Windows XP on Ebay legit?

Does anybody have experiences buying Windows XP operating system or any other OS on Ebay. Is this a good idea or not? Windows 98SE on my computer is totally messed and I have no disc for it so I was looking for a full version of XP without having to pay $200 for it.

if ya build pcs ya can get home oem for like 77. sometimes even localy .ya can tell em ya built ya own pc or just buy some hardware with ya purcase

After looking further it looks like these sellers are using the hardware loophole and esnding something with the OEM version.

Raggie is correct.

I've picked up ProXP OEM's for under $100. Infact still have 2 in sealed packages that I used on the family machines. Just needed the licenses not the Media so the Media stays sealed and the license code spins onto the machine.

You might want to try local Computer Swap Meets/Flea Markets so you can see the Hologram License before you buy.

I've picked up OEM's both here in AZ and in CA all the time, for under $100.

You can get XP Home upgrades all the time for under $100 at real stores. But you will need to borrow someones 98 or ME disk. When you upgrade you can FDisk out you HD and start clean. The Update will just look for a 98 or ME CD.

Lots of Counterfeit Stuff out there.

Thanks! I have a new 80GB hard drive I'm going to put it on for a clean, roomier start than the 20GB it has now.

The main concern with upgrading from Windows 98 to Windows XP is to check that your computer will actually meet the minimum system requirements for it. And having said that, it might be worthwhile saying that meeting the minimum requirements (to let Windows XP run) may still mean that your computer runs like a snail. Often times, a lot of people upgrade without realizing that Windows XP requires a lot more system resources (in terms of memory and harddrive space to install) than Windows 98. The other complication is that if you have older software, while XP has a pretty good hardware driver database, if it doesn't have the drivers you need you might be sunk if you can't find them anymore.

If you're looking to upgrade the OS and need a new computer too, it might be worthwhile doing both at the same time so you save on the OS (like previous posters said).

Hope this helps

Definitely go with the clean start.
WinXP after upgrading and WinXP on a fresh install are night and day difference performance wise.

And legal issues aside, one nice thing about OEM versions is that they don't always require software keys.
I bought a copy of WinXP that was Dell branded and it installed without ever asking for a key.
One was included -- it just never asked for it during installation.
Makes future re-installs much less hassle.

Hey guys,

There is an article in the new PC magazine(Vol. 24 No2. - Feb '05) that shows you how to slipstream SP2 into your windows disk and even integrate your keycode and drivers so the next time you clean install your system, everything will be installed without asking for your keycode. I tried it and it works great. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

PS

I'm running an OEM XP pro version with service pack 1 already install on original disk. I think it's about $140 bucks at newegg.

[ QUOTE ]
tiktok 22 said:
Hey guys,

There is an article in the new PC magazine(Vol. 24 No2. - Feb '05) that shows you how to slipstream SP2 into your windows disk and even integrate your keycode and drivers so the next time you clean install your system, everything will be installed without asking for your keycode. I tried it and it works great. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

PS

I'm running an OEM XP pro version with service pack 1 already install on original disk. I think it's about $140 bucks at newegg.

[/ QUOTE ]been doing that for a while since win2k i add drivers and everything.i love it it makes it easier /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[ QUOTE ]
raggie33 said:
[ QUOTE ]
tiktok 22 said:
Hey guys,

There is an article in the new PC magazine(Vol. 24 No2. - Feb '05) that shows you how to slipstream SP2 into your windows disk and even integrate your keycode and drivers so the next time you clean install your system, everything will be installed without asking for your keycode. I tried it and it works great. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

PS

I'm running an OEM XP pro version with service pack 1 already install on original disk. I think it's about $140 bucks at newegg.

[/ QUOTE ]been doing that for a while since win2k i add drivers and everything.i love it it makes it easier /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

COOL!!!

try looking at www.pricewatch.com, sometimes people sell versions of operating system software that is for specific brands of computers and may not include all drivers needed for other models. If you don't have at least a 500mhz computer and 256megs of ram I wouldn't bother with XP as it tends to drag on slower systems and needs at least 256megs to run well on computers less than 1 gigahertz IMO. I am still running 98se and I don't have to patch all the time due to the NT *holes*.

umm, if you run XP with windows classic theme it runs fine on an amd K6-2 400 with 128mb of rams.....

neg

Thanks! I'm running a 700 Pentium III with 256MB. I have that magazine and will be making use of the article.

Windows XP Home System Requirements

64MB is the bare minimum, but if you ask just about anybody they will recommend at least 256mb of RAM to you. This is usually the standard amount of RAM in computers sold today by big companies.

256MB is way to go. 128MB will be sluggish even for non power user. 512MB will be even better, higher up you won't notice much difference because of the bottleneck and etc unless you are running heaps of apps at the same time.

Running XP home on a K6-2 400 with 320 megs of PC100 ram on my old PC. Runs pretty good.

man thats slowwwwwwwwwwwwwwww titok lol .i like xp but i may go back to win2k it seem faster to me then xp. i also tryied windows xp 64 beta i liked it to. installing win2k on a old system now..i fold with my pcs now they say it may cure cancer some day. so i install it on my pc,s and it keeps em at 100% all day .

I got XP Home SP2 from a local store for $99. It works great on a new 80GB drive so I don't have to keep deleting things to make room.

Thanks for your advice!