"Hybrid" install of XP
in [Dell]
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From: Sybr on 13 Dec 2009 09:35 On Dec 12, 12:33 am, Ben Myers <ben_my...(a)charter.net> wrote: > Christopher Muto wrote: > > Ben Myers wrote: > >> Sybr wrote: > >>> I did a test install of XP Home with these parameters: > > >>> PC: Gateway Thrasher (about 6 years old) > >>> XP Install CD: from a Dell Dimension 4550 > >>> XP Activation Key: from a Dell Inspiron Laptop > > >>> The install worked, activation worked, and the Microsoft utility > >>> MGADiag.exe shows validation as a Genuine copy. > > >>> So how is this possible? I thought OEM install CD's, and OEM stickers > >>> with Activation Keys - are machine and brand specific. What gives? > > >> I thought that the product keys were brand specific. In fact, they > >> are, because the vendor's name appears right there on the sticker. > >> What you have done implies that Microsoft does not check product keys > >> down to the last bit of detail, namely brand and model. > > >> Absent a manufacturer-specific XP install CD, I use the Dell SP2 one > >> (Home or Pro to match the sticker), change the key with Keyfinder to > >> match the sticker, and never have a problem with product activation. > >> Saves a lot of time to do this, too. For example, Lenovo's laptops > >> have a four (or is it five?) CD set to run though, grinding away for > >> about an hour. With the Dell install CD plus a memory stick > >> containing the hardware drivers, I can get the system up and running > >> real fast and without any crapware... Ben Myers > > > no, what he has done is shown that dell oem product key can be used to > > activate dell oem branded copy of windows installed on non dell > > hardware. i have seen other oem product keys successfully activate with > > various different brand oem copies of windows, but some oem branded > > windows installation cds plainly refuse to install on other vendors > > hardware. also oem product codes will not work with retail windows cds > > and vice versa. and there are other circumstances regarding product key > > incompatibility but it is all sort of academic because it implies non > > intended uses. > > "what he has done is shown that dell oem product key can be used to > activate dell oem branded copy of windows installed on non dell > hardware." Agreed... Ben- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - "what he has done is shown that dell oem product key can be used to activate dell oem branded copy of windows installed on non dell hardware." Right. And I didn't think this was possible. Maybe because XP is 8 years old - and two generations away from their current home PC OS - Micro$oft just isn't that vigilant in checking the fine details of an XP Activation?
From: Shenan Stanley on 13 Dec 2009 12:22 Sybr wrote: > I did a test install of XP Home with these parameters: > > PC: Gateway Thrasher (about 6 years old) > XP Install CD: from a Dell Dimension 4550 > XP Activation Key: from a Dell Inspiron Laptop > > The install worked, activation worked, and the Microsoft utility > MGADiag.exe shows validation as a Genuine copy. > > So how is this possible? I thought OEM install CD's, and OEM > stickers with Activation Keys - are machine and brand specific. > What gives? Ben Myers wrote: > I thought that the product keys were brand specific. In fact, they are, > because the vendor's name appears right there on the sticker. What you > have done implies that Microsoft does not check product keys down to the > last bit of detail, namely brand and model. > > Absent a manufacturer-specific XP install CD, I use the Dell SP2 one > (Home or Pro to match the sticker), change the key with Keyfinder to > match the sticker, and never have a problem with product activation. > Saves a lot of time to do this, too. For example, Lenovo's laptops have > a four (or is it five?) CD set to run though, grinding away for about an > hour. With the Dell install CD plus a memory stick containing the > hardware drivers, I can get the system up and running real fast and > without any crapware... Christopher Muto wrote: > no, what he has done is shown that dell oem product key can be used > to activate dell oem branded copy of windows installed on non dell > hardware. i have seen other oem product keys successfully activate > with various different brand oem copies of windows, but some oem > branded windows installation cds plainly refuse to install on other > vendors hardware. also oem product codes will not work with retail > windows cds and vice versa. and there are other circumstances > regarding product key incompatibility but it is all sort of > academic because it implies non intended uses. Sybr wrote: > Right. And I didn't think this was possible. > > Maybe because XP is 8 years old - and two generations away from > their current home PC OS - Micro$oft just isn't that vigilant in > checking the fine details of an XP Activation? Not so sure what you think you discovered... Actually - most Dell installation CDs I have seen have been pretty generic ones. The number of ebay'd and otherwise sold Dell installation CDs could have done that work for you (didn't say it was legitimate, just that it could be done.) You could have also proven that a product key on the side of a Dell computer will work with a generic Windows XP OEM CD. It'll activate too. Oh - and if you have Windows CD you could wait 120-180 days and install it on another computer and activate it over the Internet, no problem. Or if you install the same copy/product key on several machines and activate them all within a little bit of time (not sure what that little bit of time was/if anyone ever actually put a number to it) you would have successfully activated that single copy over the Internet on several machines. Or if you called and lied - you could activate over the phone an OEM copy that was previously installed on another machine. I don't recall anyone ever saying anything you seemed to have assumed. OEM keys work with OEM media (Windows XP.) Retail keys work with Retail media (Windows XP.) Upgrade keys work with Upgrade media (Windows XP.) Volume License keys work with Volume License media (Windows XP.) But you can change the type of the media (editing one file) so it will accept another type of key. You can customize the media so it has SP3 and most post-SP3 updates integrated. You can automate the install with the editing of a single file so it automatically uses a certain key and/or does a whole host of other things during the installation. There's not a lot of mystery left behind the Windows XP CD and product key/activation. ;-) And why you would use a third party product to change the Windows XP product key after the install is beyond me - when Microsoft provides such a tool for free... http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=50346&clcid=0x409 -- Shenan Stanley MS-MVP -- How To Ask Questions The Smart Way http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
