XP OEM

My son is considering buying a new PC. Can he use the OEM W$ XP disc from

jamps...

It was made for him using his own specs.

jamps...

He has been shopping around and looking at various P.C's from various
places.
One that 'took his eye' was a Packard Bell - it was a good price and came

pmj...

& prolly also a load of stuff (Pre-Installed Software, etc,) that he
*doesn't want?...

with all he wanted. The problem was the installation disc - it was complete
with all the stuff he definately did not want including lots of ads, games

pmj...

Yep, many PC's such as the ones from Packard Bell *do* come with
a whole load of extra stuff, that many people don't want! - The idea
is that it makes the PC look like it's (or lets the PC Manufacturer
claim that it is) "good Value"

etc. but it included the W$ OS.

pmj...

Yes, I thought so - almost all PCs *do* now come with WinXP already
Installed, so I think I see what the situation is now (& why you said
he wanted to Install a different Version from another PC on it)? - It's
not cos it doesn't have any WinXP Operating System on it? - Just that
he doesn't want all the other stuff as well, so he will want to Install
WinXP from "fresh" on it?

I think he said that the first thing he was required to do was to burn it
all onto a disc as it didn't come with a separate W$ XP OS.

pmj...

Yep.
Many New PCs (such as the ones from large OEM manufacturers like
Packard Bell etc,) come with no separate WinXP Install CD - they
often have a "Factory Recovery Partition" &/or also have a facility
(as you mention) to Burn your own Install CD, (usually complete with
the specific Drivers for that Model) or sometimes it makes a "Factory
Recovery CD" type thing & often that will include all (or most of)
the other Software taht comes Pre-Installed as well.

I think I've got all that correct - I can check it in the morning.

pmj...

What you say about it ties in perfectly, for that sort of PC

But he can (if he wants) Burn his own Install CD that *doesn't* include
all the Pre-Installed Software!!!

All he needs to do is to Make a (Bootable) Install CD, using the Install
Files that are in the "i386" Folder on the Hard Disk - that's normally
in the windoze Folder, but is sometimes in a different place.

He would need to make sure to make the Install CD *Bootable* (which
can be done using things like Nero or Adaptec/Roxio/Sonic or other
3rd Party CD Burning Software)

I understand he wanted to remove the Packard Bell stuff and instal the W$ XP
OEM that he used with his broken PC. He has also looked at other PC's

pmj...

I see what you (he) is getting at...

Yes, that may well be possible, but he may not need to, since he can
do it using the Install Files that come with the Packard Bell.

But if he does still want to do that, then he would need to make sure
that he uses the right Product Key...

It's unlikely (though not impossible) that the Product Key from the
*other* (Old, previous) PC/OEM CD will work when Installed on this
New PC. (though it *may* do)

What he would need to do is to use the Product Key from the Sticker
that is on the New (Packard Bell) PC.

It's also possible (usually, though since April 2005, it doesn't always
work) to use the Product Key that is actually used by the Manufacturer
in the Factory - to find that out (cos it's stored in an Encrypted form
in the Registry of the Machine) he would need to use a "Product Key
Finder" Utility, such as "Magical Jelly Bean KeyFinder, or "ProduKey"
from nirsoft...

Or SiW

Or any of the other similar 3rd party Utilities.

without an OS so that he can instal his old system on that.

pmj...

The same basic principle will apply, except that it's usually not all
that good value trying to buy a PC without an Operating System - most
Firms who make PCs buy in their Licences from M$ at a very large
Discount, on the understanding that they will include windoze on the
PCs that they sell - if a (small) Dealer offers a PC without the
Operating System, the saving you make (if any) is hard to judge,
cos the other Hardware costs will always be different.

his old PC and install it on his new one?

pmj...

That may well be possible - but see above for things to look out for.

Make sure that you have the correct Product Key (& by "correct"
I mean not necessarily the one that was originally supplied with
the OEM CD that you are using - cos the whole point of the WPA stuff
is to try & *Stop* people from Installing the same Operating System
on different (i.e more than one) Machines, so what you need to do is
to use a Product Key that goes with the *Machine* that you are
Installing it on, rather than with the CD that you are Installing it
from - does that make sense?

jamps...

I don't know the make of his old one.

pmj...

It would be useful to know that.

jamps...

It was made for him using his own specs.

Also, it would be a good idea to carefully write down the Product Key
that came with the CD *& also* the Product Key that is on the Label
Stuck to the Machine & *as well as* those, Find out the actual Product
Key (using one of those Key Finders mentioned above) that that Machine
is using on it's current Installation - that may or may not be the same
Product Key as on the CD or on the Label.

jamps...

<<<>>>>>

Thank you all very much for your help. Sorry I haven't answered before -
I've been out to the theatre and only just come home.

pmj...

Not the *Operating* Theatre, I hope?
:-)

jamps...

Not likely - I keep away from those places!
It was to see Nigel Havers in 'Rebecca'.

jamps...

Many thanks pmj - you've come up trumps again! :-)
I've printed all the info out so now its up to him!

For the time being he is getting a PC that was redundant from his workplace
working again - he's come to a stop for now though as it needs a new

jamps...

That should have been Drivers for the graphics card.
He has found them now so with a bit of luck and a following wind he *may*
have a useable PC of sorts and I can have mine back! lol

graphics card.

He asks if you have any ideas as to what caused the problem with his old PC.
It crashed while it was doing the large AVG update a few days ago and since
then every time he tries to use any of the USP ports it crashes again. :-(

I'll let him see all the answers to his query tomorrow then he can make up

pmj...

If he (or you) have any more Queries or are unclear about anything
please Post back - there are lots of people in here who have had
various experiences of doing what you/he is doing & will be able to
help with & give advice/guidance & specific details & also with the
general principles involved.

his own mind.

Will he then be able to re-activate it?

datasmog...

Is it possible to buy a new PeeCee without an operating system pre
installed?

jamps...

Yes! If he wanted XP installed it would cost an extra Ł125.

Old Grizzly...

and that would be an OEM XP?

jamps...

Yes. PC World told him he could use his old disc but somewhere else told
him he couldn't. :-(

Ali...

Legally, an OEM CD can only be used with the equipment it came with.

BoyPete...

So, when I buy OEM XP cd's along with a hard drive, who is to know what
system the OS is installed in?

Ali...

No-one, but presumably you'll be installing it on the hard drive you've
just bought?

I buy all my XP cd's OEM, often with only a mouse.

Ali...

so technically, if the mouse breaks, you should uninstall that copy of XP
:^)

I suppose MS are grateful that you *buy* OEM CDs, rather than burn your

BoyPete...

You reckon????? :)

Ali...

No, but they should be.

own.

Lenie...

Yes, when you build it yourself

Bram...

Yep!! I know loads of traders at the computer markets that do just that!

BoyPete...

Yep, they will sell you what 'you' want, unlike high street shops!

Lenie...

I have used the same code that is on the disc.