This trick is for WinXP. I haven’t tried other versions.

Occasionally, we get customers that don’t have Windows CD’s. Some never had them, and some have imaginative stories as to whose fault it is they don’t.

These days most computers have the license key on a sticker on the computer itself, so that bit is (usually) covered. If it’s not on there, then at least WRITE IT ON THERE when you get the machine. A CD marker or a face down sticker might work.

But an OEM license doesn’t work with a non-OEM CD. So just plonking any windows CD in the CD-player won’t work. So what to do?

You could try finding a Fujitsu Siemens owner with the same windows version as you have (home or professional). The recovery CD doesn’t have any drivers on it, and will accept your own license key.

Hopefully some above average end user will appreciate this tip from the trenches…

This entry was posted on Friday, November 18th, 2005 at 11:53 pm and is filed under Tech. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.