Where can I download Windows XP?

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Simply downloading a copy Windows XP is not the issue. The issue is, where did you get your product key? I think Microsoft should make it available to download because all you're getting is the install media. You still have to activate it and that's where the issue of legitimacy comes in. I would guess that most people looking to download Windows are looking to re-install legitimate copies.

I have a Compaq computer that came with WINDOWS xp on it. Compaq and Hewlitt Packard do not send the install disks to their own product, This is a cost saving strategy that works untill you want to upgrade your hard drive. I had a puny 40GB hard drive, so I wanted to get a bigger hard drive to set my old computer up as music server.
Compaq won't send me the setup disk, even after I said I AM GONNA BUY DELL NEXT TIME!!! They don't care to much about my money, so Blank Em'. The problem is, my old computer is out dated, but as a music server, it will do just fine with 2 gigs of memery, and a 500GB harddrive(these are maxxed out) Now noone said anything about links to get a copy. The Computer came with Windows xp Home Edition, I have the Product Key, So lets have some
links people, If Microsoft won't help me out I will go get linux and work on my own patches to make Rapsody work with it!!!

Seriously, the right thing to do, the legal thing to do, and the most problem-free thing to do is not to use Windows.

What if someone was dumb and partitioned their hard drive, thus destroying the restore partition? I had a legitimate version of Windows XP and I have the activation key pasted on the side of the computer. Where can I download the software to activate with my legitimate license?

ok wise guy, answer me this i have a product key and it came with my computer which i paid for and windows xp was installed in this computer which I PAID FOR. and now the crappy windows OS does not fuction. you are telling me that i have to pay for the same product twice? mind you i didnt get the copy of windows os cd with my compy. but i do have my key. all i need is the stupid download of the cd. I can burn my own.

You can buy a copy of Windows XP at most Staples stores for $99.

I have two working computers and one dead one.One of my computers came with Windows Vista and the other 2 came with Windows XP Home Edition(Only one of them has a revoery disc).Im wanting to downgrade the Vista to XP,my question is,would I be able to downgrade to XP using the disc from my working PC and then use the COA or Product key of the dead PC to activate Windows?...Would this work?..The dead PC is a desktop same as the other PC but the Vista is a Laptop.

PS..Continued from above...Would it matter if the Operating Systems were different "SP" versions?...I think the dead computer was Windows XP SP1 and the one with the recovery disc is SP2.Thanks...

Hi..me again,I was wondering if you've tried the free program "Xp-ISO builder",apparently you can convert a recovery disc into a full installation disc.Have you any experience with this or know of anyone who has succesfully used this program?...Thanks for your reply!

Hi, Leo, you're *slightly* wrong on a couple of details.

First: on the 23rd, you told someone that there's nothing wrong with transferring a purchased XP Home license from one machine to another. This is actually *wrong*, if the copy of XP came with the machine. OEM licenses allow installation only on the computer they were purchased for - and you can tell you have an OEM license by the sticker. If you have a license sticker? That's an OEM license, and you CANNOT transfer it to another machine.

If it's a retail license, you'll have a separate folder with the license key *there*. Those are legal to move from one machine to another, but also cost more than twice as much.

Second: there is nothing illegal about distributing the windows disk itself. Since all Microsoft-created Windows XP disks of a given flavour (Home/Pro, OEM/Retail/Volume) are identical, it doesn't matter where you get the CD as long as you have your own personal legitimate key. Even better, even "Branded" XP disks like Dell's are just normal disks with a different loader - so, even if you don't have the Dell disk that came with your Dell computer, you can still use a normal Microsoft disk, and the only difference will be that you won't have some of your drivers. You'll have to install them manually from the internet.

But yeah. You're wrong about the legality of moving a copy from one machine to another, and you're wrong about the legality of redistribution of the media itself, as long as you're not modifying the disk, bypassing the protection, or distributing the keys.

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