Branded OEMs

[News Groupie]

I have a Dell branded OEM disc of Windows XP Pro (w/ SP2). Will I be able to
activate this copy and receive Windows updates if I install that on a
non-Dell computer?

TIA

 

[HeeroYuy]

I have a Dell branded OEM disc of Windows XP Pro (w/ SP2). Will I be able
to activate this copy and receive Windows updates if I install that on a
non-Dell computer?

TIA

No. It is activated for that Dell computer. Any further installs may make
Microsoft systems reject the product key, even on the Dell computer.

 

[Tom [Pepper] Willett]

No.

Tom
|I have a Dell branded OEM disc of Windows XP Pro (w/ SP2). Will I be able
to
| activate this copy and receive Windows updates if I install that on a
| non-Dell computer?
|
| TIA
|
|

 

[News Groupie]

Is this always the case? Because I installed one copy on a different Dell
machine that it shipped with copy and it installed okay, seemed to activate
automatically and recieved updates with no problems at all.

 

[HeeroYuy]

Is this always the case? Because I installed one copy on a different Dell
machine that it shipped with copy and it installed okay, seemed to
activate automatically and recieved updates with no problems at all.

It's always better to never press your luck.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I have a Dell branded OEM disc of Windows XP Pro (w/ SP2). Will I be able to
activate this copy and receive Windows updates if I install that on a
non-Dell computer?

No, it shouldn't work. Dell OEM installation CDs are BIOS-locked to
prevent theft.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[News Groupie]

****!!!

Thanks though. This friggin' sucks.

No, it shouldn't work. Dell OEM installation CDs are BIOS-locked to
prevent theft.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[News Groupie]

Actually, how true is that?

Because I used the copy first to install on an older Dell machine and it
seemed to work perfectly (no activation messages, installed updates, yada
yada). I took that same disc later and installed it on a custom built PC and
it installed without a hitch. The only difference was that most of my
devices weren't recognized (including the network card) and the activation
icon was in the system tray. I'm assuming the icon only shows up because my
most of my drivers (especially my network card) weren't installed yet.

Am I right in assuming that the unrecognized devices are so because the Dell
brand disc is full of drivers for devices Dell installs on their machines
and not regular default/generic drivers found on regular WinXP install
discs? Furthermore does this mean that I could just install the needed
drivers for the custom machine and everything should work just as fine as
the older Dell machine?

I'd prefer experience over theories when replying, if you don't mind.

TIA

 

[HeeroYuy]

Actually, how true is that?

Because I used the copy first to install on an older Dell machine and it
seemed to work perfectly (no activation messages, installed updates, yada
yada). I took that same disc later and installed it on a custom built PC
and it installed without a hitch. The only difference was that most of my
devices weren't recognized (including the network card) and the activation
icon was in the system tray. I'm assuming the icon only shows up because
my most of my drivers (especially my network card) weren't installed yet.

Am I right in assuming that the unrecognized devices are so because the
Dell brand disc is full of drivers for devices Dell installs on their
machines and not regular default/generic drivers found on regular WinXP
install discs? Furthermore does this mean that I could just install the
needed drivers for the custom machine and everything should work just as
fine as the older Dell machine?

I'd prefer experience over theories when replying, if you don't mind.

TIA

You may be able to get away with it for a while, but once Microsoft realizes
this product key is being installed on several different machines, they will
lock that product key from being able to update. Also, you will not be able
to activate it anymore. Meaning if you ever need it again on the Dell it
shipped with, you're SOL. What you're doing is the equvalent of piracy. It
is better to not press your luck on this one, and I seriously recommend you
drop the issue. You probably shouldn't even bring this up on a Microsoft
administrated newsgroup on a Microsoft server.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Actually, how true is that?


Completely.


Because I used the copy first to install on an older Dell machine and it
seemed to work perfectly (no activation messages, installed updates, yada
yada).

If the motherboard was based on the same chipset, the installation
routine was likely "fooled" into thinking that it was the right
computer. OEM CDs are not linked to specific machines, but rather to a
specific type or class of motherboard. It simply saw a Dell BIOS and
worked.

I took that same disc later and installed it on a custom built PC and
it installed without a hitch. The only difference was that most of my
devices weren't recognized (including the network card) and the activation
icon was in the system tray. I'm assuming the icon only shows up because my
most of my drivers (especially my network card) weren't installed yet.

