Is the machine still in warranty? Perhaps HP will supply a new HD with
the OS pre-installed.

kilroy@washere.com wrote:
> Does anyone know if the version of the OS on the HP & DELL Media
> Center Edition 2005 machines is just like MS Windows Media Center
> Edition 2005? Or are those OS's changed by HP & DELL to suit their
> use (including their logos etc)?
>
> Asked another way - what happens if you restore a HP or DELL Media
> Center Edition 2005 machine by installing on it a MS Windows Media
> Center Edition 2005 OS?
>
> Reason for the question - my brother has a HP Media Center Edition
> 2005 given to him for Xmas that requires recovery, on a new virgin HDD
> (his original HDD is defunct & un-readable). He does not have a copy
> of HP's Media Center Edition 2005, and has no 'recovery disk' if there
> ever was one. But he says he can get his hands on a installation-copy
> of what he calls a vanilla MS Windows Media Center Edition 2005.
>
> Thanks
>