Using Dell Windows XP install CD to install on another computer?

I can't find the answer to this on the Dell's website and after searching on these forums I'm still stumped...

I bought the $10 disc to reinstall Windows XP Pro SP2 with my I6000. On the CD it says "Only use this CD to reinstall the operating system on a Dell computer." But, I don't know if this means that I CAN'T use it to install on a second computer. Is it possible to use this disc to install to another computer? Anyone aware of copyright issues related to this or Dell policy regarding using the disc to install to another computer? I can't find info on their site about it... I might not be using the right search terms, but nothing I've been able to find.

Thanks in advance.

 

The reinstall CD is designed to reinstall the OS on the notebook it was designed for... It may or may not work from a technical standpoint installing the OS on another machine.

From a license perspective... you still only have one license for the OS... so when you installed the OS it would require the license code (present on the underside of your notebook). The problem is... that even if the installation was successful... you would have two computers running an OS with the same license... and since XP activates... microsoft would probably be aware of it... and its piracy.

So, it may or may not be possible... but even if it worked technically, you can only have the OS on one computer legally.

 

That makes sense. Thanks for the clarification.

 

Yes you can install your copy of XP onto another machine. I installed the copy of Home that came with my 6000 on an old emachine desktop with no issues.

Alchemist is right about the license, you only have one. That means there can only be one legal machine running that key. I bought Pro seperate for my 6000 because I can a better deal then Dell's price.

 

From my understanding, the discs are OEM and can only be installed on dell computers only. It doesn't have to match your system, but it does have to be a dell. I think it detects the hardware before it installs it, but I'm not sure how booger got around that.

 

I put the cd in and booted the computer, that is it.

Dell just buys parts from other manufactures. There is nothing special about Dell. They just package it together. You could do the same and buy all the parts seperately. That being said... there is no reason why an oem os would not work on any PC.

I think the oem more has to do with licensing and distributioning. There might be a few changes like custom drivers but that probably is it.

 

I'm pretty sure SG is right - I tried running my Dell recovery discs on my family's Qosmio and wouldn't work because it wasn't Dell hardware.

 

One thing is that it doesn't make sense to have OEM discs that will install on all computers. If that was the case, they would just make them retail discs.

All of the documents that I've read supported that OEM discs only install with that manufacturer.

I haven't tried it with my dell XP disc, but last year I tried a toshiba disc with HP, and it wouldn't work. LOL, but those were restore discs and not XP discs.

 

We are talking about the Dell oem XP cd and not the recovery disc. They are completely 2 different things.

I am 100% sure it works and not 'pretty sure'. Let me repeat it, I have done it. It installed just like ever other XP cd. I upgraded a 400Mhz Emachine desktop with a Dell oem XP Home cd.

 

1. It is cheaper to produce 1 version of the oem cd. They can track license easier with the oem. Plus they might put custom drivers in them, especially in the past when everything was proprietary.
2. Post a link to those documents.
3. You said it 'those were restore discs and not XP discs.'

Plus I have done it.

 

I just finished using both - the recovery CD and the XP re-install WILL NOT work on non-Dell hardware (at least on laptops - not too sure about desktops).

 

That's fine. You might have done it, but look on the forums, and research it. There aren't very many cases were users installed XP using the OEM disc on other systems.

Just because you got it to work, doesn't mean that it will work for others. Maybe, your emachine had some of the same hardware as the dell and it fooled the disc. There isn't enough cases right now to support your statements.

Plus, I have a feeling it depends on when you got your system. If you got it over a year ago, your XP disc might be different than the newer discs. Dell stop sending the discs over a year ago, and since then, their policies on the XP discs and everything about the discs have changed.

 

Did you use the purple disc that says 'operating system' then 'Microsoft Windows XP'? The recovery CD will not work, do not even try. It is to restore a system not install.

What type of error did it give you? What type of laptop?

Laptops can be proprietary which could cause an issue but they are all based off of the same thing. Dells hardware is an Intel mother board, Intel proc, Intel chip set, a major manufature's hard drive and other various parts from major manufactures. All PCs are almost the same these days. There are only a few manufacturers making the major parts. All PC manufacturers buy parts from the same select companies. So every computer manufacturer is about the same.

SouthernGirl - you might be right about the change of the CD. I bought my about a year ago. That could be it.

 

I used the "Operating System" CD - it would not get any response from the other, non-Dell notebooks.

Notebooks: Toshiba Qosmio G15/IBM Thinkpad T43

 

I think Southern Girl nailed it then, Dell made a change becuase it works here with a CD that is a year old.

Just out of curiorsity, did you try putting the CD in before you booted or after? Can the CD be read if XP is running? My guess is that it is in the Dell bios that makes the CD readable.

 

Well, not that I can see anything come from this --- but I just used my MCE backup media CD that I had sent out for my E1705. Installed without any issues or complaints on an old Compaq D315 desktop machine. Windows refused to activate. No worries. It was only a test on a junk drive.

One thing to note, it installed a couple of funky sample vid capture clips... Back to the Future, ET, Babe (that pig movie). Some of the junkware that originally came with my lappie was also installed.

 

the oem protection has nothing to do with the parts that dell or any other manu uses.

dell's (and i assume other) oem disc looks for a passkey on the motherboard telling the install routine that the pc is a dell. if it finds the key, it continues with the install, if not, no dice.

 

Did they make a change because my year old XP Home disk installs on an old emachine? I have used that disk to install that machine 3 times. Do you know where on the mobo that it is? I was guessing that something like that would be put into the bios.

 

What are the reprecussions of this? That is if you are caught out. Anyone know of incidents where somebody has been caught doing such by Microsoft?

 

Why do you think Bill looks so old. He's up every night looking for cheats. Beware, Bill will get you!!!

Hermit