Incorrect assumption. The older Dell OEM CDs will install on any
computer, but will require activation. The newer CDs won't even
install. And more recently, even Dell has stopped shipping CDs, all to
combat people such as yourself.

Am I right in assuming that the unrecognized devices are so because the Dell
brand disc is full of drivers for devices Dell installs on their machines
and not regular default/generic drivers found on regular WinXP install
discs?

Obviously. Why would Dell include drivers for their competitors products?

Furthermore does this mean that I could just install the needed
drivers for the custom machine and everything should work just as fine as
the older Dell machine?

You can install the necessary 3rd party drivers and probably get the
machine working, yes. However, you should not be able to activate that
pirated OEM license on another computer. (Oh, you might get away with
it by lying to the telephone activation center when you call, but that
depends upon the competency the random operator you get when you call.)


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[News Groupie]

No piracy. I'm trying to resolve this problem. I got two Dell machines not
too long ago, both came with branded factory sealed OEM discs (WinXP SP2),
but I only used one of those discs and the other remained unused in factory
seal because I installed Linux on the second Dell machine. Now I want to do
a fresh & clean install of Windows XP on my main custom built machine, but
there's no WinXP OEM disc for it because it came with XP pre-installed on
it. I figured I could use that unused factory sealed Dell branded disc on
the custom machine, but wasn't too sure and didn't want to wipe my drive
until I was, so I test installed on another machine I had lying around and
it installed perfectly (at least it appeared to), but I soon realized it was
actually a Dell machine (the older one mentioned previously in this thread)
and figured it wasn't a good test, so that's when I test installed that same
previously unused Dell branded OEM disc on the main custom machine. It
installs fine, but has all those drivers missing and the activation icon
showing up after installation.

I just tried to use my unused branded OEM disc on my custom machine. I don't
believe that's piracy or illegal since I actually own the hardware the disc
came with.

Plus the installation never asks for a product/CD key, so it doesn't seem
like the disc is only for a specific machine.

Anyway... any solutions/recommendations on this problem?

TIA

 

[HeeroYuy]

No piracy. I'm trying to resolve this problem. I got two Dell machines not
too long ago, both came with branded factory sealed OEM discs (WinXP SP2),
but I only used one of those discs and the other remained unused in
factory seal because I installed Linux on the second Dell machine. Now I
want to do a fresh & clean install of Windows XP on my main custom built
machine, but there's no WinXP OEM disc for it because it came with XP
pre-installed on it. I figured I could use that unused factory sealed Dell
branded disc on the custom machine, but wasn't too sure and didn't want to
wipe my drive until I was, so I test installed on another machine I had
lying around and it installed perfectly (at least it appeared to), but I
soon realized it was actually a Dell machine (the older one mentioned
previously in this thread) and figured it wasn't a good test, so that's
when I test installed that same previously unused Dell branded OEM disc on
the main custom machine. It installs fine, but has all those drivers
missing and the activation icon showing up after installation.

Dell supplies a separate disc for the drivers. Those Dell drivers wouldn't
work in your custom machine anyway, unless it had the exact same specs all
around. You need to go download the drivers for each piece of hardware from
their respective manufacturers (video card, sound card, etc.). As for the
activation icon, that is normal because that custome machine is not the
computer that copy of Windows was activated for. It's only preactivated by
the OEM computer maker for the computer they ship the Windows disc with. You
can install the copy of Windows on any computer you want, but that copy can
only be properly activated on ONE machine. If Windows is not activated in 30
days, you're locked out of it.

I just tried to use my unused branded OEM disc on my custom machine. I
don't believe that's piracy or illegal since I actually own the hardware
the disc came with.

Technically, even if you are using it for yourself, it is piracy if you are
trying to use that same copy of Windows on more than one machine. The reason
being is that you only paid for one license. Installation can occur for many
machines, but activation only works for one computer, unless another license
is purchased. Installation and activation are two completely different steps
in getting Windows up and running.

Plus the installation never asks for a product/CD key, so it doesn't seem
like the disc is only for a specific machine.

It is. Regardless of whether or not it asks is irrelevant because you only
have one license for that copy.

Anyway... any solutions/recommendations on this problem?

TIA

I recommend you get another license before continuing to ask your question.

 

[News Groupie]

Oh okay, gotcha.

Thanks everyone for your help.