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From: Bruce Chambers on 16 Nov 2009 20:56
Chente wrote:
> If I bought a Dell Computer with XP pre installed (got the disk anyway) and
> that machine is dead, can I install this XP in a new HP machine purchased
> recently?


No. An OEM version must be sold with a piece of hardware (normally a
motherboard or hard drive, if not an entire PC) and is _permanently_
bound to the first PC on which it's installed. An OEM license, once
installed, is not legally transferable to another computer under _any_
circumstances. Further, OEM installation media are frequently "locked"
to the BIOS of ther computer with which they're sold, so you most likely
won't even be able to complete an installation using that Dell CD.

You'll need to purchase a new WinXP license for the new computer.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

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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: Roy Smith on 16 Nov 2009 23:54
Chente wrote:
> If I bought a Dell Computer with XP pre installed (got the disk anyway) and
> that machine is dead, can I install this XP in a new HP machine purchased
> recently?


No, because chances are that the disk is locked to the BIOS of the Dell
machine. Some OS restore disks from PC manufacturers check the hardware
to make sure that you're installing it on the right machine. If the
check fails then it refuses to install on the PC in question.


--

Roy Smith
Windows XP Pro SP3
From: VanguardLH on 17 Nov 2009 20:58
Bruce Chambers wrote:

> Chente wrote:
>> If I bought a Dell Computer with XP pre installed (got the disk anyway) and
>> that machine is dead, can I install this XP in a new HP machine purchased
>> recently?
>
> No. An OEM version must be sold with a piece of hardware (normally a
> motherboard or hard drive, if not an entire PC) and is _permanently_
> bound to the first PC on which it's installed. An OEM license, once
> installed, is not legally transferable to another computer under _any_
> circumstances. Further, OEM installation media are frequently "locked"
> to the BIOS of ther computer with which they're sold, so you most likely
> won't even be able to complete an installation using that Dell CD.
>
> You'll need to purchase a new WinXP license for the new computer.

Along with the restore image being designed for the hardware specific to
the BIOS-locked model will not match the hardware in the new HP
computer. Akin to trying push a square peg through a round hole.
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