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    Using the same REFORMAT CD for two (almost) indentical DELL laptop

    Discussion in 'Dell' started by bunta, Jul 18, 2010.

  1. bunta

    bunta Notebook Consultant

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    Hi,

    Got a quick question guys. Is it possible to use the same DELL provided OS reformat cd on two laptops? They are both M6400 laptops with different configurations (different processor) but both run XP.

    Is it okay to use the same DELL CD on both systems ?
     
    bunta, Jul 18, 2010
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  2. Jedis

    Jedis Notebook Consultant

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    Yes, the OS dvd is not dependent on the hardware. It doesn't contain any Dell specific drivers for your particular laptop. The resource dvd has those (or Dell's website).
     
    Jedis, Jul 18, 2010
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  3. Paul P

    Paul P Notebook Consultant

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    It's not ? Then how is it that when you clean install the OS with it nothing asks you for a product key ?
     
    Paul P, Jul 18, 2010
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  4. Commander Wolf

    Commander Wolf can i haz broadwell?

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    It is hardware independent in the sense that it should install successfully on any hardware configuration.

    From what I've seen, a Dell install disk will not ask for a key at install time because it assumes you're installing the OS on the machine with which the media originally shipped. If it is actually installed on Dell hardware, it will be activated upon first boot, without the user having to do anything. If not, it will ask for activation upon first boot.

    A generic OEM disk will ask for a key at install time, and will do so regardless of the hardware configuration on which you use the disk.

    So in both cases the prompt is hardware independent, though the activation state is not.

    But as mentioned, the Dell disks do not contain any extra device drivers, etc, not included on the generics. I think I might've made this more complicated than needed, so I'll stop now. Does that at all answer your question?
     
    Commander Wolf, Jul 19, 2010
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  5. bunta

    bunta Notebook Consultant

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    Thank you !

    All is good now. I just reformatted both M6400 using the same reformat Cd from Dell and it went through activation and Genuine Tool just fine..
     
    bunta, Jul 19, 2010
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