Reinstalling XP question

highlydebased

I do not have the XP disc for my laptop, and wish to reinstall XP. Can any copy of XP work and reinstall for me, or do I need to obtain a specfic copy from dell?

Thanks

Daemonic

As far as i know Dell include a copy of the files required for a reinstall on a seperate partition on the harddrive. Take a look at the support section of the Dell website.

highlydebased

Dell site suggests pressing CTRL and F11 at dell splash screen. Tried this to no avail.


Anyone any other suggestions?

ethernet

How long have you had the laptop? You could borrow a CD and use your own licence key. It must be identical however -- e.g. Dell's Windows XP Pro SP2 OEM CD. If you can't get your hands on one, try contacting Dell for one or for a system recovery CD.

Capt'n Midnight

The preinstalled copy of windows xp would need an OEM disk, you are much better off getting a Dell disk because it's keyed to dell BIOS. You could borrow one and use the serial number on the green sticker to install it, don't forget to check if it's HOME or PRO that you need.

highlydebased

Right

I have the laptop since December 2005- it came with XP SP1 Home

I have an XP disc from my desktop PC, also uses XP, came with SP1 Home.


Will that do the trick, with the license key from my laptop?

ironictoaster

I think it depends, because I tried to use a disk from a HP on a dell computer and didnt work

highlydebased

Both my pcs are dell so it should be ok. Will try tommorow

SpitfireIV

Neon-Circles wrote:

Right

I have the laptop since December 2005- it came with XP SP1 Home

I have an XP disc from my desktop PC, also uses XP, came with SP1 Home.


Will that do the trick, with the license key from my laptop?

Neon-Circles, my brother has one of them Dell Dimension desktops that he got 4 or 5 years back, came with XP sp1.

Another brother of mine got a Dell Dimension 3000 about two year back, I think it was also sp1 then, could have been sp2 though. Anyway his computer had troubles so I decided to do a clean install. Went looking for the CD's, but there was none, they were obviuosly mislayed.

I got the CD's from my brothers 4/5 year old Dimension, just used the XP reinstall disc, installed the basics. Then went online on another computer, went to the Dell site, then to the downloads and downloaded all the drivers and utilities for the Dimension 3000, loaded them onto the bro's computer and everything worked fine.

Capt'n Midnight

creggy wrote:

I think it depends, because I tried to use a disk from a HP on a dell computer and didnt work

Dell and HP have different BIOS ID's and they are supposed to fail with some sort of "this will only work with a HP " type message. The CD's are matched to the computer - it's OEM so no legit reason for either to ever go on another brand

highlydebased

Reinstalled a while ago with the disc off my other computer with no problems. It did not ask me for product key, or activation