XP Pro SP3 OEM disc Question
Steve W.
Looking on 'bay at the different OEM discs,
I see a few new Dell OEM SP3 discs,
I just picked up a VERY clean Latitude C840 (2003 build date)
Has XP Pro on it and correct COL for that.
However no software included (machine is former lease unit, looks like
it spent it's life on a shelf)
Am I thinking correctly that the new XP Pro SP3 discs are from a
different batch of COL numbers? Seem to remember reading/hearing that
somewhere. Or was that only for the retail versions?
Those will not work with the COL I now have correct?
Also wondering about a protector to place between screen/keyboard, Many
laptops I see have scuffs from keys and pointer, any recommendations?
--
Steve W.
Ben Myers
If you have a DELL OEM Windows XP installation CD, any version, you can
install it on any Dell with a matching XP certificate of authentication,
and you do not need to worry about entering in the product key, as you
would do with retail versions of XP.
Yes, Micro$oft ran out of COA product keys in the late days of SP2, so
they needed to come up with a new algorithm for generating the keys...
Ben Myers
Steve W.
> Steve W. wrote:
>> OK I have probably forgotten the answer to this,
>> Looking on 'bay at the different OEM discs,
>>
>> I see a few new Dell OEM SP3 discs,
>> I just picked up a VERY clean Latitude C840 (2003 build date)
>> Has XP Pro on it and correct COL for that.
>> However no software included (machine is former lease unit, looks like
>> it spent it's life on a shelf)
>>
>> Am I thinking correctly that the new XP Pro SP3 discs are from a
>> different batch of COL numbers? Seem to remember reading/hearing that
>> somewhere. Or was that only for the retail versions?
>> Those will not work with the COL I now have correct?
>>
>>
>> Also wondering about a protector to place between screen/keyboard, Many
>> laptops I see have scuffs from keys and pointer, any recommendations?
>>
>
> If you have a DELL OEM Windows XP installation CD, any version, you can
> install it on any Dell with a matching XP certificate of authentication,
> and you do not need to worry about entering in the product key, as you
> would do with retail versions of XP.
Know about that and that the retail versions require activation.
>
> Yes, Micro$oft ran out of COA product keys in the late days of SP2, so
> they needed to come up with a new algorithm for generating the keys...
This is the part that I don't get.
OK say I have a machine from 03, this would have come out before MS ran
out of numbers.
Will the discs made AFTER the numbers changed still work without
activation? Just like the pre number change Dell OEM XP disc?
What I'm wondering is if the number change means that the later discs
can only be used on machines from the later time period, after the
numbers ran out.
> Ben Myers
--
Steve W.
Bob Villa
In my experience, though limited, time is not a "dimension" referenced
by an OEM disc. Only whether the BIOS is ID'd as being from a Dell.
If you use (for speedier install) a Dell SP3 disc in one that came
with SP1...it won't asked for any validation.
bob_v
William R. Walsh
> Am I thinking correctly that the new XP Pro SP3 discs are from a
> different batch of COL numbers? Seem to remember reading/hearing
> that somewhere. Or was that only for the retail versions?
It was for the OEM versions. Retail discs were no longer sold at that
point. The first release of Windows XP to have support for the new
numbers was actually SP2C. And of course, Service Pack 3 carried that
forward.
> Those will not work with the COL I now have correct?
It should work fine. I've done installs from SP2C and SP3 Dell branded
media and it has worked fine, even on old Dell systems that came
preloaded with XP when it first was offered. The Dell discs are pre-
programmed to recognize a Dell BIOS and don't require activation (or
input of a product key).
> Also wondering about a protector to place between screen/keyboard,
> Many laptops I see have scuffs from keys and pointer, any
> recommendations?
I see that problem most often on Apple laptops and on very few PC
laptops, yet I've never had it happen to any of my Apple stuff. My
guess is that people press on the display or put things on top of it,
causing it to deform against the keys. Both are a no-no.
William
alien
"William R. Walsh" <wm_w...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:ed460586-ff1c-4f0d...@v2g2000vbb.googlegroups.com...
>> Also wondering about a protector to place between screen/keyboard,
>> Many laptops I see have scuffs from keys and pointer, any
>> recommendations?
>
> I see that problem most often on Apple laptops and on very few PC
> laptops, yet I've never had it happen to any of my Apple stuff. My
> guess is that people press on the display or put things on top of it,
> causing it to deform against the keys. Both are a no-no.
>
> William
So would cramming it into a too tight case and traveling where vibration
could be a factor.
alien
Gary Baldi
>
> - Show quoted text -
Yep, and you can take a bog standard Dell XP CD from the early days of
XP, slipstream it so that it's bang upto date with all SP's and
patches, pop that into your CD drive and your Dell will cheerfully
install it without any protest at all.
Ben Myers
"Will the DELL (!!!!!) discs made AFTER the numbers changed still work
without activation?" Yes.
In short, if you have a system with a Dell BIOS and you have a Dell
"reinstallation CD" from Windows XP or Vista, you can install it without
needing to activate it. Does this violate Microsoft licensing
agreements (if you care)? No, if the version of Windows being installed
matches the one on the product key sticker on the case.
So you install Windows XP from a Dell SP3 CD on an older Dell P4 with
matching XP sticker to save yourself the pain-in-the-ass work of
installing SP3 separately. Does this meet the Microsoft licensing terms
and conditions? I am not a lawyer, but I would say that it is close
enough, and also that Microsoft would have a very hard time enforcing
its license, if it even somehow decided that you were in violation.
The Dell "reinstallation CD" is nothing more than a standard Windows OEM
installation CD with some secret codes added to match the Dell BIOS with
the Dell-branded CD.
The other question is whether an XP OEM (non-Dell) SP3 CD will accept
the product key from an earlier batch of Windows XP? My guess is
probably not, but I have never needed to try it... Ben
Ben Myers
Right. Because the secret codes that match the install to a Dell BIOS
are carried forward during the slipstream operation... Ben
Steve W.
>>
>>
>>
>
> "Will the DELL (!!!!!) discs made AFTER the numbers changed still work
> without activation?" Yes.
>
> In short, if you have a system with a Dell BIOS and you have a Dell
> "reinstallation CD" from Windows XP or Vista, you can install it without
> needing to activate it. Does this violate Microsoft licensing
> agreements (if you care)? No, if the version of Windows being installed
> matches the one on the product key sticker on the case.
I care in some cases, for testing and hardware work I generally grab
whatever works. BUT for machines being used for actual work, I keep them
legal.
>
> So you install Windows XP from a Dell SP3 CD on an older Dell P4 with
> matching XP sticker to save yourself the pain-in-the-ass work of
> installing SP3 separately. Does this meet the Microsoft licensing terms
> and conditions? I am not a lawyer, but I would say that it is close
> enough, and also that Microsoft would have a very hard time enforcing
> its license, if it even somehow decided that you were in violation.
>
> The Dell "reinstallation CD" is nothing more than a standard Windows OEM
> installation CD with some secret codes added to match the Dell BIOS with
> the Dell-branded CD.
>
> The other question is whether an XP OEM (non-Dell) SP3 CD will accept
> the product key from an earlier batch of Windows XP? My guess is
> probably not, but I have never needed to try it... Ben
OK. Got it now. I knew that Dell(and some others) used a BIOS tag but
didn't know if they used a tag on the disc connected with the COA to
verify Home/Pro. Never know what items MS throws into the pot to make
things interesting.
And
THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP..
--
Steve W.