Many thanks for the Windows articles in the April, May and June issues; namely Top 100 Freeware Programmes, 110 Windows Utilites and Windows Secrets respectively.

Could you sometimes nod in the direction of those, like me, who have been misguided enough to buy a WinXP computer from a 'big name builder' who installs an OEM version of the OS and sends it out with only a hidden 'recovery partition' and a recovery disc?

My recovery disc is shrink wrapped and bears the message that it must only be used after obtaining clearance from the system builder - presumably ignoring this instruction invalidates the warranty? They have also passworded the hidden Administrator account!

The difficulty this makes can be illustrated with trying to load ntbackup into XP Home; one does not have a WinXP disc from which to pull it. Why should we pay twice for the OS by having to buying a retail version?

Making an up to date backup of the OS for recovery purposes is clearly better than having to use a seriously compromised version which then requires you to spend ages downloading all the patches issued in the meantime and so on.

Please can you add to the pressure on system builders (and Microsoft) to only preload full versions of the OS intended for private use as against business customers and in all cases to include the disc.

Chis Cox