XP repair but don't have the OEM CD

  • Thread starter Thread starter Will Kubly
  • Start date Start date
W

Will Kubly

Hi

I am working on a friends PC. Some files were corrupted. He did not have
his Dell CD so I used my non Dell XP CD.
Now XP wants to the activation key and it won't use the one off the Dell
Case. I am ordering the Dell and will redo this but...

Is there a better way to handle this if you don't have the person does
not have their CD? I have done this for people in the past but 2000 did
not do this.
 
Will said:
Hi

I am working on a friends PC. Some files were corrupted. He did not
have his Dell CD so I used my non Dell XP CD.
Now XP wants to the activation key and it won't use the one off the
Dell Case. I am ordering the Dell and will redo this but...

Is there a better way to handle this if you don't have the person does
not have their CD? I have done this for people in the past but 2000
did not do this.
Click to expand...

You need to have the same flavor of XP install cd. This is why techs
have a collection of XP cd's - XP Home retail, XP Home OEM, XP Pro
retail, XP Pro OEM, MCE, etc. It's a PITA but that's the way it is. If
you had used an OEM cd you would have been able to use the product key
from your friend's case. According to what I've read, we techs will
only need one Ultimate cd to fix all versions of Vista which will be
better. In the meantime, if you think you'll help your friend again
when his Dell replacement cd comes make a copy of it. This is not
illegal since the product key is the license to use the operating
system, not the cd itself.

Malke
 
Is your CD retail?
Windows 2000 would do the same thing if you mixed types of CD as you seem to
have this time.
OEM, retail, Volume License CDs and their respective keys are not
interchangeable.

The only better way is to have the correct CD to start with since mismatched
CD and key will not work.
 
OEM Product Keys often differ from one OEM CD to another OEM CD. Your
options are to either get the disk from DELL or purchase a Retail version
of XP and install using it's own Product Key.
 
Yes, there is. Search on the net for information on the wpa.dbl file.
If you had saved that file off, and then replaced it after reinstall/repair,
you SHOULD have been find.

I would also get the Belarc Advisor (freeware), that gives you a report at
the end of all Registration/Activation keys, which you could have used when
repair/reinstall.

Depending on how the system was originally installed, you may need to backup
the activation database.
I have a copy of my oembios.* files, pertinent to DELL installations.
 
If this was a Dell PC, check in the C:\I386 Folder for the wpa.dbl file.
Unless you overwrote the folder.
 
Contact Dell support and request a Dell Windows XP Reinstallation CD.
Have your Dell Service Tag Number handy.

Welcome to Dell Support!
http://support.dell.com/support/index.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

---------------------------------------------------------------------------­----------------

:

| Hi
|
| I am working on a friends PC. Some files were corrupted. He did not have
| his Dell CD so I used my non Dell XP CD.
| Now XP wants to the activation key and it won't use the one off the Dell
| Case. I am ordering the Dell and will redo this but...
|
| Is there a better way to handle this if you don't have the person does
| not have their CD? I have done this for people in the past but 2000 did
| not do this.
 
I believe they already mentioned that they are doing that. They need to
know ... in the future and they can't get a disk ... what to do?
 
A simple phone call to MS will activate the license. I have done this
dozens and dozens of times and never had a problem. I explain that it is a
repair install on an OEM machine and that I used a CD with SP2 already
slipstreamed in (for example). I get this question every time: "Is this
the only machine that this copy of Windows is installed/licensed on?" It
is, of course. On some computers (usually HPs) I have been asked for the
model number and the original license code. This is always followed by the
granting of a new code to enter into the activation screen.

As long as you are not trying to steal a license, this will work. I only
have two XP CDs I use for this purpose - Full Retail versions of Home and
Pro. The time saved by not having to reload SP2 is well worth the time
spent on the phone with MS. I use this method for all reinstalls, period.
Unless MS changes their policies, this is definitely the way to go.

Tuner
 
I agree. I've called MS recently since I had to rebuild my system. I
needed my old MSDN key in order to re-install.
I can install XP Home, XP Pro on 10 different systems, EACH, and couldn't
find any of the keys. They gave them to me over the phone, no problem.
 
Dell should have a hidden partition with the operating
system and OEM program files installed. You can find the
instructions on how to use this on the Dell web site. Use
the Service Tag number from the computer to see the details
for that computer.



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But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
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See http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.


| Will Kubly wrote:
|
| > Hi
| >
| > I am working on a friends PC. Some files were corrupted.
He did not
| > have his Dell CD so I used my non Dell XP CD.
| > Now XP wants to the activation key and it won't use the
one off the
| > Dell Case. I am ordering the Dell and will redo this
but...
| >
| > Is there a better way to handle this if you don't have
the person does
| > not have their CD? I have done this for people in the
past but 2000
| > did not do this.
|
| You need to have the same flavor of XP install cd. This is
why techs
| have a collection of XP cd's - XP Home retail, XP Home
OEM, XP Pro
| retail, XP Pro OEM, MCE, etc. It's a PITA but that's the
way it is. If
| you had used an OEM cd you would have been able to use the
product key
| from your friend's case. According to what I've read, we
techs will
| only need one Ultimate cd to fix all versions of Vista
which will be
| better. In the meantime, if you think you'll help your
friend again
| when his Dell replacement cd comes make a copy of it. This
is not
| illegal since the product key is the license to use the
operating
| system, not the cd itself.
|
| Malke
| --
| Elephant Boy Computers
| www.elephantboycomputers.com
| "Don't Panic!"
| MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
 
Jim said:
Dell should have a hidden partition with the operating
system and OEM program files installed. You can find the
instructions on how to use this on the Dell web site. Use
the Service Tag number from the computer to see the details
for that computer.
Click to expand...

Not all Dell machines have this. It depends on what you choose when you
buy the computer. For instance, I never choose to have the Symantec
Restore on machines I buy from Dell for clients (or myself) but instead
pay the $8 for a physical cd of the operating system. In this case, the
only thing on the hidden partition is the Dell Diagnostics program.

Malke
 
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