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    IBM Laptop question - Please anwer?

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by Jedi Amanda, Apr 7, 2004.

  1. Jedi Amanda

    Jedi Amanda Notebook Enthusiast

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    I've never purchased a laptop before, & I'm thinking of purchasing an IBM Laptop, but my dealer is supplying the laptop with the OS (Windows XP Pro) without the original Windows XP CD included.

    If I need to install hadware devices etc, won't I need the Windows CD for drivers? Is this the accepted practice? To supply a laptop without a Windows CD?
     
    Jedi Amanda, Apr 7, 2004
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  2. Jedi Amanda

    Jedi Amanda Notebook Enthusiast

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    I forgot to add - they say this is a rapid restore PC and dosen't need any Windows CD. Is this true? Please help a tech-challenged newbie

    Thanks!
     
    Jedi Amanda, Apr 7, 2004
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  3. Keyz316

    Keyz316 Notebook Enthusiast

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    IBM laptops come with a hidden partition on the harddrive that contains the factory restore data, which you can access and restore pretty quick if need be. It takes up several GB of space though, so personally I deleted it on mine. Instead, I ordered the Recovery CDs from IBM (comes on 5 disks), since I know I won't need it often enough to be worth wasting so much space - if you order them within the first 30 days from purchase, they are free (I think they do it that way to cut costs)... I have no clue what they would try to charge you after 30 days, or whether the free disks apply to customers who don't buy direct from IBM. To my knowledge no IBM laptops (and almost no other manufacturers these days, it seems) package the actual Windows XP disk with systems. I haven't asked them yet, but you might be able to request the disk from IBM (would make sense, since you would have a valid XP license). The recovery partition/CDs, a number of folders on your C: drive contain all the needed files for your hardware, so you don't "need" the Windows disk for that purpose.... the recovery restores everything - drivers, IBM programs that make the laptops features work, etc.

    Peace.

    -- Dave
     
    Keyz316, Apr 7, 2004
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