Operating System License Key only

I am looking at buying a laptop at an online auction site, but the item
states the "Operating System License Key" is included. However the items not
included are:
Installed Operating System
Operating System Restore Partition
Operating System Restore Disc (s)

How can I use this computer or do I have to buy a full OS version?
--
tkkt

Sounds to me as though they have probably wiped the hard-drive prior to
sale. If they have left the restore partition and/or are including a
system restore disk you should just be able to reload the PC to its
"factory fresh" state using those. I'd contact the vendor for
clarification though.


--
mkprilliman

"The Deathstar is fully operational."

Antec Nine Hundred / Core 2 Quad Q6600 / MSI P6N Diamond / CoolerMaster
RP Pro 1000 PSU / X-Fi 7.1 / 4x 1GB Corsair XMS2 PC-6400 / 2x MSI
NX8600GTS-OC / 150GB Raptor (system) / 2 x 500GB HDD (RAID 0) / 1x 300GB
HDD (beta partition) / Venus T4U (1TB capacity) / 1x Dell 2407WFP
wrapped by 2x Dell 2001FPs / Logitech Z-5500 speakers

Don't buy it.
The Key is included because it is on a sticker on the bottom of the laptop.
It may only work with the Laptop vendors RestoreCDs which the seller is
obviously keeping or has lost in addition to his apparently reformatting the
disk before trying to sell it. You may be able to purchase a new set of
restore CDs from the laptop vendor so you might call their support line if
"tkkt" <tkkt@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
newsFF244F8-1D00-4645-8EB3-DDE21D86ACD5@microsoft.com...
>I am looking at buying a laptop at an online auction site, but the item
> states the "Operating System License Key" is included. However the items
> not
> included are:
> Installed Operating System
> Operating System Restore Partition
> Operating System Restore Disc (s)
>
> How can I use this computer or do I have to buy a full OS version?
> --
> tkkt

OOPS, guess I should have read the OP a bit more carefully. I concur
with Curious, don't buy it if the restore partition/disk are not
included (unless you can get it really cheap and have a high tolerance
for things like gambling that it actually posts, paying for an OS,
finding drivers, etc...).
Curious;651481 Wrote:
> Don't buy it.
> The Key is included because it is on a sticker on the bottom of the
> laptop.
> It may only work with the Laptop vendors RestoreCDs which the seller is
> obviously keeping or has lost in addition to his apparently
> reformatting the
> disk before trying to sell it. You may be able to purchase a new set of
> restore CDs from the laptop vendor so you might call their support line
> if
> "tkkt" <tkkt@xxxxxx> wrote in message
> newsFF244F8-1D00-4645-8EB3-DDE21D86ACD5@xxxxxx> > >
> > >I am looking at buying a laptop at an online auction site, but the
> > item
> > > states the "Operating System License Key" is included. However the
> > items
> > > not
> > > included are:
> > > Installed Operating System
> > > Operating System Restore Partition
> > > Operating System Restore Disc (s)
> > >
> > > How can I use this computer or do I have to buy a full OS version?
> > > --
> > > tkkt > >


--
mkprilliman

"The Deathstar is fully operational."

Antec Nine Hundred / Core 2 Quad Q6600 / MSI P6N Diamond / CoolerMaster
RP Pro 1000 PSU / X-Fi 7.1 / 4x 1GB Corsair XMS2 PC-6400 / 2x MSI
NX8600GTS-OC / 150GB Raptor (system) / 2 x 500GB HDD (RAID 0) / 1x 300GB
HDD (beta partition) / Venus T4U (1TB capacity) / 1x Dell 2407WFP
wrapped by 2x Dell 2001FPs / Logitech Z-5500 speakers

If it's cheap enough, I'd go for it.

Then go to ebay and buy a version of Windows you want. Vista is getting
very inexpensive these days over there. Just bought one myself for 40.00
plus 5.00 shipping ... unopened.
--
doon


"tkkt" wrote:

> I am looking at buying a laptop at an online auction site, but the item
> states the "Operating System License Key" is included. However the items not
> included are:
> Installed Operating System
> Operating System Restore Partition
> Operating System Restore Disc (s)
>
> How can I use this computer or do I have to buy a full OS version?
> --
> tkkt

Looks like whoever is selling this laptop has ruthlessly deleted the entire
system, all folders and restore partition in an effort to protect data. He
probably never got a Vista disk when he bought it either. But the key is
usually printed on a tag and pasted to the bottom. That would account for
it looking like it does. This in itself is not a particular problem. The
license is transferable since everything was removed and you can get a disk
from the MS site at a nominal fee. (you will need the key FIRST). You need
to ask a lot of questions if you can on the auction site. I would only go
for this if it was a GREAT deal. "doonboggle" also has a suggestion but I
haven't found a copy that cheap. You will need a FULL version and they run
$150 or so. I think the best bet is the MS site. I don't know how much
they get but I'm thinking about $20.00 for a replacement disk. Oh and BTW,
if you know someone with a disk and you have a legit key, it's perfectly ok
to use their disk to do the install.

--
Regards, BobF.
"doonboggle" <doonboggle@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news2D42D7E-5E28-4075-B404-48EBEC0CF644@microsoft.com...
> If it's cheap enough, I'd go for it.
>
> Then go to ebay and buy a version of Windows you want. Vista is getting
> very inexpensive these days over there. Just bought one myself for 40.00
> plus 5.00 shipping ... unopened.
> --
> doon
>
>
> "tkkt" wrote:
>
>> I am looking at buying a laptop at an online auction site, but the item
>> states the "Operating System License Key" is included. However the items
>> not
>> included are:
>> Installed Operating System
>> Operating System Restore Partition
>> Operating System Restore Disc (s)
>>
>> How can I use this computer or do I have to buy a full OS version?
>> --
>> tkkt