Hardware upgrade - use existing XP pro install CD?

[Tom H]

I have an older Dell System that came with XP Pro preinstalled. I am
planning an upgrade that will utilize all the drives and the video card from
the old system. But the motherboard, CPU and memory will all be new. I
have the existing XP install CD from Dell which I am told is no different
from the standard Retail OEM version

Questions:

1. Is this a new system under the MS licensing rules?
2. Ideally, the upgraded system will boot up with the old C drive. Is this
wishful thinking?
3. If reinstallation and reactivation is necessary, will MS allow it?
4. Any other tips or gotchas I need to be aware of?

TIA for all input

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

The Dell Reinstallation CD is BIOS-locked to the original
motherboard. If you change to a different motherboard,
and use the Dell Reinstallation CD, Windows XP may install
but it will never activate. As a consequence, you'll need to
purchase a new "Full Version" of Windows XP as the Dell
license is tied directly to the original model motherboard or BIOS.

Changing a Motherboard or Moving a Hard Drive with XP Installed
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/moving_xp.html

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups

Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx

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

:

| I have an older Dell System that came with XP Pro preinstalled. I am
| planning an upgrade that will utilize all the drives and the video card from
| the old system. But the motherboard, CPU and memory will all be new. I
| have the existing XP install CD from Dell which I am told is no different
| from the standard Retail OEM version
|
| Questions:
|
| 1. Is this a new system under the MS licensing rules?
| 2. Ideally, the upgraded system will boot up with the old C drive. Is this
| wishful thinking?
| 3. If reinstallation and reactivation is necessary, will MS allow it?
| 4. Any other tips or gotchas I need to be aware of?
|
| TIA for all input

 

[Alias]

I have an older Dell System that came with XP Pro preinstalled. I am
planning an upgrade that will utilize all the drives and the video card
from the old system. But the motherboard, CPU and memory will all be new.
I have the existing XP install CD from Dell which I am told is no different
from the standard Retail OEM version

Questions:

1. Is this a new system under the MS licensing rules?

Who cares?

2. Ideally, the upgraded system will boot up with the old C drive. Is
this wishful thinking?

Yes. You will need to clean install.

3. If reinstallation and reactivation is necessary, will MS allow it?

Yes. If you have to make a phone call, just tell them you don't know
anything about computers and have no idea why you were asked to activate.

4. Any other tips or gotchas I need to be aware of?

Make sure that the XP install CD from Dell truly is no different than a
standard OEM version and is not tied to the first motherboard. If it is, buy
a retail OEM and install that. You can get one from Walmart if you buy a
mouse with it ...

Alias

 

[Alias]

The Dell Reinstallation CD is BIOS-locked to the original
motherboard.

Maybe so, maybe not.

If you change to a different motherboard,
and use the Dell Reinstallation CD, Windows XP may install
but it will never activate.

Unless, of course, the Dell CD isn't bios-locked to the original
motherboard.

As a consequence, you'll need to
purchase a new "Full Version" of Windows XP as the Dell
license is tied directly to the original model motherboard or BIOS.

What do you mean by "full version"? Retail or OEM?

Alias

 

[Guest]

Whoever gave you that info missed some broad strokes.While the oem will
function as a retail copy of xp,it will not transfer to any other
board.That cd
will only function with that dell board,the processor could be upgraded,and
add-ons will be ok,but youre project comes to a big halt with the mb.

 

[Alias]

Whoever gave you that info missed some broad strokes.While the oem will
function as a retail copy of xp,it will not transfer to any other
board.That cd
will only function with that dell board,the processor could be
upgraded,and
add-ons will be ok,but youre project comes to a big halt with the mb.

Not necessarily. Dell used to ship XP OEM CDs that are tied to nothing.

Alias

 

[kurttrail]

I have an older Dell System that came with XP Pro preinstalled. I am
planning an upgrade that will utilize all the drives and the video
card from the old system. But the motherboard, CPU and memory will
all be new. I have the existing XP install CD from Dell which I am
told is no different from the standard Retail OEM version

Questions:

1. Is this a new system under the MS licensing rules?

Even MS can't give a straight answer on this one, as NO WHERE in the
shrinkwrap license does it spell out when a computer is upgraded to the
point of becoming another computer.

Basically it comes down to what you believe. Do you think it is a
totally new computer? Otherwise you will have to wait for MS to sue
someone in your state for doing what you are doing to get a definitive
legal answer to your question.

2. Ideally, the upgraded system will boot up with the old C drive.
Is this wishful thinking?

Kinda, but it is not impossible. More than likely you will have to so a
repair install. And you will also have to activate it, since you will
not be using a mobo with a Dell BIOS. You may be forced to do phone
activation, but there are some reports that DELL Product IDs may be
exempted from the new OEM phone in activation rules.

If forced to phone activate, you will be interrogated by MS phone reps.
I suspect that some will activate you if you tell them the truth, and
that some won't, so I'd be real reluctant to tell them any thing that
has to do with hardware.

One, MS has no right to know what hardware XP is installed on, and
secondly it is more information than what is necessary to activate XP.

If asked, I say I slipstreamed SP2 into my Dell XP CD and that forced my
need to activate, but I'd also go through the motions of doing the
slipstream, and a clean install so that it really wouldn't be a lie, it
just would be the whole truth. But MS start that situation.

