In article , ejn63
@netscape.net says...
This policy is being driven as much by Microsoft as by the PC vendors.
Microsoft doesn't like the idea of having OS install CDs with unused
product keys out in the field. Of course, shipping restore discs does
solve the reinstall problem easily for many users - no fiddling with
drivers, updates, etc. - but it also makes it harder to do a custom
install of Windows.

Makes it difficult to recover your files too.

Had a situation where my MBR got corrupted when the computer shut down
in the middle of saving a file. Repair install didn't work. FIXBOOT
and FIXMBR didn't work.

I knew, however, that I could re-install Windows in a different folder
and get access to my files to back them up and then do a re-format re-
install.

If all you have are "restore" disks, recovering your data isn't gonna be
easy.