using restore discs

Have a Compaq Presario. Am wanting to do a clean install using the restore dics's that I made when I first got it up and running. Here's the problem. When I put in the first restore disc and reboot, A screen comes up and says " These system recovery CD's do not support this Compaq PC model ". Keep in mind I made them from that machine. Tried a cople more times, won't work. Called tech support. Told me I needed to buy a set of restore disc's. Something wrong with the ones I made. OK. $40.00 and 3 days later, I put the first disc of new set in the drive and reboot. I get same screen. Won't work. On the phone again with tech support. They must have sent the wrong ones, they say. Compaq sends another new set of restore disc's. They don't work either. This is now 3 sets of disc's that don't work. On the phone again. Now they tell me that I'll have to take it to a repair shop to have the motherboard " re-tattooed " so that my restore disc's will work. Is there such a thing or is there somthing else I can do to fix the problem? I've never heard of this.
Computer is a Compaq Presario SR1250 NX refurbished from HP. Running Windows XP Home SP2. Out of warranty.
Hope some can help. Thanks

 

Did you change any hardware? Make a BIOS change?

Did you tell tech support that it was refurbished?

 

Yes, I did make some upgrades. Video card, Dvd-Rom drive, but I took upgrades out and put machine back to the configuration it was when I bought it. Didn't mess with bios and told tech support it was refurbished. This is the first time to try to do a clean install on this machine. Maybe was set up wrong at HP when it was refubished. Machine is a year and a half old

 

You can try and reset the BIOS. I've never heard of the term "re-tattooed" applied to a motherboard before.

All you have are the system recovery discs? Do you have a Windows disc?

 

I asked some people in IT at work, they never heard the term re- tattoo either. Beginning to wonder if tech support is blowin' smoke up my ass!. All I have is the restore discs. Maybe just as easy to buy a Windows disc and do a fresh install that way. Most of the stuff on a PC that you buy anymore has alot of crap on it that you don't need or want anyway. Thanks for your help!

 

At this point, I agree. Getting the Windows CD is about your last resort. Unless, you chose to switch to Linux!

 

Thanks for your help!!

 

Your welcome. Give Linux some thought. It's free and easy.

 

I will, Thanks.