"The only information required to activate is an installation ID (and,
for Office XP and Office XP family products such as Visio 2002, the name
of the country in which the product is being installed)." -
http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/activation_faq.mspx

So if MS asks for anything other than the installation ID, it is MS that
is lying about their activation policies!

3. If reinstallation and reactivation is necessary, will MS allow it?

I believe I already covered that. Short answer, it depends.

4. Any other tips or gotchas I need to be aware of?

TIA for all input

Already covered.

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[kurttrail]

The Dell Reinstallation CD is BIOS-locked to the original
motherboard. If you change to a different motherboard,
and use the Dell Reinstallation CD, Windows XP may install
but it will never activate. <snip>

Bald-faced lie! I've activated Dell XP on non-Dell computers. Carey
just doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground!

http://www.microscum.com/carey/

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[kurttrail]

Whoever gave you that info missed some broad strokes.While the oem
will function as a retail copy of xp,it will not transfer to any other
board.That cd
will only function with that dell board,the processor could be
upgraded,and add-ons will be ok,but youre project comes to a big halt
with the mb.

Bullsh*t! I've installed Dell OEM XP on non-Dell computers.

I bet you NEVER tried to do it, so you are just talking out of your ass!

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[Ron Martell]

Bald-faced lie! I've activated Dell XP on non-Dell computers. Carey
just doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground!

You've done this since March 1, 2005 when the new activation controls
were placed into effect?


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm

 

[Ron Martell]

I have an older Dell System that came with XP Pro preinstalled. I am
planning an upgrade that will utilize all the drives and the video card from
the old system. But the motherboard, CPU and memory will all be new. I
have the existing XP install CD from Dell which I am told is no different
from the standard Retail OEM version

Questions:

1. Is this a new system under the MS licensing rules?

Good question. There is no precise statement regarding this.

However if your current Windows XP is a "BIOS Locked" OEM version then
you will not be able to activate it on a system that has a motherboard
BIOS that is not from the original OEM (Dell in your case).

But as others has said, not all Dell systems with OEM versions are
BIOS locked.

To check out the specific details of any Windows XP system with regard
activation:

1. Open Control Panel - System - General and look at the 20 character
Product I.D. code shown in the "Registered to" section.

If the second segment (3 characters) of the Product I.D. is "OEM" then
the installed Windows XP is an OEM version. If the second segment is
numeric (3 digits) then it is either a Retail or Volume Licensed
version.

2. Look on the Start menu under Accessories - System Tools for an
"Activate Windows" entry.

If there is no Activate Windows item and the Product I.D. is OEM then
you have a BIOS locked OEM version and it cannot be activated on a
motherboard whose BIOS is not from the original OEM.

If there is no Activate Windows item and the Product I.D. is not OEM
then you have a volume licensed version of Windows XP.

If there is an Activate Windows item and the Product I.D. is OEM then
you have generic or non-BIOS Locked version and it can be activated on
a different motherboard. Note: You may also have a BIOS locked OEM
version that was activated on a different motherboard prior to March
1, 2005 in which case you will have problems if you are ever required
to reactivate because of further hardware changes or because of a
reformat & reinstall.

If there is an Activate Windows item and the Product I.D. is not OEM
then you have a retail version of Windows XP and there is no
restriction on moving the license from machine to machine.

Hope this explains the situation.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm

 

[kurttrail]

You've done this since March 1, 2005 when the new activation controls
were placed into effect?

Yeah. I find things out for myself. And I didn't even have to call up
MS. And I'm not the only one that hasn't had to phone to activate Dell
PKs.

http://www.aviransplace.com/index.php/archives/2005/02/22/changes-in-windows-xp-product-activation

See comments 59 & 60. The last time I tried was not long after reading
those comments, to confirm it for myself. I have that install imaged,
and stored on DVD.

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[Ron Martell]

Yeah. I find things out for myself. And I didn't even have to call up
MS. And I'm not the only one that hasn't had to phone to activate Dell
PKs.

http://www.aviransplace.com/index.php/archives/2005/02/22/changes-in-windows-xp-product-activation

See comments 59 & 60. The last time I tried was not long after reading
those comments, to confirm it for myself. I have that install imaged,
and stored on DVD.

It seems that there are two types of Dell CDs for XP, with and without
the BIOS locking.

The way to distinguish them is to check on Start Menu under
Accessories - System Tools. If there is no entry for "Activate
Windows" then that install is a BIOS locked version.

If there is an Activate Windows entry and the motherboard is still the
original Dell then that is conventional OEM version, identical to the
generic Microsoft OEM CDs except for the disk label and some Dell
drivers.


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm

 

[kurttrail]

It seems that there are two types of Dell CDs for XP, with and without
the BIOS locking.

The way to distinguish them is to check on Start Menu under
Accessories - System Tools. If there is no entry for "Activate
Windows" then that install is a BIOS locked version.

If there is an Activate Windows entry and the motherboard is still the
original Dell then that is conventional OEM version, identical to the
generic Microsoft OEM CDs except for the disk label and some Dell
drivers.


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada

The BIOS-Locking can be removed, and new CD burned. Again, unlike the
Carey Frisch of this world that repeat totall BS as fact, I actually
know through my own experiences.

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"