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Got a "dis-owned" laptop from work

post #1 of 8
9/8/10 at 1:28am
Thread Starter 
My wife's company recently went out of business and she lost her job.

She has a laptop that she uses that she carries between home and work and the senior VP told her she can keep the laptop for herself.

Only there are two problems. The laptop was configured by their IT department and now that department no longer exist. She can log in and use the software but the laptop was configured to certain company policy and certain things she cannot do. It is a Compaq nc8430 running Windows XP Professional.

Can she get new Windows CD somewhere and reinstall Windows on this older laptop and start fresh?

Also the original OEM battery does not work. Windows power option says battery is "Not Present". I bought a generic battery from ebay and plugged that in, and it still says "Not Present". Any idea?

Thanks in advance,
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post #2 of 8
9/8/10 at 6:16am
She can try to get another Windows installation CD and re-install it new. Drivers should be available from the Compaq/HP site for the model.

Try another battery and try staying with OEM battery if you can.

cheers ...
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post #3 of 8
9/8/10 at 10:11am
Thread Starter 
Do we need a specific Windows XP install CD for the Compag nc8430 or a generic Windows CD?

Not sure where to get it or I might need to purchase one specifically for this purpose?
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post #4 of 8
9/8/10 at 5:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by miamicuse View Post
Do we need a specific Windows XP install CD for the Compag nc8430 or a generic Windows CD?

Not sure where to get it or I might need to purchase one specifically for this purpose?
Any windows cd will work,no special cd required............
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post #5 of 8
9/12/10 at 1:15pm
Yes, you need a windows XP pro cd and it must be specific to the licence - if the licence sticker says 'XP Professional OEM' you need an OEM disc, being Compaq, I guarantee it will be OEM... Get the model number and go to the HP/Compaq website and download ALL the drivers and utilities for the laptop (and I mean ALL, some utilities, such as hotkeys may not seem important, but can lead to issues with laptops power interface if not installed).. Once done, burn them to disc and keep them safe...

Try using Compaqs installed battery application and try calibrating the battery.. Some Compaqs batteries are tied into the BIOS, so only a Compaq battery can be used...

Finally, before you go disc hunting, check to see if there is a recovery partition.. This can save a lot of hassle finding discs and drivers and restore the laptop to the original factory state.. If its not there, the good old IT department has hosed it for whatever reason...
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post #6 of 8
9/13/10 at 12:35pm
Got admin login?
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post #7 of 8
9/13/10 at 4:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr T View Post
Yes, you need a windows XP pro cd and it must be specific to the licence - if the licence sticker says 'XP Professional OEM' you need an OEM disc, being Compaq, I guarantee it will be OEM... Get the model number and go to the HP/Compaq website and download ALL the drivers and utilities for the laptop (and I mean ALL, some utilities, such as hotkeys may not seem important, but can lead to issues with laptops power interface if not installed).. Once done, burn them to disc and keep them safe...

Try using Compaqs installed battery application and try calibrating the battery.. Some Compaqs batteries are tied into the BIOS, so only a Compaq battery can be used...

Finally, before you go disc hunting, check to see if there is a recovery partition.. This can save a lot of hassle finding discs and drivers and restore the laptop to the original factory state.. If its not there, the good old IT department has hosed it for whatever reason...

I had a compaq presario c500 at one time and it came with windows vista basic,well i formatted the hard drive and the restore partion and used a windows vista home premuim disc from walmart with no ill effects,why wouldnt that work with the OP laptop,just with xp!.
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post #8 of 8
9/14/10 at 1:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by OneMustFall View Post
I had a compaq presario c500 at one time and it came with windows vista basic,well i formatted the hard drive and the restore partion and used a windows vista home premuim disc from walmart with no ill effects,why wouldnt that work with the OP laptop,just with xp!.
XP and win7 discs are specific to the type of licence key... (It can be hacked but is not easy to a non advanced user)... Vista on the other hand came with most versions on the DVD, and inputting your licence key installed the version specific to the licence key sticker... In summary...

Win XP - if it has OEM after the name you need an OEM disc.. It is only specific to the type of OS, so if it is XP Home OEM you need an XP Home OEM disc, same with XP PRO, XP MCE, and Server...

Vista - Again if it has OEM after the name you need an OEM disc. However all the vista OS@s as such are on 1 DVD (32bit and 64 bit are not).. So If it is Vista Home Premium OEM and is 32 bit... You need a 32bit OEM Vista Disc and use your Home premium licence to get the correct OS...
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