Can I use old Dell XP Disk on my new homebuilt?

I have XP Home Edition with a Serial No.

Thanks

Bruce

Bruce K. wrote:
> I have XP Home Edition with a Serial No.
>
> Thanks
>
> Bruce

no

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bruce K. [mailto:bruceaknospam@optonline.net]
> Posted At: Friday, May 16, 2008 6:46 AM
> Posted To: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell
> Conversation: Can I use old Dell XP Disk on my new homebuilt?
> Subject: Can I use old Dell XP Disk on my new homebuilt?
>
> I have XP Home Edition with a Serial No.
>
> Thanks
>
> Bruce

Will it work? Maybe.

Is it legal? If the serial number is from a Dell, then no. It is
licensed to the Dell machine. Any other use is theft.

According to Microsoft, who owns the software, you need a unique Certificate of
Authentication (COA or Product Key) for every system running any version of
Windows, 95 or later. If you have a Dell (or eGateMachines, or HPaq or Lenovo
or other "name brand") COA, you cannot legally use it to install Windows on
another computer.

There are ways to install from a Dell-branded XP CD onto another non-Dell
computer, but they may be questioned by the Microsoft thought police and they
absolutely require a unique COA on the non-Dell box... Ben Myers

On Fri, 16 May 2008 07:46:03 -0400, Bruce K. <bruceaknospam@optonline.net>
wrote:

>I have XP Home Edition with a Serial No.
>
>Thanks
>
>Bruce

Tom Scales wrote:
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Bruce K. [mailto:bruceaknospam@optonline.net]
>> Posted At: Friday, May 16, 2008 6:46 AM
>> Posted To: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell
>> Conversation: Can I use old Dell XP Disk on my new homebuilt?
>> Subject: Can I use old Dell XP Disk on my new homebuilt?
>>
>> I have XP Home Edition with a Serial No.
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> Bruce
>
> Will it work? Maybe.
>
> Is it legal? If the serial number is from a Dell, then no. It is
> licensed to the Dell machine.

By way of clarification, licensed to the Dell machine on which it was
originally installed. That license dies with the computer. OEM copies
are not transferable (unlike retail copies).

> Any other use is theft.

Agreed.

Ben Myers wrote:
> According to Microsoft, who owns the software, you need a unique Certificate of
> Authentication (COA or Product Key) for every system running any version of
> Windows, 95 or later. If you have a Dell (or eGateMachines, or HPaq or Lenovo
> or other "name brand") COA, you cannot legally use it to install Windows on
> another computer.
>
> There are ways to install from a Dell-branded XP CD onto another non-Dell
> computer, but they may be questioned by the Microsoft thought police and they
> absolutely require a unique COA on the non-Dell box... Ben Myers

That last bit is, IMHO, the deal maker/breaker with respect to Windows.
If you have a valid COA for the machine on which you're installing
Windows, no one really cares where the CD/DVD with the binary files came
from. I have used a Dell CD to install XP Pro on my ThinkPad which came
with XP Pro (just try getting a Windows install CD from IBM/Lenovo!) and
everything installed cleanly. The only difference being that since it
wasn't a Dell machine, I had to enter a COA during the install. Since I
had one and it was legal, poof, it was off to the races.

(NB: I am not a lawyer nor have I run this past MS's Legal Dept.).

What you did to your Thinkpad works for me. AFAIK, the Dell Windows XP CD will
install OK on any name-brand major OEM computer, and one has to enter the COA.
So I've been told. One of the files on the CD (setup.ini I believe) contains a
Dell-specific code that allows an install on a Dell BIOS system without need to
enter the COA. Other name brands, when they distribute a true Windows CD
instead of a restore CD (rare), would work the same way with their own
brand-specific code... Ben Myers

On Sat, 17 May 2008 10:31:32 -0400, Tony Harding <ToHard@nowhere.org> wrote:

