Ghost4me, my PC is a Compaq 8000T, and it came with the Recovery Console pre-installed on the system partition.

If, however, you have the Windows XP installation CD, you can install the Recovery Console on your PC using the instructions referenced in Reply #13.

Ghost4me, sorry if I didn’t correctly interpret your prior posts.

I count myself among those who lack a Windows XP CD.  Some time ago, I argued vehemently with both HP/Compaq as well as Microsoft that I ought to be able to acquire the Windows XP CD, incurring only the media replacement fee since both Microsoft as well as HP/Compaq agree that I have a valid Windows XP license.  Alas, no joy.  Neither the PC manufacturer nor Microsoft took a kind ear to my plight, and each insisted that I would need to buy a copy of the operating system at retail if I wanted the CD (ouch!).  If I recall correctly, I believe that part of the story is that the Windows XP license acquired through the OEM is less expensive than that purchased at retail, but – as a consequence – is comes with a limitation:  transferring the operating system license to a different PC (which would be facilitated with the Windows XP CD) voids the original warranty in some way.

As you noted earlier, this situation now seems to be epidemic among home PC users, and the absence of a Windows XP CD can certainly be a hindrance (no Recovery Console, problems running the System File Checker, possible inability to create a BartPE CD, etc.).

One wonders whether history will repeat itself with the introduction of Windows Vista, or whether the PC manufacturers and Microsoft have learned a lesson.