Question about Dell OS restore Disks

My main system is my current laptop, a Dell E1705 that I purchased a few months ago. As a part of a deal with my college, I received a Dell Latitude D520 through a scholarship. This laptop came with Windows XP Professional and a restore disk. I was wondering if it was possible to install Pro onto my Inspiron, as I have no need for the latitude at all really. I'm just hesistant to find out on my own, because I don't want to get through a reformat only for it to tell me I need to register to OS or something.

If the answer turns out to be no, I can't upgrade the Inspiron using the restore disk, is it possible to call Dell or Microsoft and have them switch which computer each OS is registered to?

Thanks for any help, sorry if this is a stupid question.

 

You may be able to by entering the code on the bottom of your latitude into the inspirion. I'm not an expert by any means but that would be the only way of doing it, I believe. To be honest I doubt if it is possible. Just wait for some of the smarter people to come along. =)

 

The XP Pro that came with the D620 should be a retail version and have a key with it. I figure the key would be on the disc sleeve, but like vespoli stated, the key might be located on the bottom. If the XP label on the bottom says retail - then that is the key that matches it.

Please be aware of the license agreement. In order to be legal, you are only allowed to install XP on so many machines (i can't remember how many though).

 

Yeah the default is 3 machines IIRC, I didn't know if the Pro disk worked like that though, seeing as it was a Dell CD and not the regular Microsoft Disk. Alright, well gonna try the reformat sometime this week then.

 

Well it depends on what laptop you get from Dell. The latitudes come with retail discs while the inspirons come with OEM discs. I assume that since you have a latitude, they would have sent you the retail disc.

 

if its the Dell OEM Cd I beleive u can reinstall windows an unlimited amount of times but only on Dell machines

 

I though that if you had an OEM disk, the Dell one, and it had the CD Key on the bottom of the laptop, that you could only install that copy of Windows onto that laptop. Correct me if im wrong.

 

Yeah, that's what I was thinking too. And after finding the disk, I see that it is in fact an OEM and not retail (thought it was an OEM originally, but after reading SouthernGirl's post I thought maybe I was thinking of my MCE OEM) , despite coming with the Latitude. So looks like I'm holding off on that reformat for now.

 

Hmm that's weird. With OEM, you *should* be able to install it on any dell laptop. I'm saying should because I've never tried it. I'm just basing that advice on knowledge of dell and OEM discs.

I don't really have an explantion for the retail disc. The only thing I can think of is maybe dell changed policies recently or possibly it is due to the area that the laptop was ordered from (small business vs. university). I know in the past, Dell would send retail discs with the latitudes because our admins have ordered latitudes before.

 

Ive used my XP Media Center reinstall CD to install meida center edition onto my old Dell Dimension 4700 which only came with XP home

 

Did you use a Retail Windows XP MCE disk, or was it an OEM?

 

I thought all OEM versions were only legal for install on the computer they came with.

 

It is, but that doesn't mean that it's not possible to do.