Re-install XP

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sach70

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Wonder if any1 can help?

Got a Dell laptop in dire need of a XP re-install. It came with XP Home pre-installed and I therefore don't have the XP disk. The CD key is attached to the bottom as required.
Now I was wondering whether I can use my XP disk of my other PC to format and re-install and then just change the key to the laptop's key by means of the activation menu.

Any ideas.

(and please, I don't want to install Linux, I would not mind to much but my gf are not to keen since she knows XP quite well and not Linux)
 
Check out Microsoft South Africa. I'm sure if you explain to them that you lost the disc somehow, but have the license that they'd send you a new one?

I've received a few trial packages from them in the past and they're always friendly via email ;)
 
Hold on, it must be from the same OEM manufacturer or it may not work. had some trouble a while ago, in the exact same situation i formatted a gateway computer and it would not accept the product key with a different cd. this was a major issue as Gateway aren't in this country so microsoft wouldn't send me a new cd. Luckily i managed to find the original gateway windows cd and everything worked out.

Definitely phone them and ask first. They do send replacement disks if you need (at a small fee)
 
sach70 said:
Wonder if any1 can help?

Got a Dell laptop in dire need of a XP re-install. It came with XP Home pre-installed and I therefore don't have the XP disk. The CD key is attached to the bottom as required.
Now I was wondering whether I can use my XP disk of my other PC to format and re-install and then just change the key to the laptop's key by means of the activation menu.

Any ideas.

(and please, I don't want to install Linux, I would not mind to much but my gf are not to keen since she knows XP quite well and not Linux)
Click to expand...
What happened to the disk that was shipped with the laptop?
If Windoze was pre-installed, you should have gotten the cd in the package. (usually green with the Dell logo on it)
Any other XP home cd will do the job however...
 
NoRulez said:
What happened to the disk that was shipped with the laptop?
If Windoze was pre-installed, you should have gotten the cd in the package. (usually green with the Dell logo on it)
Any other XP home cd will do the job however...
Click to expand...

Depends. My HP afaik only came with a requirement to pop in two empty DVDs before use for the system to basically ghost itself to. From those repair disks you can do clean installs and repairs of the complete HP setup as it came from the factory.

I assume other notebook manufacturers can have a similar setup nowadays.
 
antowan said:
Depends. My HP afaik only came with a requirement to pop in two empty DVDs before use for the system to basically ghost itself to. From those repair disks you can do clean installs and repairs of the complete HP setup as it came from the factory.

I assume other notebook manufacturers can have a similar setup nowadays.
Click to expand...
The backup CDs are always much faster to install than a fresh copy of XP. You also get the drivers and settings -- esp important for laptops.
 
OEM CD's shipped with laptops and desktops usually have everything preinstalled - and will match the product key pasted on the box/laptop.

Using another CD (usually non-OEM) will result in the likely situation where it will reject the product key.

I got an XP home CD (original) but it doesn't want to accept the product key on one of my laptops (also XP Home) :( - so I'm running openSuSE 10.3 on said laptop :D
 
teraside said:
Check out Microsoft South Africa. I'm sure if you explain to them that you lost the disc somehow, but have the license that they'd send you a new one?

I've received a few trial packages from them in the past and they're always friendly via email ;)
Click to expand...

They will tell you to buy a new copy of Windows. Happened to my neighbour. Even after proofing that he bought Windows, they refused to replace his broken disk.
 
NoRulez said:
What happened to the disk that was shipped with the laptop?
If Windoze was pre-installed, you should have gotten the cd in the package. (usually green with the Dell logo on it)
Any other XP home cd will do the job however...
Click to expand...

Got two CDs with mine. A blue 1 and a green 1, both with the Dell Logo. The green 1 has some Eurotools on and some utilities. The blue one has a index showing a Dell Tool menu, but I can't see what else is on it. Will check on another pc. The manual indicate that I was suppose to receive a CD with the OS-re-instalation files on, maybe it is the blue one??
 
sach70 said:
Got two CDs with mine. A blue 1 and a green 1, both with the Dell Logo. The green 1 has some Eurotools on and some utilities. The blue one has a index showing a Dell Tool menu, but I can't see what else is on it. Will check on another pc. The manual indicate that I was suppose to receive a CD with the OS-re-instalation files on, maybe it is the blue one??
Click to expand...

Should be a Green CD. Top should read: Operating System and Already installed on your computer
If you don't have that one, query with whoever you got the laptop from, which could only be Vodacom, MTN or Dell... :rolleyes:
 
Or CellC. And no, no such CD. I do still hope for the blue cd although it does not say OS. Can see that 700 odd megs of the CD is used, now just to wait till I get to another pc.

BTW, got it with CellC as part of a cell upgrade deal.
 
Last edited:
You may have the startups stored on your hard drive in a separate partition, I know that HP and Acer do this. Suggest you call Dell helpline or look in a Dell knowledge base.
 
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