Tom's Hardware > Forum > Laptops & Notebooks > General Laptops & Notebooks > Can pre-installed XP be used on another computer?

Can pre-installed XP be used on another computer?

Forum Laptops & Notebooks : General Laptops & Notebooks - Can pre-installed XP be used on another computer?

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zipzoomflyhigh   12-22-2008 at 05:45:17 PM

My friend has a dead Toshiba laptop with pre-installed Windows XP pro. We do have the recovery disk with Windows XP on it. Since the laptop is dead, can we load the XP on a new computer?
Thanks in advance

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dwellman   12-22-2008 at 06:27:48 PM
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Maybe, maybe not. Depends on whether you have access to the contents of the i386 folder.

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Bronze Laptops badge frozenlead   12-22-2008 at 06:47:14 PM
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If you don't use the recovery disk, you may be able to use it. Just get a CD of XP OEM edition and then use the CD key on the bottom of the machine. I don't know if it'll activate cross system, however.

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dwellman   12-22-2008 at 10:51:52 PM
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Oh, activation. I've never had to do that-- MSDN subscription.

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zipzoomflyhigh   12-23-2008 at 04:00:41 PM
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Well obviously I dont want to buy XP and all I have is the recovery disk with XP on it. What if I use a bootleg copy of XP pro and use my cd key that came with the laptop. Thats not really a bad thing is it?

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dwellman   12-23-2008 at 06:24:14 PM
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Not particularly. . it's the license key that grants the license to use the software, not the media, but I'm no fan of ISOs from dubious sources. . .

Gernerally, though, if you have access to the i386 tyoe folders you should be able to use something like nlite to build an install disk ,and probably some other files from the Widows XP Floppy disk setup.


Message edited by dwellman on 12-23-2008 at 06:25:09 PM
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Bronze Laptops badge frozenlead   12-23-2008 at 08:46:53 PM
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Dwellman knows a lot more than I do about using nlite and slipstreaming. I'd just torrent a XP disc (all of the discs i've ever found were legitimate) and install using your key. It's important, though, that you get an OEM disc and NOT a retail version...the CD keys are different for either, and not cross compatible.

And, that's perfectly legal.

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