quick question: Microsoft Windows XP

[dvtimes]

My mates pc has died. I suspect his neice has been downloading mp3's and given the machine a nasty virus.

|Anyway, I will be off to fix it.

I know when he got it, he did not get a windows xp disk.

So what is the situation with this. Does he need to buy the xp disc, or will the shop (pc world) give him a disk, or will windows alow me to download xp to his machine as its already been registered as having a copy of xp.

[SGS]

PC World supply "idiot fix" disks I think? The disk has XP and all the needed drivers for a restore to new condition?

[Mattyboy]

PC World supply "idiot fix" disks I think? The disk has XP and all the needed drivers for a restore to new condition?

Yep, often called a "recovery disk".

[morefodder]

both of above are true, there should be a 'recovery disc' that is a bootable cd, this will have a version of ghost on it and recover the computer back to factory settings from a hidden partition on the main drive.
As this recovers back to factory status from the day it was installed at the factory, this will remove, delete and destroy anything that was put on the computer from day one, files mp3's even updates.
Bit of a snot, but at least it should be useable afterwards.
Make sure you take some kind of antivirus and firewall to install before it goes back on the net.
Its a piece of piss. had to do my bro in laws once or twice ( also a pc world jobby :gaylords: )

[mellenig]

i bought my daughter a new machine a few weeks ago and I noticed there was no recovery cd with it but when I read the info that came with it, it advised you to make one when you are first setting up the machine so maybe your mate's machine is something like that?