Language Probs -Unstall new XP?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Hi all, First some background. I got my Dell 8400 this past summer.
When I had originally ordered it (via their site in Italy) I had
requested English Language XP Pro (I am an American but live in Italy).
Things were going along smoothly with the order but then the girl I
had spoken with left the company and a new person took over. He must
have changed the language and DUMB ME (yes have hit myself over the head
a bunch of times on this one) didn't double check again the invoice as
the number was the same I figured the info would be the same. Well the
computer arrived and it is in Italian. Personally I HATE this as it is
annoying even though I know the language, it just makes searching for
specific things so much more difficult as the words of course are not
the same.

So they refused to send me an English version CD. I spoke with someone
at Dell in England and he said I could probably just install another XP
Pro (I had another cd from my old computer which wasn't Dell) on the
machine but when I tried it would not let me as the other cd was an
older version (from the original release of XP) and the newer Dell
version blocked it although the install had started. Even better, now
when I turn on the computer now I get a screen where I have to choose
between XP and XP setup and have to click Win XP otherwise it goes to
Win XP Pro Setup and I get the dreaded blue screen.

So now I am wondering, if I get a copy of Win XP Pro UPGRADE from Amazon
for example and do a clean install (this would be the latest version
with SP2), will it work or should I get the full XP or do I have to go
with a Dell version of Win xp?

Sorry for the long post.

Cristina

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Cristina,

I can't speak for certain about the Windows XP Pro Upgrade CD, but the Windows
XP Home Upgrade simply requires that you insert the CD from an earlier Windows
operating system for a moment or two during the installation process. My guess
is that Windows XP Pro Upgrade CD does the same. So you'll also need a CD from
an earlier version of Windows (95, 98, ME, NT 4.0, 2000 or even XP) to do the XP
Pro install. I forget whether or not Windows 3.1 or NT 3.51 is regarded as a
valid upgrade CD, but hardly anybody uses them any more. (The "restore" CD that
came with your Dell qualifies as a proper XP CD, because that's what it is.)

Dell may also be restricted by Micro$oft's usually one-sided contracts to
shipping the local language version of Windows. But that begs the question of
what they would do for shipments to Switzerland or Belgium.

The problem you may have encountered has to do with Micro$oft's management of
the Certificate of Authentication codes. The codes are generated using
different algorithms for different versions (OEM like Dell, corporate, or
upgrade). I would not be surprised if there were different algorithms for
different localized versions of Windows.

One other potentially serious issue. Your data. If you do not care at all
about your data and any non-operating systems software (e.g. Micro$oft Office),
reformat the hard drive first and reload Windows. If you DO care about losing
your data, have it backed up somehow before reinstalling any version of the
operating system. As for the programs, make sure you have all media and
licensing codes to reload all the software... Ben Myers

L'Italia e veramente la piu' bella paese nel mondo.

Con i migliori saluti,
Ben Myers

On Wed, 26 Jan 2005 14:24:20 +0100, cristina <cristina@slowtrav.REMOVETHIS.com>
wrote:

>Hi all, First some background. I got my Dell 8400 this past summer.
>When I had originally ordered it (via their site in Italy) I had
>requested English Language XP Pro (I am an American but live in Italy).
> Things were going along smoothly with the order but then the girl I
>had spoken with left the company and a new person took over. He must
>have changed the language and DUMB ME (yes have hit myself over the head
>a bunch of times on this one) didn't double check again the invoice as
>the number was the same I figured the info would be the same. Well the
>computer arrived and it is in Italian. Personally I HATE this as it is
>annoying even though I know the language, it just makes searching for
>specific things so much more difficult as the words of course are not
>the same.
>
>So they refused to send me an English version CD. I spoke with someone
>at Dell in England and he said I could probably just install another XP
>Pro (I had another cd from my old computer which wasn't Dell) on the
>machine but when I tried it would not let me as the other cd was an
>older version (from the original release of XP) and the newer Dell
>version blocked it although the install had started. Even better, now
>when I turn on the computer now I get a screen where I have to choose
>between XP and XP setup and have to click Win XP otherwise it goes to
>Win XP Pro Setup and I get the dreaded blue screen.
>
>So now I am wondering, if I get a copy of Win XP Pro UPGRADE from Amazon
>for example and do a clean install (this would be the latest version
>with SP2), will it work or should I get the full XP or do I have to go
>with a Dell version of Win xp?
>
>Sorry for the long post.
>
>Cristina

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

I'd be willing to bet that if you deleted all the partitions and tried
again, it would install.

Tom
"cristina" <cristina@slowtrav.REMOVETHIS.com> wrote in message
news:35pk04F4m28h5U1@individual.net...
> Hi all, First some background. I got my Dell 8400 this past summer. When I
> had originally ordered it (via their site in Italy) I had requested
> English Language XP Pro (I am an American but live in Italy). Things were
> going along smoothly with the order but then the girl I had spoken with
> left the company and a new person took over. He must have changed the
> language and DUMB ME (yes have hit myself over the head a bunch of times
> on this one) didn't double check again the invoice as the number was the
> same I figured the info would be the same. Well the computer arrived and
> it is in Italian. Personally I HATE this as it is annoying even though I
> know the language, it just makes searching for specific things so much
> more difficult as the words of course are not the same.
>
> So they refused to send me an English version CD. I spoke with someone at
> Dell in England and he said I could probably just install another XP Pro
> (I had another cd from my old computer which wasn't Dell) on the machine
> but when I tried it would not let me as the other cd was an older version
> (from the original release of XP) and the newer Dell version blocked it
> although the install had started. Even better, now when I turn on the
> computer now I get a screen where I have to choose between XP and XP setup
> and have to click Win XP otherwise it goes to Win XP Pro Setup and I get
> the dreaded blue screen.
>
> So now I am wondering, if I get a copy of Win XP Pro UPGRADE from Amazon
> for example and do a clean install (this would be the latest version with
> SP2), will it work or should I get the full XP or do I have to go with a
> Dell version of Win xp?
>
> Sorry for the long post.
>
> Cristina