From: Bruce Chambers on 13 Dec 2009 12:41 Sybr wrote: > On Dec 12, 12:33 am, Ben Myers <ben_my...(a)charter.net> wrote: >> > > "what he has done is shown that dell oem product key can be used to > activate dell oem branded copy of windows installed on non dell > hardware." > > Right. And I didn't think this was possible. > > Maybe because XP is 8 years old - and two generations away from their > current home PC OS - Micro$oft just isn't that vigilant in checking > the fine details of an XP Activation? No, it's quite not that. The OEM WinXP installation CDs that Dell first distributed with their computers weren't BIOS-locked. That's why eBay was flooded with illicit sales of Dell OEM disks that worked on just about anything. Dell changed this practice eventually (after a couple years, that is), but there are still a lot of the old CDs around. -- Bruce Chambers Help us help you: http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375 They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has killed a great many philosophers. ~ Denis Diderot
From: Ben Myers on 13 Dec 2009 12:46
Shenan Stanley wrote: > Sybr wrote: >> I did a test install of XP Home with these parameters: >> >> PC: Gateway Thrasher (about 6 years old) >> XP Install CD: from a Dell Dimension 4550 >> XP Activation Key: from a Dell Inspiron Laptop >> >> The install worked, activation worked, and the Microsoft utility >> MGADiag.exe shows validation as a Genuine copy. >> >> So how is this possible? I thought OEM install CD's, and OEM >> stickers with Activation Keys - are machine and brand specific. >> What gives? > > Ben Myers wrote: >> I thought that the product keys were brand specific. In fact, they are, >> because the vendor's name appears right there on the sticker. What you >> have done implies that Microsoft does not check product keys down to the >> last bit of detail, namely brand and model. >> >> Absent a manufacturer-specific XP install CD, I use the Dell SP2 one >> (Home or Pro to match the sticker), change the key with Keyfinder to >> match the sticker, and never have a problem with product activation. >> Saves a lot of time to do this, too. For example, Lenovo's laptops have >> a four (or is it five?) CD set to run though, grinding away for about an >> hour. With the Dell install CD plus a memory stick containing the >> hardware drivers, I can get the system up and running real fast and >> without any crapware... > > Christopher Muto wrote: >> no, what he has done is shown that dell oem product key can be used >> to activate dell oem branded copy of windows installed on non dell >> hardware. i have seen other oem product keys successfully activate >> with various different brand oem copies of windows, but some oem >> branded windows installation cds plainly refuse to install on other >> vendors hardware. also oem product codes will not work with retail >> windows cds and vice versa. and there are other circumstances >> regarding product key incompatibility but it is all sort of >> academic because it implies non intended uses. > > Sybr wrote: >> Right. And I didn't think this was possible. >> >> Maybe because XP is 8 years old - and two generations away from >> their current home PC OS - Micro$oft just isn't that vigilant in >> checking the fine details of an XP Activation? > > Not so sure what you think you discovered... > > Actually - most Dell installation CDs I have seen have been pretty generic > ones. The number of ebay'd and otherwise sold Dell installation CDs could > have done that work for you (didn't say it was legitimate, just that it > could be done.) > > You could have also proven that a product key on the side of a Dell computer > will work with a generic Windows XP OEM CD. It'll activate too. > > Oh - and if you have Windows CD you could wait 120-180 days and install it > on another computer and activate it over the Internet, no problem. > > Or if you install the same copy/product key on several machines and activate > them all within a little bit of time (not sure what that little bit of time > was/if anyone ever actually put a number to it) you would have successfully > activated that single copy over the Internet on several machines. > > Or if you called and lied - you could activate over the phone an OEM copy > that was previously installed on another machine. > > I don't recall anyone ever saying anything you seemed to have assumed. > > OEM keys work with OEM media (Windows XP.) > Retail keys work with Retail media (Windows XP.) > Upgrade keys work with Upgrade media (Windows XP.) > Volume License keys work with Volume License media (Windows XP.) > > But you can change the type of the media (editing one file) so it will > accept another type of key. You can customize the media so it has SP3 and > most post-SP3 updates integrated. You can automate the install with the > editing of a single file so it automatically uses a certain key and/or does > a whole host of other things during the installation. > > There's not a lot of mystery left behind the Windows XP CD and product > key/activation. ;-) > > And why you would use a third party product to change the Windows XP product > key after the install is beyond me - when Microsoft provides such a tool for > free... http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=50346&clcid=0x409 > > -- > Shenan Stanley > MS-MVP As you say, Microsoft provides a key update tool. The web page describing it is undated, so I can't determine for sure when this tool was first offered. But there was a time when Microsoft did not provide a tool, and I think they were embarrassed into finally doing so by the long-time availability of KEYFINDER. Old habits die hard, so I've continued to use keyfinder. I knew about the existence of Microsoft key updaters for Vista, which has its own built-in, IIRC. Thanks for the info... Ben Myers |