Dell Win XP Home , on non-dell PC?

[jnick]

A relative of mine is considering on having me build him a new system. However one of the things that REALLY bugs me is the whole Win XP situation. He currently has a dell pc, and as all know, dell gives you win xp with a cd key.

Now that he is using a non-dell machine, would he need to buy xp again, and waste $100 of his $600 budget? Or can he use the dell cd with the xp key provided?

Thanks!

[phantom skip]

win xp will install fine using the dell cd and cd-key but i'm fairly certain the disc/manuals/packaging explicitly say that it's only to be installed on a dell pc.

i have an acer branded xp cd and it says that it's only allowed to be installed on acer machines.

could you, your relative or someone you know buy a student discounted copy of win xp upgrade ? all you need is a student id (or that's all you need in aus) and the upgrade version is basically exactly the same, except there is a single step where it asks you to insert a previous win cd (i think it allows xp home, 2000, nt, 98 & 95).

[Conano]

i tried this a long time ago with an acer system. of course this was back when 266's were the shiznit. it flat up told me. nope. dont think so. you have no acer components installed and the hard drives dont match.

All i can tell you is you can try it. it might very well be a stripped down version of xp, specific to that sysems motherboard, hard drive, video card, ect ect components. I wouldnt put it past them to do something like that. I know i would if i ran dell. Keep ya from pirating my stuffs.

[thejunker]

It will install most likely, but activation will be the tricky part. Most OEM versions of XP can only be activated on the first machine they are installed onto.

FWIW

[-(Xyphox)-]

it can be done if he is no longer going to use that machine
that dell cd is just an oem xp with their logo blasted on it ;)

[rodsfree]

This is from my little side business of re-installing OS's for people that get their machines junked uped and filled with spyware and viruses.

A Dell recovery CD will only install on Dell Hardware. If it's an older OEM CD it won't even ask for a CD-Key and I haven't seen any newer ones. It will identify the hardware as Dell and install with the OEM intergrator's key. Which is used on thousands of computers. If it doesn't ID the hardware then it will give you a message and freeze, IIRC.

But you can use a plain XP install CD and use the CD Key from the side of the Dell's case. It's an individual license CD-key and should work. At least it has for me when I get a customer that want's a clean re-install without all of the added crap on the Dell OEM Recovery CD's. And then you still have to d/l the drivers from the Dell support site.

But YMMV because I haven't tried to install to non-Dell equipment. But I know that the CD Key on the side of my Dell GX270 is not the same as the CD-Key that the system has installed - I used a keyfinder on it. And doing an install from a retail XP CD the key on the side of the case worked and the key that keyfinder found was reported as invalid.

Luck



http://www.hardfolding.com/ftag1.php/mem/2172.png (http://www.hardfolding.com?go=38&id=2172)

[DooLocsta]

In my previous job I would reinstall operating systems on Dells and Hewlett Packards for customers that lost their CD so I would just use a retail version and then activate it with the key that is on the side of thier machine. I would just call the XP activation line and give them the key off the side of the box telling them that I had done it before with other customer service reps. The problem I see with that now is the new Window Genuine tool or whatever that comes with the updates. It would be hard to get around that no knowing what the cd looked like with the key they will give you over the phone. YMMV

[-(Xyphox)-]

In my previous job I would reinstall operating systems on Dells and Hewlett Packards for customers that lost their CD so I would just use a retail version and then activate it with the key that is on the side of thier machine. I would just call the XP activation line and give them the key off the side of the box telling them that I had done it before with other customer service reps. The problem I see with that now is the new Window Genuine tool or whatever that comes with the updates. It would be hard to get around that no knowing what the cd looked like with the key they will give you over the phone. YMMV

I did the same thing, if the CD is a dell windows disk it will work, but if it is not and it is a recovery disk it will work. When you phone in just tell them your hard drive crashed or some crap and its the only machine installed on seeing he will not be using the old machine. Just tranfsering the code basically

[Ezekial]

yeah, as long as it's the OS only disc (IE, not a restore disc) it should work just fine. I haven't seen a recent Dell Windows disc that is proprietary. Either way though... just using a generic OEM disc will work with the Dell key.

[Party2go9820]

Just be sure not violate the EULA - just because it will install doesn't mean it will be legal.

Reinstalling the OS on the same box and calling to activiate isn't a problem, but installing a dell disc on a new home built PC is non-kosher. The license on the Dell is almost guaranteed OEM so the license is bound to the PC. You can only use that license on that PC.



http://www.hardfolding.com/ftag1.php/mem/422.png (http://www.hardfolding.com?go=38&id=422&tm=33)

[pxc]

win xp will install fine using the dell cd and cd-key but i'm fairly certain the disc/manuals/packaging explicitly say that it's only to be installed on a dell pc.
QFT. The "Reinstallation" CD/DVD is just a regular WinXP OEM CD or MCE2005 OEM DVD. The key will work on any computer. It is against the licensing though.

I'm using an install of WinXP Home from a Dell CD on my desktop temporarily. I didn't bother to activate it since i'll upgrade to a new motherboard before the 30 days is up and then go back to WinXP x64. Activation has worked for me in the past using a Dell key on a non-Dell system.

