Need CDs for Windows XP Media Center Edition

[mad NAT'er]

I've got a Sony Vaio laptop which has been working fine the past couple of
years. It runs XP Media Center Edition. I must have picked up a virus or
at least somehow some of the windows files have become corrupt yielding an
unstable system with sometimes frequent explorer.exe errors.

I figure I need to reinstall windows to repair the corrupt files. The
problem is that Sony did not ship the OS discs. They also did not put them
intact on the "hidden" partition on my C-drive. I have made the recovery
DVDs per the Vaio revoery routine but to use them would wipe out the C-drive
and basically start fresh again. To avoid the pain of having to transfer
all data files and then also ultimately reinstall all the apps I've gotten
in the past 2 years, I'd like to just reinstall/repair Windows. I also
tried sfc /scannow but I get to the point where the system wants me to
insert the XP disc and of course I don't have it.

How can I get the XP MCE discs? I have tried to download them on eMule but
the files available there come with various cracks and keygens. I don't
want any of that. I want just the original CDs for this OS. The product
KEY is on a label on the bottom of my laptop. I just need the discs to
reinstall/repair my Windows MCE OS and be doen with it. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

[mad NAT'er]

Oh and let me add that I have already been in touch with Sony and they are
totally useless in helping provide these OS CDs. Their stance has been to
fall back to the recovery DVDs but as I stated below, this will wipe out my
C-drive which I want to avoid.

"mad NAT'er" <mad...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:0oWzj.12142$dT....@bignews1.bellsouth.net...

[smlunatick]

> > Thanks in advance.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

MCE CDs are not distributed thru most retail channels. This is a
version that can not "official" sold with a pre-assembled media PCs.
If your OEM (Sony) does not provide the true Install Cds, then it is
unlikely that you can use a "generic" OEM MCE CDs, if you can locate
place to buy them.

[pheasant]

Been there. Done that.

Go to Sony's website, let it into your puter, and it will tell you which
disks to order. Yah I spent 25 minutes on the phone with the tech
support to no avail. Reinstalled WXP Home to get machine up and on
internet the Sony tool told me what I needed, ordered it for 21 bucks
for full Media Center disks (Sony OEM of course) and away it went.
Really painless if you use the tools available.

[mad NAT'er]

Thanks Pheasant. I guess I was trying to avoid paying Sony anymore money at
all. Seems they should have included the disks to begin with. $21? I guess
that isn't too bad.

"pheasant" <kiav...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:47D130D0...@yahoo.com...

[pheasant]

mad NAT'er wrote:
> Thanks Pheasant. I guess I was trying to avoid paying Sony anymore money at
> all. Seems they should have included the disks to begin with.

They did. Most likely got displaced. Is your time really worth 21
bucks in messing around? We all like to get by cheap, but proprietary
disks are just that, no generic OS is gonna be right. I learned, now am
hoping to save others the frustration. ;)

[mad NAT'er]

"pheasant" <kiav...@yahoo.com> wrote in message

news:47D7E03C...@yahoo.com...

I checked now. Sony has discontinued that Part. No longer available.
Wonderful.