Software

Hello
I have installed the nic driver I was able to activated the window online it activated and I got the masseage of successfull activation when i return to login window, it asked me agian to activate i tried to activate it online this time I was not able and then I activated over the phone, everything gone normall and I activated when I returned to login window it asked me again. I dont know if this is because of the disk I used?

Regards

While the Product Key was accepted during the install it's not the correct Product Key for that version of the OS and causes it to malfunction.

The Activation Issue is just a small part of the problems it will experience. The Version of XP Home you need doesn't require Activation and is a Special made for the Big PC Builders.

You'll need to get a recovery Set for this system and then use that to reload it or speak to M$ and see if they will give you a different Product Key. Personally I would get the Recovery Set and reinstall the OS with that.

Col

Hello
Thanks for you info. I have tried alots to get the CD, but I was not able and I asked the customer if he has it he said I I dont have it. I dont know why dell has not made a recovry partiation at the first place for this XP.

Regards

(the customer was given these if there is no recovery partition), then you or the customer must order them from Dell for this exact model computer. Just give Dell the serial and/or service tag number.

The recovery disk costs about $20 last I checked.

the Disc type must match the COA used,

However, there may be something more to this:
- is the COA sticker a normal rectangle shaped OEM (Dell) Branded COA?
or
- is it one of the funny shaped ones that come with a Retail or Upgrade Disc?

if Retail or Upgrade, then you will need one or the other of the particular type of install Disc
if OEM branded COA then an OEM Disc is required.

There are two types of OEM recovery Discs:
# 1 - Restores the OEM VLK install with all the drivers and the bloatware
- no activation required
# 2 - is an OEM (usually modified) re-branded standard OS install Disc
- which uses an OEM COA key activation normally required and usually the install checks for something specific to verify the system is one of theirs
Dell checks the BIOS
- these won't accept any Key from a Retail or Upgrade COA
just as Retail and Upgrade Discs won't accept OEM COA keys
etc.

every Dell Disc I've seen from win2K RTM to XP SP3
is the second type (Re-branded OEM OS Install Disc that only install on Dell systems)
and the recovery set shipped with the system have drivers and apps on separate Discs

The only recovery Disc I've seen that matches # 1 was for a Toshiba Satellite

Recovery partitions tend to be the same as # 1
- restoring the VLK install with drivers etc.

Now here's the rub:
if the COA is an OEM Branded and was pinched and then used on another system
which happened frequently with XP, as people would copy the COA key from systems in stores, warehouses and even systems in use in offices etc. and then use the Key(s) to install on different systems
as every major mfg. use a VLK for pre-installed systems and the OEM COA is unused
also, because OEM System Builder "For Distribution Only With a New PC, or required hardware" OS install Discs use the same COA subset as the OEM branded OS install / re-install Discs,
- means an OEM System Builder Disc will accept and activate with Big Box (HP, Dell, etc.) OEM Branded COA Keys

an OEM branded Disc usually will not work on a different brand
eg.
A Dell branded OS Disc will only install on Dell systems, and can't be used to install on an HP etc. but may very will accept the OEM Branded COA key from the HP etc.

I've used a Dell Branded Disc on a Dell with the unused COA from an HP

if you have access to an XP SP3 or even SP2 OEM System Builder Disc
you can install with that and use the OEM COA on the system,
however, if it fails to activate that may indicate that the key was pinched and used on another system with the probability of 0 matching hardware

OEM COA Keys generally work over and over again on the same system if most of the hardware is the same especially specific key components such as the MB and Processor
and the installs are not too close together
but will usually fail if used on a completely different system,
which will usually require a call to MS to explain why the hardware doesn't match anymore
and hopefully they accept the reason(s) and allow the activation

You need to understand that Dell take on the responsibility of supporting all Technical Help that is required by the End User as they are the OEM Provider.

Part of the deal with using OEM Disc's is that the person/company involved in supplying the Install Disc has to provide support and remove Microsoft from the deal. Hence the Person/company who uses OEM Install Disc's get them cheap without Technical Support and pass this onto their Customers.

So under their Agreement with M$ Dell has to provide all Technical Support to the End User who they sold the system to.

Here you need to speak to Dell for a Recovery Set which they have to supply but they can charge a fee for Shipping & Handling.

Col