I bought a new Toshiba laptop with a copy of WinXP preinstalled earlier this year. I've decided I want a full format and a reinstall of Windows, my laptop wasnt supplied with a WinXP CD. Can I install from another copy of WinXP I bought and installed on another PC? Will I be able to activate?
Tek-Tips is the largest IT community on the Internet today!
Members share and learn making Tek-Tips Forums the best source of peer-reviewed technical information on the Internet!
-
Congratulations Wanet Telecoms Ltd on being selected by the Tek-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!
Will I be able to activate?
- Thread starter KnoxHarr
- Start date
If you have a Certificate of Authenticity attached to the machine, including a CD key, you can activate as you planned.
I will warn you that many OEM installations of XP contain drivers for the particular computer or notebook that are not found on the retail distribution of XP. Before doing anything make certain the web site of the computer manufacturer has drivers available for download for all of your installed devices.
I also question the need to do a clean format and reinstallation. This was the traditional practice after time for pre-Win2k Windows OS installations, but is really not a requirement for Win2k or especially for XP. I see little benefit accruing to you from doing these steps, and a lot of problems gettting everything working on such a proprietary computer workstation as a laptop.
I will warn you that many OEM installations of XP contain drivers for the particular computer or notebook that are not found on the retail distribution of XP. Before doing anything make certain the web site of the computer manufacturer has drivers available for download for all of your installed devices.
I also question the need to do a clean format and reinstallation. This was the traditional practice after time for pre-Win2k Windows OS installations, but is really not a requirement for Win2k or especially for XP. I see little benefit accruing to you from doing these steps, and a lot of problems gettting everything working on such a proprietary computer workstation as a laptop.
- Thread starter
- #3
Most manufacturers put a copy of the install files on the harddrive, check or an "i386" directory. You should have been given a produck key somewhere with the laptop, and then it's just a matter of figuring out how to create a bootable cd with that directory on it.
Or they put the files on a "hidden" partition. If you boot from the restore CD from Toshiba it might have an option to reinstall Windows without wiping the drive. The CD will use the "hidden" files for you.
Jon
There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge. (Bertrand Russell)
Jon
There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge. (Bertrand Russell)
Most of the laptops or desktops today come in with Restore option either on a CD or a small partition on the HD. Restart your laptop and click on the F12 or F10. If not then it is the F2 key, until it goes into the Restore Mode. You have an option of either reinstall Windows or reinstall with wipping clean the HD.
To more clearly answer the original question, no, you'll likely have no problems at all. It will generally go through without any hiccups.
At worst, (as in the cases of corporate keys lately) you'll have to call a certain # at MS and get an activation code. They'll ask you if you've installed this copy of Windows on more than 1 computer. In your case, I would feel completely right to just say "no", and get the new code. Since you are not trying to cheat them, it had an OEM install you need to reinstall it.
At worst, (as in the cases of corporate keys lately) you'll have to call a certain # at MS and get an activation code. They'll ask you if you've installed this copy of Windows on more than 1 computer. In your case, I would feel completely right to just say "no", and get the new code. Since you are not trying to cheat them, it had an OEM install you need to reinstall it.
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
- Question