I need an emachine recovery cd for my dad's computer. He has it. I have the computer. There are 70 miles between us. What if I just download it from here?

Will the FBI hunt me down?

Ok, upon further review, I see that it is in fact illegal. So I guess I'll have to drive down there.

I've always heard it is not illegal to use another os disc as long as you have a valid license key.

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TM1 said:fed-x?

Of course not. That would be the easy way. Dad can't mail it to me because he doesn't drive and doesn't want to bother my sister.

FrugalFreak said:I've always heard it is not illegal to use another os disc as long as you have a valid license key.

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It's technically legal to use any legally acquired license key with any legally acquired media, as long as it remains in the bounds of the EULA. Less clear is whether possession of a legal license (which is what you're really buying, as opposed to the media) allows you to create and use media that qualifies under the license, regardless of how it was acquired.

CD ripping is an example of this. If you own a given album, should it be illegal to download a copy of it over the internet? Possibly, though that seems to discount what should be common sense. (The best example I've seen of a legal resolution to this is Blizzard's download center, where you can register your games and download them afterward without the media).

The RIAA holds the more extreme position that ripping CDs you legally own to your iPod should be illegal. Is that the case? I don't believe so, but I'm not a lawyer.

Along these lines, format-shifting has brought up a lot of questions. In theory, HorB's father can create an legal backup image of the CD for personal use. This image can then be sent to HorB, where she can then burn and restore his computer. The original CD was legally acquired, he holds a legal license, and the backup may fall under "fair use." At that point, it simply becomes an easier alternative to transport the recovery CD from one location to another, for legitimate purposes.

In short: It's all incredibly convoluted, and I don't think the FBI has it sorted out either. They're not going to go after you.

HorB said:Thanks. Now as soon as I figure out what seeds and leechers are, I'm good to go.like obama and mccain

Some eMachines have a Recovery partition that can be accessed through F10 or F12 at the BIOS splash screen.

Ok legalities aside. Do you want your OS to come from some random unverified torrent?

ConfusedGenxer said:Ok legalities aside. Do you want your OS to come from some random unverified torrent?

quite some industry propaganda spin presented confused. your oath "protect our own by spreading lies"??

ConfusedGenxer said:FrugalFreak said:ConfusedGenxer said:Ok legalities aside. Do you want your OS to come from some random unverified torrent?

quite some industry propaganda spin presented confused. your oath "protect our own by spreading lies"??

How easy is a recovery CD to modify? Reasonably. Is it hard to insert malicious code? Not very...
Do you have a hash to compare to a known good copy to say it hasnt been done? Getting your Operating System from a trusted
source should be Computer Security 090.

so your saying for OS, no, But torrents & P2P are acceptable and convenient sources for other media? lemme hear ya say it! a digi-narc would never admit that.

ConfusedGenxer said:FrugalFreak said:

so your saying for OS, no, But torrents & P2P are acceptable and convenient sources for other media? lemme hear ya say it! a digi-narc would never admit that.

It depends... An OS install gives you the chance to install anything including a hyper visor. The ability
to virtualize the whole OS is interesting from a black hat perspective. Almost anything else you download
besides the OS gives you a chance to scan, analyze and evaluate.

Now from a properly patched, well maintained machine can you watch a xvid? Of course, preferably in VLC
or better still VLC under a Unix-ish OS.

I didn't say nothing about someone couldn't, I said do you APPROVE or SUGGEST as a convenient way to obtain non OS media?

xVid? is that a industry formed format made under a guise like they did with divX?