Gateway restore disc home XP on another computer?

[oilboy123]

Can a restore disc be used on another computer? My older 2001 gate way came with a 6 disc set. It has the OS on a separate disc.

Some are for word, drivers, applications etc. I was looking at a cheap computer with no OS for $300. Thought maybe I could use this XP on it.

This is a Systemax computer that it would be put on.....

 

[eljefino]

What you need to do is rustle through your (any) good XP directory for the i386 folder, it should have most of what you need. Of course you'll need the license sticker off the back of the donor computer as well.

The trick is booting the new computer with a FAT32 or NTFS capable formatter, otherwise you'll wind up with a tiny C partition. If you can temporarily get WIN98 running on it, for example, then you can run the installer from within the i386 folder.

 

[mstrjon32]

Keep looking. I bought my Mom a used Dell Dimension with a P4, PCI-X video card, 512mb RAM, DVD burner and DVD reader, an 18" digital flat panel and a bunch of other goodies for just $150. It came with a license for Windows XP and Office XP small business edition.

 

[oilboy123]

You mean I need to know what I am doing? Ha ha So I couldn't just put the disc and install like normal?

Thanks for the heads up.....I will have to think about whether I want to buy it.....

 

[oilboy123]

Where did you get that? I could try Linux........

 

[mstrjon32]

Private seller on a community bulletin board.

 

[brianl703]

Originally Posted By: oilboy123
Can a restore disc be used on another computer?


Usually not. They are bios-locked so they only work on the model they are intended for.

 

[MysticGold04]

If it isn't bios locked, you will have to deal with the activation stuff MS puts into their software. If it does install, you'll be required to activate it within 30 days, or it will not let you logon.

My vote would be to find a version of Linux that would suit the hardware components that you have... a light version if the hardware is older than 5 years, etc.

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

No, the disc would have to be used on a Gateway computer. The disc has a routine that bypasses the XP Serial number screen. The routine checks the BIOS for specific Gateway information.

Legally, you can NOT use that disc on another computer.

If you need a copy of XP, go to NewEgg.com and buy yourself a full version of one before you can't do that anymore, which will be later on this year. Full versions of the software are transferable to different computers, OEM versions are locked to the PC that it was delivered with.

 

[oilboy123]

Thanks I will keep this in mind. Is Linux the best free OS?

 

[uc50ic4more]

Originally Posted By: oilboy123
Thanks I will keep this in mind. Is Linux the best free OS?


I don't want to get to geeky on you, there, friend, but Linux is not an OS; it is just the tiny little core around which you, me or anyone else can make an OS. There are hundreds of Linux *based* operating systems; some of the more popular being Ubuntu, Fedora, openSUSE, etc.

There are not that many free OS's out in the world apart from those based on Linux, and many of the others are prohibitively difficult to set up, and often lack desktop features such as the ability to use the Flash internet plugin.

Ubuntu is geared toward people new to non-Windows operating systems. It's fairly easy to set up and get going; and it's more stable, infinitely more secure and probably easier to use. The downside is that all of your hardware *may* not work, meaning some printers, scanners, cameras, digital picture frames and other things don't speak with Linux. The other big deal breaker is that some programs are both not directly available for Linux *and* sometimes do not have a suitable replacement. For normal desktop use, though, Ubuntu is a real winner. I administer somewhere around a dozen system for computer illiterate family, friends and clients and they all *love* it.

 

[eljefino]

It's a grey area what microsoft considers a computer and up to your ethics to solve.

If you keep your original box, keyboard, monitor, mouse, and floppy drive but put in a new motherboard, ram, video card, and optical drive... is it a major upgrade or a new puter? What if you did it one piece at a time? What if you want to save yourself the hassle and do most of it at once?

As long as that license sticker hasn't been registered within the last (couple weeks) the worst that can happen is you have to call an 800 number for an unlock code. Prepare to tell them several times that you only have it running on one machine.

 

[uc50ic4more]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
As long as that license sticker hasn't been registered within the last (couple weeks) the worst that can happen is you have to call an 800 number for an unlock code. Prepare to tell them several times that you only have it running on one machine.


That is what I meant by "issues". I have heard tell of people who spent legendary amounts of time on the phone pleading and begging, *as well as people who were denied the update activate outright*. I've just heard tell, that's all.