How do you format a laptop with Windows Media Center 2005?

[I3eyond]

Is it possible with a standard XP home disc if the key for Media Center is on the bottom of the laptop?

[djnes]

You can format the drives, but you won't be installing XP Home, unless you have an XP Home disc.

By format, do you mean install XP?

[digital_exhaust]

I think he's asking if he can use an XP disc to install MCE by using the MCE key.
If that's correct, no it is not possible. You need a MCE disc and key to install MCE.

[movax]

I think he's asking if he can use an XP disc to install MCE by using the MCE key.
If that's correct, no it is not possible. You need a MCE disc and key to install MCE.
And depending on what Microsoft did with licensing for MCE compared to XP Pro, that key may only be valid for an OEM MCE install disc from your laptop manufacturer.

[I3eyond]

What I'm wanting to do is erase the drive (manufacter's nonsense has to go!) and reinstall Windows. From my understanding there's no such thing as a Media Center 2005 disc?

[Liver]

What I'm wanting to do is erase the drive (manufacter's nonsense has to go!) and reinstall Windows. From my understanding there's no such thing as a Media Center 2005 disc?

i don't know about that. I have both and the MCE looks different and is labled as such. I accidently put my XP code when I was installing MCE and it only installed XP Pro. I had to start the reinstall with the proper key to get MCE

[djnes]

From my understanding there's no such thing as a Media Center 2005 disc?
No, there is such a thing as an MCE disc...in fact it's two discs.

[Soujiro]

There is a Media Center Edition 2005 disc package with the following contents:

Disc 1 - Windows XP Professional
Disc 2 - Windows Media Center Components (cmpnents\MEDIACTR)
(Optional)Disc 3 - Windows XP Media Center Edition Update Rollup 2

I don't know if everyone has disc 3, but I got it with mine.

If your laptop has a MCE key you'll need this package to properly reinstall Windows. You'll have to go to the laptop maker's site eg. hp.com and request the media directly. Unfortunately, some of them only offer "Recovery Discs" which has all the preloaded bloat. If you dig enough though you might be able to find the blank OS discs.

[digital_exhaust]

that key may only be valid for an OEM MCE install disc from your laptop manufacturer.

I'm 99% sure this is correct.