Using someones else's Windows XP Home CD

U

Unshortness

n00b
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Oct 21, 2004
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Ok, here's the info:
I have a Toshiba laptop, and it only comes with the factory image CD's. When these CD's are used, it automaticlly formats the hard-drive, and reinstalls the factory image. (Duh)

My girlfriend's family just bought a new Dell, and it came with a Windows XP Home CD.

What I'm wondering is can I save the $50 it would cost to get Toshiba to send me my copy of Windows XP Home, and just use their CD? And also, I want to transfer my activation if possible.

I have the Windows sticker on the bottom of my laptop, so I do own the rights to a copy of Windows XP Home.

Does anyone know if this is possible, or would it not work?
 
The OEM disk from dell is likely to only work with Dell BIOSes.

Why is Toshiba charging $50 for a couple of pieces of plastic? They are not selling you another OS, for $50 you may be able to buy XP home...
 
The license on the bottom of your laptop is yours. You can borrow any non-OEM XP Home CD, or download a warez version online, etc. As long as you use your license to activate it, it will be perfectly legal.

So, if their Dell came with a regular CD, and you use your license key to install and activate it, your fine and legal.
 
An upgrade will work if you have a previous version of Windows on CD. It will prompt during the install. The only thing you cannot use, as I said above, is an OEM CD. It may or may not even work, and almost definitely won't be legal if it was shipped with a different machine.
 
non-OEM meaning not distributed by dell, gateway, ect. these will check the BIOS for the correct machine before installing and you will not be able to isntall the software. you need an OEM xp cd, as you have an OEM license, but you need a retail OEM cd(like what is sold on newegg) as opposed to a dell branded XP cd. if the cd that came with the dell is just a regular OEM cd, you can use it. you can also download a warez copy of xp home OEM and it would be perfectly legal, as you are allowed to make copies as long as it is licenced. this is how people are legally protected when they slipstream a sp into the os and reburn it.

a retail copy of XP will NOT install with an OEM key. i have tried it.
 
I would look at "obtaining" a copy of the XPOEM disk from a friend or whatever. You own the license, so how you get this piece of plastic doesn't really matter.
 
Depending on what you're trying to do, you can probably get around the issue and use the Dell CD. I used a Dell CD (maybe a year old or so) to repair a Compaq install after I copied it from the original drive to a better one and it failed to boot. I don' t recall whether or not I've ever tried to do a full install with it, however.
 
Just make sure you have all the drivers.. find them for laptops isnt always the easist thing
 
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