I have a friend with XP Home on his laptop (Inspiron 8100)and he wants to remove it and put WinME in its place (don't ask me why but he's really likes ME) and then put the XP Home on his desktop (a Dell Dimension L800r). My question is whether this is feasible given the activation features of XP. And I'm not sure if this is a plain installation disc or the sort of recovery disc that would only work on the laptop. The laptop XP installation disk has written on it, "Operating Systgem. Reinstallation CD. Windows XP Home Edition." It has a Dell logo and says, "Only use this CD to reinstall the operating system on a Dell computer. This CD is not for reinstallation of programs or drivers." The fact that it doesn't have drivers on it tells me it isn't a recovery CD but a fullblown installation CD that can be used on an entirely different system. True? Also, I booted my laptop (a Gateway) with it and got up to the point where I could format if I chose to. Also, I imagine I'll have to activate this XP once I get it installed. Will Microsoft put up a fuss about this since it isn't being reinstalled in the same OEM computer it came with? I'd hate to go through all the trouble just to find out that M$ won't allow a reactivation. Thanks for any help.

I assume your friend dont need his files in there too. just wipe that HDD. Reboot with win98 bootdisk. fdisk, and delete partition. exit and reboot, this time with ME cd. {You might wanna change the boot sequence at the bios so your puter boot with Me cd. or sometimes you don't have to. Depending on cd-rom.} follow the prompt, install the ME, format with FAT32. [NTFS is recommended with larger drives.] and boom!!!! you done.

Yea it will all work but when you try to register it wont until you call in to M$ cause of the B$ program. Call 1-888-571-2048 to see if Micro$oft will let you do it,Better safe than sorry. I had to hack mine.Cause i don't like to register,Hell i bought it that should of been enough for them......

Sorry, scuzzy, I guess I wasn't clear on that point: I don't need advice installing the ME on the laptop but the XP Home on the desktop, for the reasons stated above, mainly the activation question. LoserBaby. . . If I don't need to registry the XP I'd rather not anyway. What's the point? (By "register" do you rather mean "activate"?) All I want to do is install the thing on a different computer and be able to activate it with M$.

Yea i meant activate it.When it was on the lap-top or other CPU,was it activated? If so you ahould call M$ to see if you can do it.Its not like the old systems were. When activated they copy all the hardware by the code they give you. Also if the lap-top was made by another manufacter it wont have any DELL programs or drivers for the DELL. Try calling M$ at 1-888-571-2048 to see if they will let you activate it the way you want

My understanding is that on a computer that comes with XP preloaded from an OEM, the XP is "preactivated" but what that entails, I don't know. I imagine it has already been activated with M$ and so it must be "reactivated" in order to put it on another machine. Now, I know M$ allows reactivation with retail and OEM versions of XP bought over the counter, what I don't know is whether they will allow it when it comes bundled with a computer from an OEM and the OEM has it's label on it. I'll take your suggestion and call M$, though. Lozerbaby, why did you have to hack yours? Why did they refuse the activation?

I put i on one pc i built then changed the hardware and thats when i found out about the activation trouble and i don't like the man to see me around the world.So i stuck it to the man and to prove it was hackable. Its jus' a simple registry number change from a 0 to a 1 is all it takes.