fat32 and split the dirve in half again in order for the ghost image to work. Some of the new systems have new features, although havent had chance to play with much.

see i don't see that as plausable, even if you recreated the paritions, the disk you make upon booting the system, doesn't contain xp from what i am told, xp remains on the pqservice partition, and all other software/settings is placed on the recovery disk, i am almost absolute that once the pqservice files are gone, the disk isn't gonna bring them back, and i am going from model 5672, which doesn't come with any recovery disks besides the user made ones, now i don't know about the 8204, maybe it acer didn't cheap out on them, and gave them actual recovery disks, but i know that my model didnt... and realistically, what software do you find to be fat32 dependent, the only value of fat32 i find at all is on usb hdd, as it can be used back and forth on win 9x nt systems, but still require drivers... i just don't see reasoning in fat32 or see who would be running 10year or more fat32 file system dependent software on there notebooks, it seems like they are backwards as they are making conveniences for a very small margin of consumers..seems as though, this isn't a big issue as other manufacturers have not got on to this trend, sure you aren't attempting to defend acers inadequacies because you do localized repairs for them?

changing of the oem setup files to do a install on a persons computer should not contridict the rules as they legally own the copy of windows...well should even though the format they give it to us is in shitty condition. but it would be nice to see if this is plausable, i heard of it, but figured it was too much hassle.

They make the image not me, and not sure about the older systems ,, most of the systems do not come with disk, you can make the back CDs/DVDs through erecovery program, which makes the bootable CD and then makes the recovery CDs/DVD which is the image. They have the feature of this in the event your HD craps out and you replace it with a new HD. Some of the new CDs you can buy from Acer in the event that you dont make your backup CDs has the ISO program built in which will partition and format the new drive so that ghost will work on it. Hopefully in the near future they will push for NTFS as a standard it will be less headache on our part. Only bad part as of now when you use the recovery CDs most people loose the emanager functions.

Someone always has a "legit" reason to run a pirated copy...

dude i did a google search for the 3rd option but cant find any can u point to me ehwere i can get that tool