Will someone please straighten out for everyone interested this contradiction: Case 1: In message 141987, a user (Jet) wrote: I've got a 3 year old Sony Vaio laptop and would like to reinstall Windows XP Home Edition. The problem is when I insert my Sony Vaio OEM disks, they refuse to proceed since a code on the motherboard doesn't match up with the disk (my motherboard was replaced as part of an insurance claim 2 years ago). Case 2: In message 141939, a user (doug_brit) wrote: In my expirience emachines recovery cds/ partition don't look for any specific hardware to function correctly. they will run there coarse, xp should install default drivers for your motherboard, then just upgrade those to the newest version when in xp. Your verdict, please? i_XpUser

I can only speak for Compaq but it is the case that they are hardware-specific & if major changes have occurred, like the mobo, then they will not install. I guess it's down to the OEM licensing as the machine appears different from the original as far as Windows & the OEM manufacturer is concerned. Aside from this the recovery CDs usually have the specific drivers already installed (it's usually just a drive image that's reinstalled after all) so you will end up with incorrect drivers & the relevant problems. "I know that I'm mad - I've always been mad..."

I don't exactly understand your question, but I guess you want to know "what is the difference....." The answer is, plenty My old IBM Thinkpads use an EXTREMELY proprietary restore CD, with proprietary files and extraction that I don't have the smarts to "hack" About all you can do with them, is to use them one the machine they were designed for, and then restore the hard drive to what it would have been from the factory. I have several of these, for several models, and they are VERY picky. By old CD's, for example, for my old 380XD series, won't work on my newer 600X, and vice versa. Likewise, I have a few others, for other Thinkpads, and they won't work, either. HOWEVER, interestingly, the older "restore" CD's could easily be hacked. I've got one, somewhere, for some sort of IBM machine, that you can use to install IBM DOS, and Windows 3.11, on just about any machine. Likewise, the older Backward Pelch CD's were easy to "hack" On the other hand, I've got some old restore CD's from E machines that actually have the .cab files in readable form. By doing a little hacking, you can actually "make" a generic installable Windblows98 Cd from them. Of course you still need "the" product key. (W98) Additionally, I recently experimented with a Gateway restore CD, which, it turns out, DOES look to see if you have a Gateway motherboard, but I experimentally installed it on a (barely adequate) older, slower motherboard---obviously not what the CD was meant for. As I recall, this was a W2K Cd, and it installed just fine. Last, I have a CD for some HP or other, entitled "Operating system CD" Turns out this is nothing short of a regular "OEM" XP CD, and with the proper product key, you can use that CD to do an install on ANY motherboard. (By the way, you can buy those REAL cheap on eFray. You'll need a license, and key, though.)

XPUser I think that Post#2 says most of it. The telling factor is whether you are dealing with a Restore disk from whoever, or whether you are dealing with an original bonafide MS Windows XP disk. Most of the major manufacturers give you a restore disk that is very specific to their machine. You bought and paid for the Operating System but they give you their own restore disk. I call that a ripoff and would never buy a computer from anyone without the proper MS XP disk. OEM version is fine. In the case of Jet, he has a restore disk for the computer the way it was supplied to him. Now that he has changed the MB, the whole picture changes. The drivers included on the CD are no longer valid and he needs to load the proper drivers for his MB. A real pain. I do not really understand the second part of your message as it seems somewhat contradictory within itself. I have taken the disk supplied by Dell (I assume they are still supplying the same disk) and used it to load other computers(non dell units). It is almost the genuine article as it has been modified with the Dell brand name in places which shows up on other computers. This disk does in a pinch as long as you have the original CD key for that machine. This whole scenario gets very confusing, but you have to recognize the difference between Restore disks and genuine MS disks. Personall I think that restore disks are a waste of time. If at all possible I will go for a format and clean install and forget about the restore. I have had too many of the restore functions that did not do as the manufacturer suggests. Hope this helps to clear up some of the confusion.