XP "reinstallation" CD on Win2k machine?

September 22, 2005 5:56 PM

So I bought a copy of XP (legit, with product key) on eBay that is supposed to go with a Dell machine. I have a Dell machine. Super. But it turns out to be a "reinstallation" disc. My PC came with Win2000. I believe I'm hosed, but please tell me if I'm mistaken somehow.
posted by Tubes to computers & internet (14 comments total)

I did that once. I didn't find a solution (short of returning it) so I vote hosed.
posted by panoptican at 6:03 PM on September 22, 2005

This should be no different from a regular copy of XP. In fact the only difference between a normal and upgrade is that an upgrade will prompt you for the original CD. I don't believe Dell even has files on the CD that detects if this is indeed a Dell built computer.

Stick the CD in, boot from CD (select your CDROM from the BIOS) and off you go.
posted by geoff. at 6:14 PM on September 22, 2005

The "reinstallation" disks suck ass; they're Microsoft's way to make your operating system less resalable (and therefore let Microsoft keep the price of their software high, since they don't have to compete with their own used goods).

What you could do if you had a regular set of XP disks would be to install with those and use your product key. Got a friend? Perhaps a coworker?
posted by jellicle at 6:18 PM on September 22, 2005

Hell, you got BitTorrent? Seriously, you paid money for Windows. They have nothing on you.
posted by panoptican at 6:20 PM on September 22, 2005

Can't you use the legit serial number with a downloaded copy of windows?
posted by ph00dz at 6:26 PM on September 22, 2005

XP reinstall disks are typically just XP OEM edition (meaning they won't take a corp or retail product key). if you didn't buy it with hardware you're not legally supposed to use it. there are some restrictions on what they mean by "hardware". your disk is no different from the OEM copies of XP that NewEgg et.al. sell except there's the possibility that your disk won't boot on anything but a Dell (some do some don't). best idea is to read the EULA if you can (and I mean that in the "if you can get at it" and "if you can actually understand it" way :-). it should actually install OK.

if they really wanted to bust you they could just look at the Win2K COA on your computer and be all "ok, so why do you have an copy of XP on your machine and the OEM disks for it when your machine didn't come with it?" 'course they would need a reason to want to bust you too. not condoning it myself - if you paid < $20 on it then eat it and go to NewEgg and buy a big hard drive and an OEM copy of XP. however, IANAL and all that jibjab.
posted by mrg at 6:29 PM on September 22, 2005

You know, now that I think about it, if it is a reinstall disc that you bought on eBay, I sure hope you didn't pay more than $0.02 for it because the reinstall discs are associated specifically with the computer they are shipped with.

Are you sure you didn't buy an XP upgrade (Home or Pro).
posted by panoptican at 7:00 PM on September 22, 2005

I had the exact thing happen, sort of, but I finally just called the "activation hot;line" which is a call center in INdia, and the rep gave me a new license code with no hassle. Just choose "activate by phone."
posted by The Jesse Helms at 7:05 PM on September 22, 2005

This article describes how to create a retail windows installation cd from an oem installation cd. Even better, the article describes how to create a retail windows installation cd that accepts an oem product key.

Unfortunately, the article is short on details. You might want to try hex editing an image of your oem installation cd and then burning the modified image to a blank cd.

Also, after installing windows using the modified cd, you may have to modify the registry key "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows NT/CurrentVersion/ProductID". You should set the value of the registry key to the value you would have had had you installed windows using the OEM cd. I'm not sure if there is an easy way to determine this value without actually installing windows from the oem cd.
posted by malp at 7:11 PM on September 22, 2005

Actually, I'm not 100% positive that is the correct registry key to modify. However, if you don't modify the correct registry key, you may not be able to download the latest windows updates.
posted by malp at 7:15 PM on September 22, 2005

I sure hope you didn't pay more than $0.02 for it because the reinstall discs are associated specifically with the computer they are shipped with.

This is not true, at least from my experience. I maintain the computers for a small accounting firm, and believe me, I do not keep track of which re-install disc is for which Dell. A more pressing issue, to my mind, is the fact that you're going to have to call Microsoft to activate the software. They'll probably let you by, but they may ask questions.
posted by jdroth at 8:46 PM on September 22, 2005

The sale was in fact illegal. In the OEM license, the terms state that the copy of windows being licensed is forever linked to that specific computer. So if you take an OEM install disc and use it to install Windows on a computer other than the original one it came with -- even if the original computer has been destroyed or doesn't run that copy of windows -- you've violated the license. It's crazy, but that's what it says in the license. You should report the ebay seller because what he sold you was not legal.
posted by Rhomboid at 9:47 PM on September 22, 2005

And just to be clear... I mean the OEM disc is legally linked to the original computer -- not that each disc is unique in any way. It's a licensing not a technical restriction.
posted by Rhomboid at 9:49 PM on September 22, 2005

Just thought I'd post a followup. Thanks for all the input on this. I popped the CD in, followed prompts for a clean full install, and it worked slick as snot. I think I may have glowed.

Sounds like others have had much less luck in this scenario, so YMMV.
posted by Tubes at 1:37 PM on December 14, 2005