Avoid Emachines!

That and they figure the computer will only be used for internet and email so why spend alot. Then 14 yr old Jonny decides to start playing WoW and needs a new video card to play it. KABOOM!

We find they fail just as frequently with a little old lady who only checks her email once week on Sunday afternoon. We now have a couple of hundred failed eMachines in preparation for further action. The problems do not seem to be related to use. They are not caused by failed power supplies, but rather the other way around... the failures on the board cause the power supply to fail.
The failures are somewhat mysterious, but the more mysterious aspect is that eMachines seems totally unwilling to do anything about the problems...which are definitely known to them...
We don't care that they last until the 1 year warranty is up. People lose valuable data, and a valuable investment in their computer. And eMachines seems not to care... even under the usually wonderful tech support of Gateway.
All we can say is avoid eMachines desktop units with Windows XPH, and avoid eMachines laptop computers with Windows XP. The number of failures is astonishing... similar to the rates of the old Packard Bell.

you can probably download a copy of windows, burn it to a cd, install it using the code stamped on the back of the computer and call microsoft to activate it. If you don't want to lose programs/files, use the repair feature.

And you download the copy of Windows from where?
No, that will definitely not work. The disc must include the code burned into the EEPROM of the motherboard.... which is tied to the code on the certificate of authenticity.
The install begins with the code, and will not move forward without the correct one.

Piracy is not TOLERATED on Techspot. This is a warning and you risk your account being banned.

you can actually download it from microsoft. It's not piracy when you use the stamped code on the back of the computer to repair and reactivate windows. My friend Tim told me this information and he has worked with microsoft computers for 14+ years. Besides, anytime you buy a copy of windows, you're not really buying their software that comes in the pack, you're actually buying a license to install their software on your computer. That's why you can either buy the windows os with the cd or license only. Now if you use a key on 2 or more different computers and an activation crack, then it's pirated.

The only problem is... it will not work with the eMachine code. It only works with certain Full System Windows certificates, and certain all OEM Windows certificates.... 11 in all... and there are about 89 versions.

that is true, but from what I have heard, as long as the OS you have paid for is registered with microsoft, it should reduce the hassle.

We deal with this every day, and it would simplify computer repair life to an amazing degree if it worked.
To the best of our knowledge, all Windows XP Certificates of Authorization and Product ID's on existing machines made by Compaq, Dell, eMachines, HP, Voodoo, Sony, WinBook, and so on, require a disc provided by the manufacturer. Neither downloaded Windows XPH or XPP, OEM discs, Full Windows Install discs will work utilizing the product ID on the side of the case, back of the case, side of the case...

Further, Microsoft has told us IN WRITING that the Windows License that comes with those machines dies with the motherboard, and does not migrate to another board or install set.

If there is anybody on this forum who has actual experience, instead of a good and knowledgable friend who knows or did it one time two years ago, we would be delighted to hear from them on this forum with details. "...from what I have heard..." does not count.

if you are PAYING for a license, then it's legal, too often people download stuff and don't pay for it. You have to very clear when stating this online. It can be very easily interpreted as condoning piracy. Personally I have never heard of windows being legally downloaded.

Read the license. The license for a Windows Versions for a motherboard, a computer manufacturer, and OEM version, and a Full Version are all quite different in key regards.

Microsoft has, from time to time, provided downloads of Windows. I do not see any downloads now, except for the promotions for the new Server version.

I have always had trouble woth gateway anyway but thanks for the useful information about e-machines

I've never seen any Microsoft OS downloads other than the beta/trial versions. I can imagine that bootleg versions are available, emerging from Third World countries though

PSU's are not the only things that one needs to watch out for on Emachines rigs. The machine I bought some time ago promised 512MB of DDR2 RAM on the box. When I pulled it out and DXDIAG'ed it, it showed 433MB of DDR. It's outrageous how badly they treat customers.

That particular feature is legal. That is how they distribute video graphics and other shared memory, which is about 80 Gb of the total installed.

Whaddy'a mean, like the IGP memory usage is automatically subtracted from the sum total of installed memory? I don't think that's right, because I popped a PCIe x 16 card in there and disabled the IGP, and it still reads 433MB under DXDIAG.

maybe there's something else that has to be disabled in the bios for physical memory usage. When I upgraded it changed the memory sharing setting automatically, however, in my boards bios, there was a setting 4 it.

Put the memory module on another computer brand motherboard, and you will get 512 MB

I always thought eMachines made theirs single-sided so it wasn't compatible anywhere else, but I'll try it.

No... eMachines has tried a bunch of gimmicks over the years. And after all, they are the third largest computer company in the world... But usually their hard drives and memory are the same as anybody else...as are modems... but they usually license board designs from others, then make their own duplicates in their plants in Korea. Something is lost in translation, as no other company has the number of board failures... and intermittently, power supply failures.

The problem with eMachines is they make no effort to tell their customers and users when they discover the problem... in fact they do not acknowlege the failure... saying the end of the warranty ends their responsibility...

Our belief is that when they have such high failure rates, the customers deserve to know they are about to lose their data and and their computer... but there is not much they can do.

The hard drives remain good, so do CPU, and CPU fan, as does the memory, usually. The motherboard goes, and with that, the Windows license, and the failing motherboard damages other components such as power supply, modem