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  Tom's Hardware Forums » Windows XP » Windows XP General Discussion » Will a dell operating system work?
 

Will a dell operating system work?




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 Thread : Will a dell operating system work?
 
Profile: stranger
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Is it possible to install a dell-made operating system on a non dell computer and have that computer be 100% and stable? I'm really not sure anymore. I thought so. I hope so because people are selling Dell operating systems for really cheap because anyone who buys a vista laptop from dell seems to get a windows XP CD too. My other thought is, what if I install a normal windows XP, but then use the Security code from a dell operating system.

What do you guys think?
-Philip

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Profile: old hand
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No, Dell Windows XP CDs look for a Dell BIOS and will not install on a non Dell computer.

Grumpy

Profile: stranger
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Grumpy9117 wrote :

No, Dell Windows XP CDs look for a Dell BIOS and will not install on a non Dell computer.

Grumpy



That statement may not be entirely correct. I recently used my old Dell XP installation cd (2002 pre-SP2) and I slipstreamed it with SP2 (downloaded from Microsoft website) and installed correctly with no glitches on my new PC I built over the xmas holiday. Now, would it have installed without slipstreaming it? That I don't know BUT if he slipstreams SP2 into it, it should work for him.

Profile: OSU Chicken Man
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Generally the answer is No.

But if Dell provided you with a CD, slipstreaming a SP on it will override the Dell portion, allowing you to do as Meekie said.

THG did do an article on how to use the CDs to have a full version of Windows without all the BS stuff they tend to toss on it.


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"Alcoholism is a disease, but it's the only one you can get yelled at for having. Goddammit Otto, you are an alcoholic. Goddammit Otto, you have Lupus... one of those two doesn't sound right." M. H.

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