Help Installing Win XP

kifi

I had a copy of XP Pro for a Dell Pc installed on my system and when the 30 day trial ran out i went out and bought a legit XP Pro Retail version.

The problem is that when I try to activate my Dell Xp with the new Retail Product Key it doesn't work....Ok this is understandable so I tried to boot from my new Retail XP cd by changing the boot settings in the Bios to boot from IDE CD-ROM. However the system just boots straight up into the Dell version of Win and looks for me to activate as before. How can I install my new XP?
I dont have a FDD so cant use a floppy

Any thoughts appreciated

subway

if the "dell" version you speak of is oem, then a retail key wont work.

is there any damage to the retail disc you bought?
it should be bootable.
the only reason it wouldnt boot is if your cd drive or the disc were faulty

kifi

Ive done all I can in Bios. CD drive has worked fine previous to this. I chose Boot options 1,2,3 all from CD-ROM. Keeps loading the already installed Windows!!

Webmonkey

THats strange. Usually theres a key u can press as well to enter a boot menu. Is it F12 on dells? i can't remember.
Check that out

mr_disc

there gotta be something wrong with the disc if u cant boot to it, put the cd see if u can use it through windows

kifi

ive tried the cd in my laptop and it works fine

mr_disc

there must be a problem with the actual drive so. have u tried another cd or the actual xp one in the pc ( through windows ) ?

Webmonkey

kifi wrote:

ive tried the cd in my laptop and it works fine

Did you try actually booting it from your laptop as well?

kifi

yes the cd boots from my laptop

Webmonkey

I think you can still go into safe mode though the activation period is over.
Keep finger pressed in F8 when pc is just starting to load windows/past Bios.
Select Safemode.
You shuld then be able to run the setup program wihtin windows, it will then reboot and have created a boot for the setup on the harddrive.

I amn't sure if going into safe mode is possible but as far as i remember i did it before

kifi

cant get into safe mode. when bootin from cd it says "please press any key to boot from cd-rom"...whether i press anything or not it still just boots up from HDD

Webmonkey

What happens when going into safe mode? Does it get as far as welcome and block you out, because you should be able to get in some bit anyways via F8.

The message , please press an key.... is a message from the Windows XP CD, so that means your cd is booting but it isn't taking input from your keyboard for some strange reason. It isn't a USB keyboard by any chance? I amn't sure about htese but i would prefer to use a PS/2 keyboard when messing about outside windows

techie

There is a Microsoft Utility for changing the Prod ID on your copy of XP to the retail version Prod ID, if I think of the name of it I will post again.

techie

Try this first before anything else:

http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml

Webmonkey

techie wrote:

Try this first before anything else:

http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml

I don't think he wants anything to do with the installed XP.
Its an OEM version he has installed and its a retailed version he wants to install.

stevejazzx

You could backup files and format then install your new xp?

Can you run the new xp pro disc from my computer, it might give an upgrade option if the xp pro version you bought is newer than dell oem one

Can you boot the disk from dos using the optical drive directory

Webmonkey

It might also be possible to boot with the other cd and once u at the welcome screen pop in the other cd and continue installing. They might both have the same boot file

kifi

Webmonkey, your last suggestion may well have worked but in the meantime I've decided to remove the HDD and slave it in another pc system to format it.

Thanks all