Anyways...I try and download somethings like windows media player 11 and it says "it needs service pack 2" even though he said that it has a xp through someplace and that it was technically illegal. I'm guessing that I'd have to go buy windows xp in a retail store then, but my question is...How do I keep some of the programs that he put on it...photoshop, word, excel. Is there a way to keep them?
Updating your operation system will not screw anything up. Microsoft update, will first scan your computer for a valid copy of a license key before allowing you to update. If you have a problem with getting updates after the scan. Here's some more information. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/916247
Not having SP2 installed doesn't make the XP install illegal, it just means it's outdated. If the copy is genuine, the windows xp website will allow you to download and install SP2 for free. If it isn't, then it won't pass the validation test, unless the previous owner knows some nifty tricks about how to make the copy appear genuine.
If your version of windows is not legit then the same probably goes for the software on the machine, so find out if it is legal before making backups of the other programs. You don't want to be caught with software that's not legal.
If this is an illegal copy, how did this guy probably go around making it or whatever? Could I just take my laptop to my local computer shop and they could put a new copy of xp and all of the applications on it?
You could take it to a shop, just explain that your not not sure if the copy of windows is legal and would rather be safe than sorry. And you will be surprised. It probably isn't that hard to get a hookie copy of windows.
If your copy of windows was pirated then it would say "Your copy of Windows is not genuine". But if what the previous guys said was true than you need to update your OS.
