Path: ccsf.homeunix.org!CALA-MUZIK!newsfeed.media.kyoto-u.ac.jp!border2.nntp.dca.giganews.com!border1.nntp.dca.giganews.com!nntp.giganews.com!local01.nntp.dca.giganews.com!nntp.bt.com!news.bt.com.POSTED!not-for-mail NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 02 Jun 2006 05:21:51 -0500 From: "Rob Nicholson" Newsgroups: japan.comp.toshiba References: Subject: Re: Toshiba Portege R200 - re-install Windows XP Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2006 11:23:43 +0100 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.3790.1830 X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.3790.1830 X-RFC2646: Format=Flowed; Response Message-ID: Lines: 42 NNTP-Posting-Host: 217.45.2.106 X-AuthenticatedUsername: NoAuthUser X-Trace: sv3-IMTI+/DVl9E3gcLz4yWPtSw20kKzSwfwdExZ1OvXAZqE28homsRhjtp1igcx+dhjKCpTpOFK3+cjXnb!JfsG6m0PSFxhP5SCFFd/x5EKB9zCzwykwfspyrDD1YtgViZLJJc9breqoqfOX0S9bOVg4rQvrg== X-Complaints-To: abuse@btinternet.com X-DMCA-Complaints-To: abuse@btinternet.com X-Abuse-and-DMCA-Info: Please be sure to forward a copy of ALL headers X-Abuse-and-DMCA-Info: Otherwise we will be unable to process your complaint properly X-Postfilter: 1.3.32 Xref: ccsf.homeunix.org japan.comp.toshiba:780 > You bought and paid for a laptop with XP Pro, all that 'vaporware' which > came pre-installed on it is what paid Toshiba to sell you the laptop with > XP Pro. The 'Recovery CD' will either return your laptop to the > 'Out-of-box' state, or allow you to re-install chosen vaporware. Of course, I was unable to read the terms and conditions before ordering so haven't a clue what the legal point of view is concerning re-installation of the software. If this is Toshiba's stance, i.e. no way of getting plain vanilla Win XP Pro back on there, then they've probably lost further sales. The Dell CD puts Win XP Pro back on there, usually with most of the drivers but not 3rd party software. > Of course purchasing your own copy of XP Pro will set you back $100 - > $150, but it will give you a cleaner machine. My plan of action has > always been That's a possibility but leaves a nasty taste in the mouth. > to remove all the garbage they put on there, leaving me with a tattered, > but usable cleaner OS. I dump it all. Make a big pot of coffee, because > you'll be at if for hours and will soon tire of restarting your 'New' > computer. I use Symantec's Norton WinDoctor to clean up the mess all this > crap makes. WinDoctor ain't free, you can run CCleaner (Crap Cleaner) to > do housekeeping from what AOL, Quicken, yadda, yaddah, yadda leaves > behind. Startup Inspector will be a great way for getting rid of anything that tries to load during startup. I've just taken an image of the laptop using Acronis True Image so I can have a play. > Toshiba, Dell, HP, Compaq, etc should be shot for turning out these > machines burdened with all this avoirdupois. I remember the old days when > I bought a computer and it came with a box of instructions, diskettes > containing the OS and virgin harddrive, oh how I long for it once again. I can't believe that this is how large corporations use Toshiba - in fact, I know so - they must have access to an OEM installation CD for Win XP. It's possible I guess they've got a global Win XP license. Cheers, Rob.