>Ben Myers wrote:
>> According to Microsoft, who owns the software, you need a unique Certificate of
>> Authentication (COA or Product Key) for every system running any version of
>> Windows, 95 or later. If you have a Dell (or eGateMachines, or HPaq or Lenovo
>> or other "name brand") COA, you cannot legally use it to install Windows on
>> another computer.
>>
>> There are ways to install from a Dell-branded XP CD onto another non-Dell
>> computer, but they may be questioned by the Microsoft thought police and they
>> absolutely require a unique COA on the non-Dell box... Ben Myers
>
>That last bit is, IMHO, the deal maker/breaker with respect to Windows.
>If you have a valid COA for the machine on which you're installing
>Windows, no one really cares where the CD/DVD with the binary files came
>from. I have used a Dell CD to install XP Pro on my ThinkPad which came
>with XP Pro (just try getting a Windows install CD from IBM/Lenovo!) and
>everything installed cleanly. The only difference being that since it
>wasn't a Dell machine, I had to enter a COA during the install. Since I
>had one and it was legal, poof, it was off to the races.
>
>(NB: I am not a lawyer nor have I run this past MS's Legal Dept.).

"Ben Myers" <ben_myers_spam_me_not@charter.net> wrote in message
news:s6st249foutlqacgep7n791qsulgsu5p6s@4ax.com...
> What you did to your Thinkpad works for me. AFAIK, the Dell Windows XP CD
> will
> install OK on any name-brand major OEM computer, and one has to enter the
> COA.
> So I've been told. One of the files on the CD (setup.ini I believe)
> contains a
> Dell-specific code that allows an install on a Dell BIOS system without
> need to
> enter the COA. Other name brands, when they distribute a true Windows CD
> instead of a restore CD (rare), would work the same way with their own
> brand-specific code... Ben Myers
>


Ben,

It does work. I most recently used a Dell disc on a Gateway desktop. I did
have to manually enter the COA.

I ******* it up and had to call to activate before I realized my goof. g


Stew

"S.Lewis" wrote:
>
> "Ben Myers" wrote:
>> What you did to your Thinkpad works for me. AFAIK, the Dell
>> Windows XP CD will install OK on any name-brand major OEM
>> computer, and one has to enter the COA. So I've been told. One
>> of the files on the CD (setup.ini I believe) contains a Dell-specific
>> code that allows an install on a Dell BIOS system without need to
>> enter the COA. Other name brands, when they distribute a true
>> Windows CD instead of a restore CD (rare), would work the same
>> way with their own brand-specific code... Ben Myers
>>
>
>
> Ben,
>
> It does work. I most recently used a Dell disc on a Gateway desktop.
> I did have to manually enter the COA.
>
> I ******* it up and had to call to activate before I realized my goof. g
>
>
> Stew

How's this for a summary, then:
The Dell-branded installation CD will work on Dell machines without
needing the activation key. The Dell-branded installation CD will also
work on other brands of machines like any OEM installation CD -
with the need for the activation key.

*TimDaniels*

"Tony Harding" concurred:
> Tom Scales wrote:
>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Bruce K. [mailto:bruceaknospam@optonline.net]
>>> Posted At: Friday, May 16, 2008 6:46 AM
>>> Posted To: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell
>>> Conversation: Can I use old Dell XP Disk on my new homebuilt?
>>> Subject: Can I use old Dell XP Disk on my new homebuilt?
>>>
>>> I have XP Home Edition with a Serial No.
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>>
>>> Bruce
>>
>> Will it work? Maybe.
>>
>> Is it legal? If the serial number is from a Dell, then no. It is
>> licensed to the Dell machine.
>
> By way of clarification, licensed to the Dell machine on which it was
> originally installed. That license dies with the computer. OEM copies are not
> transferable (unlike retail copies).
>
>> Any other use is theft.
>
> Agreed.

But for an OS to live forever - such sweet thievery. :-)

*TimDaniels*