Desktops forum: HP stops supporting XP software for 5 year old computer!

Hello,

I did. Unfortunately, the disks that HP furnished eons ago, seem not to work any longer. I did not have enough space to fully explain the problem. I do have both disks. The recovery disk and I also have set up disks (a drive 3.5 floppies) do not seem to work in XP SP2 and the XP Media Center disk that HP furnished me in 2005 is likely defective (which is what the tech thinks). So I did not everything possible to prepare for this, short of backing up the entire hard disk which was not necessary as I have all files elsewhere. What I need is a working internet computer that allows my wife to do word processing and to watch TV. Thanks for the response.

river.

Most vendors/makers won't provide support after 5yrs., so they can walk away from it. Any product produced and basically re-produced again and again gets to a point, you have x-products and providing such support will be costly plus just more overhead. They still do offer online support to get drivers, etc., just not the OS discs.

You can find restore/recovery discs on the eBay and similar sources. Here is a website that provides such but not every system under the sun:
http://www.restoredisks.com/

The cost is relatively low and is the same as any other OEM OS. Also, the last resort is getting the full/upgrade version of the OS provided it too is available. XP, is getting harder to find on the store shelf and/or local sources. good luck

tada -----Willy

Well I did have a media center CD from HP but it did not have the SP 2update therefore it was useless and HP never was able to provide the original OS so I was out of luck.

I did buy a new XP Professional and it is working fine, w/o media center which we really decided we did not need anymore on that computer.

What I did learn was that the $12000 that my small business had spent with HP over the past ten years of so was not spent with a company that really valued our business as all they really had to do was send us an $89 program which I have no doubt they could secure for far less. We bought 4 systems, 6 monitors and quite a bit of other equipment from them and now we will not be a customer anymore.

I still needed a computer with the MediaCenter capability so, I just built my own computer. I ordered the parts from NewEgg, very fair pricing, excellent service and extra quick shipping with standard service - highly recommended, and I now know everything that it in the computer and how it all works. All parts are "off the shelf" so to speak and can be replaced, upgraded and supported from manufacturers, if necessary.

Rather than playing games with a centralized assembler of components who has employees located in who knows where who barely speak English and who often haven't a clue what you are asking them, who seem to have no ability or empowerment to make any decisions that might involve cost to the company and who really seem to feel no ownership stake in their positions, I found that when during my build, I encountered a couple of problems, the US based tech personnel at the various component manufacturers (motherboard, case et al.) were most responsive and seemed to be quite happy to help and even sent attachments to emails that showed how to do non-standard set up functions. What a change. Why does anyone buy an HP?