Restore Cd for OLD thinkpad ?

A friend (in another state) had an old A series ThinkPad with Win2000 on it
and no labels on exterior of PC.
It died and I volunteered to fix it. Easy enough - the HDD was bad.
She has no restore CD. Cut to the question:
how does licensing work these days on Windows 2000 ?
If she DID buy a legit copy of Win2k SP4 on eBay , and installed it, when
she goes to www.windowsupdate.com to get the latest (1000+) updates, would
activation work ? Or would their server say " this copy not licensed" ?
Have they disabled licensing for old OS'es ?

- Bobb - Inscribed thus:

> A friend (in another state) had an old A series ThinkPad with Win2000
> on it and no labels on exterior of PC.
> It died and I volunteered to fix it. Easy enough - the HDD was bad.
> She has no restore CD. Cut to the question:
> how does licensing work these days on Windows 2000 ?
> If she DID buy a legit copy of Win2k SP4 on eBay , and installed it,
> when she goes to www.windowsupdate.com to get the latest (1000+)
> updates, would activation work ? Or would their server say " this copy
> not licensed" ? Have they disabled licensing for old OS'es ?

Why not try a Linux distribution on it ! Start with a Live CD and go
from there. As far as Wins is concerned I wouldn't waste my money.

--
Best Reagrds:
Baron.

"- Bobb -" <bobb@noemail.123> wrote in message
news:gsneoa$7uo$...
>A friend (in another state) had an old A series ThinkPad with Win2000 on it
>and no labels on exterior of PC.
> It died and I volunteered to fix it. Easy enough - the HDD was bad.
> She has no restore CD. Cut to the question:
> how does licensing work these days on Windows 2000 ?
> If she DID buy a legit copy of Win2k SP4 on eBay , and installed it, when
> she goes to www.windowsupdate.com to get the latest (1000+) updates, would
> activation work ? Or would their server say " this copy not licensed" ?
> Have they disabled licensing for old OS'es ?
>
Windows 2000 never did require connection to Microsoft to be "authorized."
If there is a valid CD-key, it will install.

"Ballroom Dancer" <> wrote in message
news:49f06efa$0$5476$. ..
>
> "- Bobb -" <bobb@noemail.123> wrote in message
> news:gsneoa$7uo$...
>>A friend (in another state) had an old A series ThinkPad with Win2000 on
>>it and no labels on exterior of PC.
>> It died and I volunteered to fix it. Easy enough - the HDD was bad.
>> She has no restore CD. Cut to the question:
>> how does licensing work these days on Windows 2000 ?
>> If she DID buy a legit copy of Win2k SP4 on eBay , and installed it, when
>> she goes to www.windowsupdate.com to get the latest (1000+) updates,
>> would activation work ? Or would their server say " this copy not
>> licensed" ?
>> Have they disabled licensing for old OS'es ?
>>
> Windows 2000 never did require connection to Microsoft to be "authorized."
> If there is a valid CD-key, it will install.
>
>
but will it then work at www.windowsupdate.com ? I sent PC back to her.
She's looking to buy a CD. Since her install will probably be dated ~2001,
I'd like her to then fetch the latest Firefox, java etc.as well as (I'm
guessing) 1000+ win2k, IE, WMP ... updates ! THAT's where I thought msft
would say " bad s/n" or "too old to run install verification " etc . No ?
Will it update OK from 8 yr old Win2000 SP1 CD for example ? Even if CD had
been used on someone else's PC before ? ( she'll be buying online from
someone claiming "new / never used CD...")
They are not computer savvy so it's got to be a simple process to update. I
can't have her loading firefox, then email , then browser etc - they have NO
CLUE about that stuff. BUT if win2k could update verything from website (
after 20 or so reboots) they could handle that.
Thanks

"- Bobb -" <bobb@noemail.123> wrote:

>Will it update OK from 8 yr old Win2000 SP1 CD for example ? Even if CD had
>been used on someone else's PC before ?

Yes, it will.


