OEM reinstall using Win XP disk

[rwhitney]

I have a 3 year old Dell 8200. It is time for me to wipe the hard
drive clean. I will be replacing the old 80G hard drive with a larger
version, 320G. I have updated the Bios. My question is can I use a
copy of Win XP that I own to reinstall, and not use the Disk Dell sends
with the computer to put the computer back to the state it was when it
was bought. I only want certain programs installed. I would use the
product key on the side of this computer.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

The Dell OEM Product Key will only be valid
with a Dell Windows XP Reinstallation CD.
It cannot be used with a "retail" Windows XP CD.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| I have a 3 year old Dell 8200. It is time for me to wipe the hard
| drive clean. I will be replacing the old 80G hard drive with a larger
| version, 320G. I have updated the Bios. My question is can I use a
| copy of Win XP that I own to reinstall, and not use the Disk Dell sends
| with the computer to put the computer back to the state it was when it
| was bought. I only want certain programs installed. I would use the
| product key on the side of this computer.

 

[Malke]

I have a 3 year old Dell 8200. It is time for me to wipe the hard
drive clean. I will be replacing the old 80G hard drive with a larger
version, 320G. I have updated the Bios. My question is can I use a
copy of Win XP that I own to reinstall, and not use the Disk Dell
sends with the computer to put the computer back to the state it was
when it
was bought. I only want certain programs installed. I would use the
product key on the side of this computer.

You can do this only if you use a Dell OEM disk; a retail copy of XP
will not work. A generic OEM disk might work, but you would need to
call MS to activate. I don't know for sure if a generic OEM disk would
work because I have so many Dell OEM's I've never had to try.

If you don't have a Dell OEM XP install disk or a generic OEM, then see
if a local professional computer shop can do this for you.

Malke

 

[Rock]

I have a 3 year old Dell 8200. It is time for me to wipe the hard
drive clean. I will be replacing the old 80G hard drive with a larger
version, 320G. I have updated the Bios. My question is can I use a
copy of Win XP that I own to reinstall, and not use the Disk Dell sends
with the computer to put the computer back to the state it was when it
was bought. I only want certain programs installed. I would use the
product key on the side of this computer.

If you use the key that came with it. The Dell key most probably won't work
with it.

 

[Rob]

Looks like I need to use the OEM disk that came with the computer! I
have the disk. Does repalcing the hard drive pose a problem?

 

[Rob]

Looks like I need to use the OEM disk that came with the computer! I
have the disk. Does repalcing the hard drive pose a problem?

 

[Rob]

Looks like I need to use the OEM disk that came with the computer! I
have the disk. Does repalcing the hard drive pose a problem?

 

[Rock]

Looks like I need to use the OEM disk that came with the computer! I
have the disk. Does repalcing the hard drive pose a problem?

No, though depending on what other hardware was changed in the past it could
trigger activation, unless it's BIOS locked in which case it won't need
activation. See this link about activation and in particular the section on
"What about formatting a hard disk?". Either way it's not a big deal.

http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.htm
Windows Product Activation (WPA) on Windows XP

 

[Malke]

Looks like I need to use the OEM disk that came with the computer! I
have the disk. Does repalcing the hard drive pose a problem?

I'm sorry, I was under the impression that you *didn't* have the
installation cd that came with the computer. If you have it, why ever
would you not consider using it? Especially because three years ago
Dell operating system disks were usually just that - only the operating
system and nothing else. Normally you go the OS and another disk that
was the Dell Resource CD (drivers), as well as disks for any
preinstalled programs like MS Works, etc.

No, you won't have any difficulty in replacing the hard drive. What you
should do is slipstream Service Pack 2 with that original install disk
and then use it. My preference is for AutoStreamer.

How to slipstream sp2 into XP
http://www.simplyguides.net/guides/using_autostreamer/using_autostreamer.html
- AutoStreamer
http://www.msfn.org/articles.php?action=show&showarticle=49
http://www.windows-help.net/windowsxp/winxp-sp2-bootcd.html
http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp2_cd.htm
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/slipstream.htm

After you install the operating system, install all the drivers. Get
them from Dell for your specific model machine if you don't have the
Resource CD. Do not go online until the SP2 Firewall is active and you
have a current version antivirus installed. Then go online and get the
newest antivirus definitions and all the Windows Updates.

Malke

 

[Laura Fredericks]

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I have a 3 year old Dell 8200. It is time for me to wipe the hard
drive clean. I will be replacing the old 80G hard drive with a
larger version, 320G. I have updated the Bios. My question is can I
use a copy of Win XP that I own to reinstall, and not use the Disk
Dell sends with the computer to put the computer back to the state
it was when it was bought. I only want certain programs installed.
I would use the product key on the side of this computer.

If you own a legit copy of WinXP, then you also have the legit serial
number that came with it. ;-) USE IT.

Fwiw, I just installed WinXP Home on a new HD inside a four-year-old
Dell Dimension 8250 a friend gave me. I *did not* use the WinXP *Pro*
Dell Reinstallation CD. I used a legit copy of WinXP Home, and the
serial number that came with it.

There was no problem with the installation. The computer didn't care
that I was using WinXP Home instead of the Pro edition that came with
it. I did have to use the Dell Resource CD to install networking,
modem, CD-RW software, etc., though.

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--
Laura Fredericks
PGP key ID - DH/DSS 2048/1024: 0xC753039A

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[Malke]

If you own a legit copy of WinXP, then you also have the legit serial
number that came with it. ;-) USE IT.