[brucedeluxe169]

I've installed my Dell Windows XP Professional cd to a whole bunch of my other non-dell computers no problem...

Activation wasn't a problem at all, CD key worked fine...

u should be fine

[-(Xyphox)-]

I've installed my Dell Windows XP Professional cd to a whole bunch of my other non-dell computers no problem...

Activation wasn't a problem at all, CD key worked fine...

u should be fine

Can we say Pirate much? hehehe :p
Stick it to da Man ;)

[Langford]

Even if the Dell install CD functions on the new PC, you probably shouldn't use it. It's up you how closely you follow licensing, but it seems like something that would be frowned upon. It may be best to replace it with a new copy of windows and a new license.

If money is tight, Linux is an excelent choice for an OS, and the price can't be beat.
http://ubuntu.com

[-(Xyphox)-]

Even if the Dell install CD functions on the new PC, you probably should use it. It's up you how closely you follow licensing, but it seems like something that would be frowned upon. It may be best to replace it with a new copy of windows and a new license.

If money is tight, Linux is an excelent choice for an OS, and the price can't be beat.
http://ubuntu.com
cant beat the price, rofl :p

[djnes]

If money is tight, Linux is an excelent choice for an OS, and the price can't be beat.
http://ubuntu.com
The price can't be beat, no, but do you really think suggesting Linux in every thread is the answer to everything? My guess is, this is a relative that's not real computer savvy. If that's the case, Linux is out of the question. Without sounding like I'm putting Linux down, it's not the end-all-be-all to computer problems, nor is it a viable solution for msot computer users.

[Langford]

The price can't be beat, no, but do you really think suggesting Linux in every thread is the answer to everything? My guess is, this is a relative that's not real computer savvy. If that's the case, Linux is out of the question. Without sounding like I'm putting Linux down, it's not the end-all-be-all to computer problems, nor is it a viable solution for msot computer users.
Of course it isn't the anwser to everything, but when he claims that buying a new license of Windows would drain his small budget, it is a very relivant sugestion. If he is going to support Windows for his relative, then it's not any different than supporting Linux for his relative.

[djnes]

Very few people on these boards could support Linux on their own system, much less trying to do it for someone else. Even if I was a Linux guru (which I am not), I still wouldn't set it up on someone else's machine, unless they knew Linux very well. You need to think of answering questions on here just like providing IT support elsewhere. What's the best answer for the end user, not what's the best answer for me.

[Langford]

Very few people on these boards could support Linux on their own system, much less trying to do it for someone else. Even if I was a Linux guru (which I am not), I still wouldn't set it up on someone else's machine, unless they knew Linux very well. You need to think of answering questions on here just like providing IT support elsewhere. What's the best answer for the end user, not what's the best answer for me.
Whether he can support Linux or not is really up to him to decide on his own. The very fact that the board is accesable to many people is so that it can draw in many solutions. A suggestion should not be ommited just becasue you don't like it.

[djnes]

Whether he can support Linux or not is really up to him to decide on his own. The very fact that the board is accesable to many people is so that it can draw in many solutions. A suggestion should not be ommited just becasue you don't like it.
And it shouldn't be submitted, simply because you look it, even though it's no viable for the OP. Like I said, you give the answer that's best for the OP, not what's best for you. Several people above posted suggestions on what CDs he could use, free-of-charge, and still be legal. Those fit his budget, and fits the assumed skill level of the relative, especially considering the relative was already familiar with XP.

[SJConsultant]

A relative of mine is considering on having me build him a new system. However one of the things that REALLY bugs me is the whole Win XP situation. He currently has a dell pc, and as all know, dell gives you win xp with a cd key.

Now that he is using a non-dell machine, would he need to buy xp again, and waste $100 of his $600 budget? Or can he use the dell cd with the xp key provided?

Thanks!

According to OEM licensing restrictions no you cannot use the Dell OEM CD *OR* CD Key on another machine regardless of if your not planning on using the Dell computer.

If you did use the keycode on the Dell Machine, it will be flagged and you will most likely be required to do telephone activation. The moment you mention anything about using a Dell OEM cd on a non dell machine will probably mean you will not be "allowed" to activate it.

[brucedeluxe169]

lol, well i paid for the license, i dont care on how many machines I install it on because they all belong to ME, and i'm the ONLY one that uses them... screw all that per machine license crap, i'm a regular old college student, i dont have the money to buy Windows XP 3 times...


Hmm, abt that Linux arguement above.... I dunno.... I consider myself a pretty advanced user, but even I could never use Linux well :) But yea.... doesn't hurt to suggest it tho...

[-(Xyphox)-]

According to OEM licensing restrictions no you cannot use the Dell OEM CD *OR* CD Key on another machine regardless of if your not planning on using the Dell computer.

If you did use the keycode on the Dell Machine, it will be flagged and you will most likely be required to do telephone activation. The moment you mention anything about using a Dell OEM cd on a non dell machine will probably mean you will not be "allowed" to activate it.

just have to say... love your sig :D