-ras

--

Ralph A. Schmid

http://www.dk5ras.de/ http://www.db0fue.de/
http://www.bclog.de/

In article <gsq1k3$4co$>, - Bobb -
<bobb@noemail.123> scribeth thus
>
>"Ballroom Dancer" <> wrote in message
>news:49f06efa$0$5476$ ...
>>
>> "- Bobb -" <bobb@noemail.123> wrote in message
>> news:gsneoa$7uo$...
>>>A friend (in another state) had an old A series ThinkPad with Win2000 on
>>>it and no labels on exterior of PC.
>>> It died and I volunteered to fix it. Easy enough - the HDD was bad.
>>> She has no restore CD. Cut to the question:
>>> how does licensing work these days on Windows 2000 ?
>>> If she DID buy a legit copy of Win2k SP4 on eBay , and installed it, when
>>> she goes to www.windowsupdate.com to get the latest (1000+) updates,
>>> would activation work ? Or would their server say " this copy not
>>> licensed" ?
>>> Have they disabled licensing for old OS'es ?
>>>
>> Windows 2000 never did require connection to Microsoft to be "authorized."
>> If there is a valid CD-key, it will install.
>>
>>
>but will it then work at www.windowsupdate.com ? I sent PC back to her.
>She's looking to buy a CD. Since her install will probably be dated ~2001,
>I'd like her to then fetch the latest Firefox, java etc.as well as (I'm
>guessing) 1000+ win2k, IE, WMP ... updates ! THAT's where I thought msft
>would say " bad s/n" or "too old to run install verification " etc . No ?
>Will it update OK from 8 yr old Win2000 SP1 CD for example ? Even if CD had
>been used on someone else's PC before ? ( she'll be buying online from
>someone claiming "new / never used CD...")
>They are not computer savvy so it's got to be a simple process to update. I
>can't have her loading firefox, then email , then browser etc - they have NO
>CLUE about that stuff. BUT if win2k could update verything from website (
>after 20 or so reboots) they could handle that.
>Thanks
>
>
>
>
>
>
AFAIK Windows 2K will update, just search out Service pack 4 (SP4) on
the Microsoft website..

Its Here...

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...DC27B8C6-2A5A-
4399-AD3D-4A97A25F41D9&displaylang=en
--
Tony Sayer

Baron wrote:
> - Bobb - Inscribed thus:
>
>> A friend (in another state) had an old A series ThinkPad with
>> Win2000 on it and no labels on exterior of PC. It died and I
>> volunteered to fix it. Easy enough - the HDD was bad. She has
>> no restore CD. Cut to the question:
>>
>> how does licensing work these days on Windows 2000 ? If she
>> DID buy a legit copy of Win2k SP4 on eBay , and installed it,
>> when she goes to www.windowsupdate.com to get the latest
>> (1000+) updates, would activation work ? Or would their server
>> say " this copy not licensed" ? Have they disabled licensing
>> for old OS'es ?
>
> Why not try a Linux distribution on it ! Start with a Live CD
> and go from there. As far as Wins is concerned I wouldn't
> waste my money.

Agree. I suggest trying Ubuntu, and pick the LTS (long term
service) versions. The latest is Ubuntu 8.04 (but not Kubuntu
8.04). The numbers are year/month released. They will be
supported for from 3 to 5 years.

--
[mail]: Chuck F (cbfalconer at maineline dot net)
[page]: <http://cbfalconer.home.att.net>
Try the download section.

