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Installing XP Pro w/ Dell license using Friends XP Pro copy?


mikesw

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I recently bought my companies Dell GX280 optiplex computer for home use that they wanted to get rid of.

However, the company removes all files including OS' from the computer since it was a corporate win xp pro license.

They didn't use the Dell license on the computer case label.

The question.

I'm trying to use a friends Win XP Pro SP2 install disk that has a retail/OEM license (his is HP)since I don't have the actual

CD of the XP OS. But instead of using my friends valid license, I want to use the valid Dell XP Pro license

that is on the label attached to the computer case. When I enter this license, during XP install, it

doesn't like it. Is there something that has to be done to make the XP OS like my valid Dell XP Pro license?

Or, are the various XP Pro OS disks one gets hardcoded to understand only the license that came with the disk?

Note: My Dell win xp pro license along with my friends license are both for the x32 OS and not x64. Also both

his machine and mine are Intel and don't use AMD although I think this shouldn't make a difference since

they both run the same instruction set.

On a side note. The processor is 3ghz pentium 4 and the chipset is 915. Thus, the FSB is 533mhz. I read somewhere

that since it is Intel 915, that I could replace the processor with an FSB 800mhz processor from intel. Also, besides

the 800mhz FSB, I'd like to replace it with a faster intel i.e. a 3.4 or 3.8 ghz processor that has FSB 800 mhz and

uses the HT (hyper thread) technology. I just don't know what the highest speed in ghz was for intel when HT is

present on the chip and whether this chip allowed 800mhz FSB. What are my options in getting the fastest and the

mostest from the pentium 4 processor should I be able to find one for sale on the internet. If FSB 800mhz is

possible, then I'd buy DDR2 memory which is rated at this speed then.

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hey

what your wanting to do i believe would go against the EULA

if hes got a disc for xp your saying it doesnt give u the option to input your own cdkey? if thats the case its probly an unattended install or partially unattended the only way to get around that would be to remake the cd

if your computer has a cd key on it & your trying to input that & its not accepting it then u can maybe try contacting dell , the only thing hardcoded on your cd as far as stuff like that is concerned is whether the product key is for that version of windows when your entering the key, setup doesnt know whether its legit or not, it stores all the keys in a file or binary & just aslong as it matches 1 of those setup will continue. thats where the windows genuine thing comes into play with service packs & downloads from microsoft sites, u will download a small file that checks whether your cd key is "legit" or "pirated"

anyways i hope what i said makes some sense to u :)

Edited by MCT
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hey

what your wanting to do i believe would go against the EULA

if hes got a disc for xp your saying it doesnt give u the option to input your own cdkey? if thats the case its probly an unattended install or partially unattended the only way to get around that would be to remake the cd

if your computer has a cd key on it & your trying to input that & its not accepting it then u can maybe try contacting dell , the only thing hardcoded on your cd as far as stuff like that is concerned is whether the product key is for that version of windows when your entering the key, setup doesnt know whether its legit or not, it stores all the keys in a file or binary & just aslong as it matches 1 of those setup will continue. thats where the windows genuine thing comes into play with service packs & downloads from microsoft sites, u will download a small file that checks whether your cd key is "legit" or "pirated"

anyways i hope what i said makes some sense to u :)

His XP disk isn't pirated and it passes msoft genuine advantage checkers.

I see what you mean when I used the word "hardcoded", but although it was slipped with SP2 awhile back with Nlite,

I didn't use Nlite to put the license in winnt.sif. Thus, everytime when he has to install his XP, it will prompt him for his

license before continuing on (no silent install). It is at this point when he would get prompted, that I will enter my valid Dell license

to try and install win XP on my computer which doesn't like it. When I was thinking of hardcoded, I was thinking that

his license has a code in it that says I'm for HP and that the win os disk checks to see if the license is HP before continuing the

install. Likewise, if I enter my dell license, it may have a code somewhere in the license that says I'm Dell, and when the OS disk

checks it, it says hmmmm.... your not HP and thus errors out although the text to the user doesn't state that it isn't HP but along

the lines of just "invalid...."

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That system was released pre-SP2, so it's safe to assume that the key you received from the license label is for Windows XP Professional SP1. Every Windows release uses a different algorithm to check the validity of the key you entered, those two versions are no exception. You'll have to find an XP Pro SP1 disk for the key to work.

Edited by James Hamilton
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what your wanting to do i believe would go against the EULA
Using another person's media to install Windows XP using your VALID and LEGAL product key does not go against the EULA.
That system was released pre-SP2, so it's safe to assume that the key you received from the license label is for Windows XP Professional SP1. Every Windows release uses a different algorithm to check the validity of the key you entered, those two versions are no exception. You'll have to find an XP Pro SP1 disk for the key to work.
That's simply incorrect.

The problem the OP is facing is a Product ID (PID) problem. To install XP using a Corporate/VLK license, you need an XP disc that is meant for a Corporate/VLK PID.

The proper resolution would be to contact Microsoft Support and request replacement media for the Dell.