Fwiw, I just installed WinXP Home on a new HD inside a four-year-old
Dell Dimension 8250 a friend gave me. I *did not* use the WinXP *Pro*
Dell Reinstallation CD. I used a legit copy of WinXP Home, and the
serial number that came with it.

There was no problem with the installation. The computer didn't care
that I was using WinXP Home instead of the Pro edition that came with
it. I did have to use the Dell Resource CD to install networking,
modem, CD-RW software, etc., though.

You're missing the point. The OP asked about using a (presumably) retail
copy of XP with the serial number on his Dell machine. As has already
been pointed out extensively in this thread, that will not work.
Product keys must match the versions of the install disk and the
product key for a retail version will not match the product key for an
OEM version.

The reason your install worked was that you used the product key that
came with your copy of XP Home. Of course the computer "didn't care"
that you were clean-installing Home instead of Pro. The computer
wouldn't care if you installed Linux, either.

Malke

 

[Bob I]

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If you own a legit copy of WinXP, then you also have the legit serial
number that came with it. ;-) USE IT.

Fwiw, I just installed WinXP Home on a new HD inside a four-year-old
Dell Dimension 8250 a friend gave me. I *did not* use the WinXP *Pro*
Dell Reinstallation CD. I used a legit copy of WinXP Home, and the
serial number that came with it.

There was no problem with the installation. The computer didn't care
that I was using WinXP Home instead of the Pro edition that came with
it. I did have to use the Dell Resource CD to install networking,
modem, CD-RW software, etc., though.

Why did you waste a legit XP Pro license?

 

[Jim]

I have a 3 year old Dell 8200. It is time for me to wipe the hard
drive clean. I will be replacing the old 80G hard drive with a larger
version, 320G. I have updated the Bios. My question is can I use a
copy of Win XP that I own to reinstall, and not use the Disk Dell sends
with the computer to put the computer back to the state it was when it
was bought. I only want certain programs installed. I would use the
product key on the side of this computer.

Didn't your system come with an XP install disk, a Dell driver etc disk, and
a Dell extra features disk? My 4600 of that same vintage did.

If so, you load the operating system from the XP install disk, load the
drivers for the driver disk, and load whatever you want from the other disk.

I would expect that you could follow this same path with the other XP disk.
However, you can't escape loading the Dell drivers.

Jim

 

[Laura Fredericks]

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Why did you waste a legit XP Pro license?

Because I have a stand-alone computer; not networked. I don't need
all the bloat (whoops) extra features of Pro.

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--
Laura Fredericks
PGP key ID - DH/DSS 2048/1024: 0xC753039A

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[Laura Fredericks]

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You're missing the point. The OP asked about using a (presumably)
retail copy of XP with the serial number on his Dell machine.

I didn't miss it, there's just no logic to it. Perhaps the OP doesn't
own a legit copy of XP, and didn't want to say that in a Microsoft
ng. ;-)

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--
Laura Fredericks
PGP key ID - DH/DSS 2048/1024: 0xC753039A

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[Rob]

I do have the Dell restore CD that came with the computer and a legal
copy of WIn XP. I just thought that the Dell CD would put extra
programs on the computer (those that came with the computer that I had
to remove) and the Win XP CD would just put on the operating system.

From what I gather I this was a wrong assumption.

Now my question is if I use the Dell CD do I need to undo all the
hardware changes I have made to the system before putting in the new
hard drive and installing the OS? I have added a 2nd hard drive,
repalced the cd burner with a dvd burner, a TV tuner. I removed the
network card( to make room for the TV tuner) I use a USB adapter to
hook into a wireless router.

 

[Laura Fredericks]

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I do have the Dell restore CD that came with the computer and a
legal copy of WIn XP.

Now my question is if I use the Dell CD do I need to undo all the
hardware changes I have made to the system before putting in the new
hard drive and installing the OS?

Why do you want to use the Dell version of WinXP??? Just use your
"legal copy of WinXP", with your legit serial number. I don't
understand why you keep insisting on using the OEM version.

If Windows setup can't find the proper drivers for your new hardware,
you won't find them on the Dell Resources CD, anyway. If you didn't
get a disk with the drivers, you'll have to get them from the
manufacturer's website.

Note, you *will* need the Dell Resources CD for your ethernet and
modem drivers, and the CD-writer program.

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--
Laura Fredericks
PGP key ID - DH/DSS 2048/1024: 0xC753039A

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[Bruce Chambers]

Why do you want to use the Dell version of WinXP??? Just use your
"legal copy of WinXP", with your legit serial number. I don't
understand why you keep insisting on using the OEM version.

Maybe because the OP's Product Key won't work with a retail CD?

--

Bruce Chambers

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[Rock]

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Why do you want to use the Dell version of WinXP??? Just use your
"legal copy of WinXP", with your legit serial number. I don't
understand why you keep insisting on using the OEM version.

If Windows setup can't find the proper drivers for your new hardware,
you won't find them on the Dell Resources CD, anyway. If you didn't
get a disk with the drivers, you'll have to get them from the
manufacturer's website.

Note, you *will* need the Dell Resources CD for your ethernet and
modem drivers, and the CD-writer program.

I get the impression that license is being used elsewhere. He wants to use
it to install without all the Dell junk but wants to use the Dell's key
which won't work.

 

[Rob]

The license is not being used elsewhere. 1st don't want any unwanted
programs and 2nd I have used the retail version to install other OS'es
a number of times and I am familiar with that process. Have yet to use
the OEM restore disc. But I will do that with the new hard drive and
therefore i will not have to wipe the old drive clean until I have
everything working. If things go wrong I can always put the old drive
back.