I'll send the info along
Thanks to all


"tony sayer" <> wrote in message
news:...
> In article <gsq1k3$4co$>, - Bobb -
> <bobb@noemail.123> scribeth thus
>>
>>"Ballroom Dancer" <> wrote in message
>>news:49f06efa$0$5476$ t...
>>>
>>> "- Bobb -" <bobb@noemail.123> wrote in message
>>> news:gsneoa$7uo$...
>>>>A friend (in another state) had an old A series ThinkPad with Win2000 on
>>>>it and no labels on exterior of PC.
>>>> It died and I volunteered to fix it. Easy enough - the HDD was bad.
>>>> She has no restore CD. Cut to the question:
>>>> how does licensing work these days on Windows 2000 ?
>>>> If she DID buy a legit copy of Win2k SP4 on eBay , and installed it,
>>>> when
>>>> she goes to www.windowsupdate.com to get the latest (1000+) updates,
>>>> would activation work ? Or would their server say " this copy not
>>>> licensed" ?
>>>> Have they disabled licensing for old OS'es ?
>>>>
>>> Windows 2000 never did require connection to Microsoft to be
>>> "authorized."
>>> If there is a valid CD-key, it will install.
>>>
>>>
>>but will it then work at www.windowsupdate.com ? I sent PC back to her.
>>She's looking to buy a CD. Since her install will probably be dated
>>~2001,
>>I'd like her to then fetch the latest Firefox, java etc.as well as (I'm
>>guessing) 1000+ win2k, IE, WMP ... updates ! THAT's where I thought
>>msft
>>would say " bad s/n" or "too old to run install verification " etc . No ?
>>Will it update OK from 8 yr old Win2000 SP1 CD for example ? Even if CD
>>had
>>been used on someone else's PC before ? ( she'll be buying online from
>>someone claiming "new / never used CD...")
>>They are not computer savvy so it's got to be a simple process to update.
>>I
>>can't have her loading firefox, then email , then browser etc - they have
>>NO
>>CLUE about that stuff. BUT if win2k could update verything from website (
>>after 20 or so reboots) they could handle that.
>>Thanks
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
> AFAIK Windows 2K will update, just search out Service pack 4 (SP4) on
> the Microsoft website..
>
> Its Here...
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...DC27B8C6-2A5A-
> 4399-AD3D-4A97A25F41D9&displaylang=en
> --
> Tony Sayer
>
>
>

"- Bobb -" <bobb@noemail.123> wrote in message
news:gsq1k3$4co$...
>
> "Ballroom Dancer" <> wrote in message
> news:49f06efa$0$5476$. ..
>>
> but will it then work at www.windowsupdate.com ? I sent PC back to her.
> She's looking to buy a CD. Since her install will probably be dated
> ~2001, I'd like her to then fetch the latest Firefox, java etc.as well
> as (I'm guessing) 1000+ win2k, IE, WMP ... updates ! THAT's where I
> thought msft would say " bad s/n" or "too old to run install verification
> " etc . No ? Will it update OK from 8 yr old Win2000 SP1 CD for example ?
> Even if CD had been used on someone else's PC before ? ( she'll be buying
> online from someone claiming "new / never used CD...")
> They are not computer savvy so it's got to be a simple process to update.
> I can't have her loading firefox, then email , then browser etc - they
> have NO CLUE about that stuff. BUT if win2k could update verything from
> website ( after 20 or so reboots) they could handle that.
> Thanks
>
Microsoft's update is not going to install such non-Microsoft programs as
Firefox. However, I replaced a HD in an older computer about 3 weeks ago,
installed from the Windows 2000 Professional CD with the CD key; Windows
Update then updated itself, and several reboots later, the computer was
fully up to date. Note that updates for W2000 will soon be like W98 - no
more new ones. It was necessary to update from SP1 to SP3 (I think, I still
had SP4 and used it) before Windows Update would work, it also protested
about the old version of IE. I updated IE to version 6 (newer versions will
not work on W2000), then all else went well.

If someone is doing this that is not computer savvy, you will probably have
to write them a sequence. I would suggest: Install 2K from the original CD,
get that working. I suspect that the ThinkPad will at least work for basic
functionality, though some IBM drivers may be needed also - not covered in
this. After W2000 install, download and install SP4. Next, download and
install IE6. Then open up Windows Update and start that process.

>
>
>

"- Bobb -" <bobb@noemail.123> wrote in message
news:gsq1k3$4co$...
>
BTW - I see several posts suggesting various versions of Linux. If the
machine belongs to a complete computer novice, I'd install Windows 2000. Not
knocking Linux, most of the newer versions install very well - but the first
time some of the multitude of config files gets something wrong - the person
will not have a clue. They may also not find any local shops that will be
able to get it going. There is more likelihood of a local shop that can fix
Windows problems. If they have a local friend that is a Linux guur, that is
another matter.