Recovery CD's

Also most of these "recovery" CD's are for a particular model computer and may only work with a certain model. They are meant to recover or reload the software to the way it was when new. So since some models come with different options (video, audio, CDRW, DVD, ect) then you would need a fairly large set to work on many models.
I believe you may need to rethink your plan, if you are working with only a limited number of models then you may be able to borrow a set from the user (and make yourself a copy.

I agree with jlauster and rayt333.  You will have an extensive amount of restore CD's.  If you want to do that.  My suggestion since you are a tech.  You can learn to use Ghost and create your own for your own clients.  If you are building their machines for them after you install the OS'.  Then create a ghost image and burn it onto CD.  

As jlauster has stated if you make copies of the manufactures restore disk it will be an unlicensed copy.  So in essence is illegal.  Unless you own rights to have it.

Hi pallidin, haven't seen you in the OS areas for awhile, how have you been doing. :>)


The Crazy One

I am a Northeast field tech and I carry about 100 cd's with me (copies I made) and I have a document I prepared that identifies the locations and mahcines and the serial numbers for the installs. It is a pain but have tried to follow the rules. For those that a cd was,'t available I use the generic cd of the application and have edited the registry and found the serial number that pertains to that machine. I use imagecast and deploy images and I use the list I have made to edit and change the serial numbers to the one that it pertains to. It is pretty simple and the only way I know of that meets the intent of the law. Dave

Hi pallidin

I work in a tech bay and have been collecting copies of recovery discs for 3-4 years (for convenience of customers who forget to bring theirs). We currently have 2*100 bay CD racks full plus another 100 or so (older ones rarely used) in a box. I doubt you'd obtain them legally anywhere but they're handy to have that's for sure. Ours only cover IBM & Acer for the most part and we have a few Compaq, HP & Packard Bell discs. The best way I've found is to copy the customer's discs while you're working on it then you have a copy if you come across another one without a recovery. Of course we only do this where time permits and don't hold the customer up just to get a copy off them.
Recently became a Packard Bell agent and they are sending us a full set of all their recovery discs to use. Found that IBM, Compaq & Hewlett Packard want to charge for this additional disc however.

Greetings all.
I appreciate everyone's comments.
The issue I spoke of is, I suppose, common to all those who work on a variety of systems where naked reformatting brings up the devils of chipset drivers, integrated video/audio and so forth.
Personally I have no problem with the legal issue of recovery disks, or copies of ANY software for that matter, which is used solely for the purpose of replacing that which was originally and legally installed on a clients system to begin with, and NOT used for any other purpose.
I believe that responsible techs SHOULD have access to such remedial measures, and a close look at the law might reflect that ability.
Even still, all of you brought up several very good points.
First, such a comprehensive collection, through purchase when and even if available, is likely prohibitively expensive due mainly to the sheer numbers of system-specific recovery CD's.
A second, disturbing point offered to me was that at least one manufacturer is no longer even providing recovery disks. I suppose this trend will continue.
Third, a general consnsus seems to point to my making backup copies of such disks as I come across them(to be used legally of course).
Perhaps, in review of everyone's comments, my problem is not in the re-installation of the bullshit suite packages preloaded on a machine(most of us get rid of half that crap anyway), but rather having the available core drivers to get the system up and running after format without opening up the system and searching for hours over the net for the required drivers(available on the recovery CD's, no less!!)
Hmmm... everyones' given great answers and I will try to give my best choice after further reflection.
Thanks all.

Something to keep in mind also, some OEM's (Compaq for example) has the drivers on their disks but the only way to access them is through a system restore. And doing a system restore requires a complete format of the HD meaning the loss of all other installed programs. This usally upsets the customer more then anything else. I would rather spend a few extra minutes (hours) searching for the drivers and keep customer happy. One unhappy customer may cause you to lose 4 or 5 potential customers. and each happy customer may send 4 or 5 friends who become customers themselves.