Although I can't sanction any other method, there have been rumors of people editing the disc's PID to install XP using different product key types. I've also heard that your product key may be of the same type of product key that was typically used with pirated distributions of XP ISOs.

Edited by jcarle
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what your wanting to do i believe would go against the EULA
Using another person's media to install Windows XP using your VALID and LEGAL product key does not go against the EULA.
That system was released pre-SP2, so it's safe to assume that the key you received from the license label is for Windows XP Professional SP1. Every Windows release uses a different algorithm to check the validity of the key you entered, those two versions are no exception. You'll have to find an XP Pro SP1 disk for the key to work.
That's simply incorrect.

The problem the OP is facing is a Product ID (PID) problem. To install XP using a Corporate/VLK license, you need an XP disc that is meant for a Corporate/VLK PID.

I missed that this PC was purchased from a commercial source, you are correct.

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The proper resolution would be to contact Microsoft Support and request replacement media for the Dell.
Close. Microsoft will not provide an OEM disc - only the OEM can do that. Otherwise, spot-on ;).

@mikesw: You'd need to contact Dell, not Microsoft.

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If the recovery media is not a restore disk (image) and is simply the oem media than what he is wanting to do is legitmate IF he uses the correct key on the side of the computer (keeping apples with apples).

Just like you can use a standard oem disk + key for any manufacturer. The license is stored and kept with the COA key not with the media (assuming again it's not a restore image disk).

Just like the oemscan options that allow you to recreate SLP on any hardware that is coded with the correct bios. The important part is the key not the media (again assuming the media is not slipped or configured for that specific device or is used in correlation with some imaging software).

Correct me if I'm wrong on this one.

Edited by SSX4life
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The key on the case will only be accepted by an XP Pro OEM CD that you would obtain from any small computer seller, the kind that sells with one CD key. You don't need the key, only the disk. Retail and VLK will not accept the key.

Dell supplies their Windows Install CD to most of their business customers who promptly file it or throw it away. That's the install that matches your license and it preactivates too.

Windows install CDs that preactivate can be constructed for many computer brands.

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The key on the case will only be accepted by an XP Pro OEM CD that you would obtain from any small computer seller, the kind that sells with one CD key. You don't need the key, only the disk. Retail and VLK will not accept the key.

Dell supplies their Windows Install CD to most of their business customers who promptly file it or throw it away. That's the install that matches your license and it preactivates too.

Windows install CDs that preactivate can be constructed for many computer brands.

Here's some info from Msofts site concerning licenses for PC from preactivated manufactureres. looks

like one has to call MSoft if one want to use the COA license on the side of the box.

In order to reduce a significant source of piracy, Microsoft has disabled online activation for COA Keys that are attached to PCs that have been pre-activated by OEMs. This change should have a minimal impact on licensed users who generally do not use their COA Key to activate the software because it has been pre-activated by the OEM. However, if a licensed end user needs to activate because the OEM pre-activation does not work as expected (e.g., after the replacement of a defective motherboard) they can do so via phone-based activation.

see link

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457078.aspx

Since Dell has preactivated all XP installs, the license on the side of the box was deactivated per the articles above. However, one can activate it by calling MSoft to activate the license. They also provide instructions on how to preserve preactivation for future installs.

While I was researching this via Google I came across the various license types and what the PID code would be

for some. See tacktech.com links.

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=328874

After installing XP and then wanting to change to OEM XP key do.

Run Sysprep

Go ahead and do activation.

Either it will accept or not accept. If it does, you are done. If it does not, a window pops up and asks you to provide the correct Product Key.

In the future, right after the Windows installation by using the slipstreamed CD, run Sysprep (Start > Run) with the following keys.

Sysprep –reseal –quiet –reboot

This will reinitialize Windows and you have to provide Product Key and others.

Sysprep is in the Windows CD (Support\Tools\Deploy.cab).

Disk label types.

http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=226

http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=283 RTM thru SP3 CD labels

I was able to bug our tech support to give me an OEM XP SP2 install disk. I don't

know if it is an IBM NetVista or Dell GX280 OEM disk. From the tacktech.com links

it doesn't specify that an OEM CD and the PID code would be different for each OEM manfacturer.

Moreover, the OEM CD I got is listed below although I haven't tried to use it yet.

The one I have is VRMPOEM_EN with SP2

PID code is in the file \i386\setupp.ini

based on info from tacktech PID=76487 is for both the OEM and VOL XP versions

The volume CD label is VRMPVOL_EN. Moreover, OEM is appended to the end of the PID number

I have.

Now, based on the other info pertaining to the BIOS for OEMBIOS.bin. and the OEMBIOS tool I

may be able to create my own install disk. I was also able to get the restore/recovery disk for

this DELL from our tech support people, but the OS on this disk isn't up to date in terms of service

packs. Hence, this is the reason, I want a regular win XP Pro [OEM] install disk so that I can slip

it for future reinstalls.

so, I've got my work cut out for me in the next few days and weeks.

Thanks....

:whistle:

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