XP Media Center. Bad Copy?

[biologist]

I purchased a copy of Windows XP Media Center 2005.

However when the disk boots it just says "Windows XP", nothing about media center anywhere. It looks like a regular Windows XP installation.

Did I get a mislabeled copy or the wrong disk?

I dont want to install this if its just regular Windows XP.

Thanks.

 

[stash]

There should be two CDs with MCE. The first CD is XP SP2, and when you boot off of it and run setup, it looks exactly like a normal XP setup. Then you enter the PID, which is an MCE PID, and it will prompt you for the second CD which contains the MCE bits.

 

[biologist]

That explains it, I didn't get the second CD.

 

[stash]

Sounds like you purchased from a less than reputable dealer.

 

[biologist]

It was a guy I work with.

Turns out it was my fault.

I didn't pay attention to the disks when I picked them up.

I assumed the second disk was freeware/trial stuff and didnt take it.

 

[stash]

:beer:

Hopefully he still has it.

 

[gpgofast]

My Dell OEM MCE2005 is on one disk. It loads XP completely and then finishes the MCE edition. GP

 

[RMorris78]

Does the installation say it is a "Windows XP Pro" installation?

It should.... MCE is just Pro with Media Center integrated

 

[RebateMonger]

I just received my quarterly Microsoft Action Pack OEM disk supplement (for registered System Builder Partners). In the sleeve for MCE 2005, there was only ONE disk, marked "Disk One". Is there a singe-disk version of MCE 2005? I've never seen one. All of my MCE 2005 distributions have come on two CDs.

Based upon what gpgofast said above, I guess a single disk COULD be a full MCE 2005 install.

 

[TG2]

Yeh, but is gpgofast CD a Dell restore CD or a hologram Microsoft MCE CD?

 

[gpgofast]

Mine is a Dell branded OS restoration disk. And I think a DVD, I'll check today. GP

 

[RebateMonger]

Yesterday, I was playing with a brand-new HP MCE 2005 box. It DOESN'T come with a system restore disk and you hve to burn 16 CDs or 3 DVDs to create your own restore set, according to the estimate created by HP's one-time-use Recovery Set Creation utility.

 

[gpgofast]

My Dell MCE2005 disk is 2.65 GB. GP