I specialize mostly with Dells, but like anyone else I still have compaq, gateways and HPs etc. around that I have to build from scratch etc. I set my laptop for imaging and have a firewire 60Gig harddrive and a Hub that I take with me on the road. I can rebuild and profile a computer most of the time with dualboot mostly 98se\w2k and profile it and join the domain in less then two hours. That may seem like a long time, however, I have to be careful to not lose any data or personal folders etc. for e-mail. I found that a generic image sometimes work well with certain computers and I have chipset drivers etc. either on my external harddrive or on cd's. It works well, I don't know what would work easier whereas I cover the whole Northeast of the USA. If you know an easier way please let me know. hehehe :>) Dave

I also meant to say, I never use a restore disk. That is why I search for the serial numbers first if possible. As you know each situation is different depending on the problem and by utilizing the little network I carry with me with the firewire harddrive it gives me plenty of space to back their personal folders and documents up. I found USB to be to slow. USB is 12 to 14 mb (USB 2.0) where firewire is 400 mb. It was a significant difference and I also carry a firewire cd-burner that works great also. Sorry, didn't mean to rattle on. :>)Dave

Does it get better than this? You guys are like the Energizer bunny with insight.

Just a thought...

When in the past i worked at a college with 2500+ machines, and 4 guys to make all the little %&^£'s work... ;-)

What we tended to do was build a windows disk, and include the various drivers on it, make it bootable. Then just run arround a room building 10 machines at a time.

There is a suit of utils from M$ that allows you to install additional drivers and apps onto a windows cd. Then using this build create an unattended install from that disk.

If space is a limit, i *think* you can tell setup it to look at a network (for apps, not drivers) and have windows run various setup progs after setup (i think it puts some keys in runonce under HKLM). Also, as non interactive setup is pretty quick. And only 1, maybe 2 restarts.

We also had soemthing that sat on a machine, and then downloaded software and updated the machine daily/weekly etc. So when a clean build of windows with the update app (sorry, cant remember its name) would appear on the network, it would start sending files and reg keys down.

(The app in question ran by snap-shotting the hdd before and after an app, then compiled the differences into a update type file).

Anyways, back to work...

GR.

Its not easy when you have a few hundred remote computers and users that are not literate with this technology, I try to be inovative but am always looking for better ways! hehehe

This not always a truisnm that the manufacturere will absoulutely not always have the Recovery CD, as there are namy differnent OEM's being used.  For instance, I had replaced my Dell 4100 per-install disk.  

Dell did furnish one for me, but he Service Tag Number was differnet.

If you are willing to pay for them, why not but an origional copy for your favorite PC Store, will work on any system, altough you will have to know what hardware is in each system.  Some versions will have their onw drivers.  WinXP ia excellent in that regard.

Wes! Take a look at the new HP philosophy and they are not providing any cd's. Dave

Wes take a look at this link in conjunction what Dave just commented on.

http://bizforums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,,0x38700b0717d1d5118ff40090279cd0f9,00.html

Hi guys, I have seen that, as I own a couple of their products, but no HP PC's.  But if the Questioner is willing to pruchase from eBay, all machines are not created euqal, therefore purchasing the New Version of windows, intended to use on the machnines.

Once the drivers are found for all componnents, it will be a fairly sipmle re-install, or clean installs.  Hp drivers are still available....aren't they?  I just go XP drivers for my HP Color LaserJet All-In-One in the mail last week.

Just because you find a work around doesn't make it right. One shouldn't have to do extra work for a product they purchased to rebuild it, IMHO. Dave

Though there does not appear to be web site that focuses on multi-system Recovery CD's for sale, the comments from CrazyOne really caught my eye.
Better yet, everyone's comments really helped to expand on this problem subject and I must admit that I've learned a thing or two.
Thanks to eveyrone!!!

Help! purchased a compaq presario 5184 from a person, it would not go past the windows screen.
Reformatted the HD and tried to install windows 2000 pro but could not.
Tried ordering from HP, after nurmerous phone calls after I place order online: They don't make them anymore.
What a I to do now with this paper weight? How can I find the recovery cd model #164807-004

Thanks Wes! :>) Dave

Da nada...

Wes :)