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Solve : difference in a winXP OS disk for HP, Dell, Gateway ....?

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What is the difference between a WinXP disk that comes with a Dell computer on it vs say one that comes with a gateway or a compaq or HP or viao computer? Can they be used interchangeably?

Reason Im asking is I have a Dell computer that has a WinXP disk. Unfortunately, the HD in it broke. I have another computer which is a Gateway but which has windows 98 on it. Im wondering if I can use the dell WinXP disk to install winXP on the gateway. I mean, a machine is a machine right?
No.
You can't.
This is by design.

You can however request a Recovery CD from Gateway...Quote from: shashgo on February 04, 2009, 10:04:14 AM

What is the difference between a WinXP disk that comes with a Dell computer on it vs say one that comes with a gateway or a compaq or HP or viao computer? Can they be used interchangeably?

Reason Im asking is I have a Dell computer that has a WinXP disk. Unfortunately, the HD in it broke. I have another computer which is a Gateway but which has windows 98 on it. Im wondering if I can use the dell WinXP disk to install winXP on the gateway. I mean, a machine is a machine right?


get another disk for the Dell and/or use the disk from the gateway machine, then you can use the Dell Winxp CD..

Good LuckQuote from: shashgo on February 04, 2009, 10:04:14 AM
I mean, a machine is a machine right?


So I can use a Ford gearbox in my Mercedes, because a car is a car, right? I can date my grandmother because a woman is a woman, right?

ahhh hehehe now thats funny. okay so what in the operating systems is diffferent for the two DIFFERENT kids of computers
No.
The Drivers and the install packages are different...
XP is XP.Put simply, the big computer makers like Dell, Gateway, HP, etc, get a special bulk deal from Microsoft and part of that is that they use special versions of the OS install disk that only work with that make and sometimes only that model. The installer can detect the hardware such as the motherboard and will refuse to run on a different machine. It may not have drivers for any other type of machine. Sometimes what you get is a Ghost type disk image already set up with the drivers for that machine. Either way, useless for a different machine. *censored* microsoft Why blame them for protecting their interests ? ?kidding man. but I think what difference WOULD it make to microsoft whether its os was put on a gateway or hp or ..... machine. After all, if its not possible to install a microsoft os for dell ONTO an hp, then wouldnt it be as EASY to find someone or buy another HP, make a bootable disk and install that onto this HP?

Quote from: shashgo on February 04, 2009, 01:25:43 PM
what difference would it make to microsoft whether its os was put on a gateway or hp or ..... machine.

If they sell 1 OS copy to Dell, and the Dell owner burns a disk and gives it to 5 of his pals who copy it and use it to install on their machines, instead of buying a new OS, it makes plenty difference.
okay
Quote from: shashgo on February 04, 2009, 01:25:43 PM
kidding man. but I think what difference would it make to microsoft whether its os was put on a gateway or hp or ..... machine. After all, if its not possible to install a microsoft os for dell onto an hp, then wouldnt it be as easy to find someone or buy another HP, make a bootable disk and install that onto this HP?



as was said...it's an OEM disk specific to that machine made/sold by Dell/Gateway/HP/etc.

cannot be used on another machine...deal with it...buy another disk and/or use the disk from the gateway and install your Wxp...


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