Re: Activate WinXP-Home - Help!

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"thricipio" <thricipio@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:ED52195C-AB0E-422C-9F2F-73478C0D1B48@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I have a bit of a dilemma...

My DELL Inspiron 1000 has crapped out on me for the umpteenth time (okay, I
exaggerate... but it *is* the 3rd time), so it's "in the shop."

My brother was kind enough to lend me his Inspiron 8600 (for which I hold
out no high hopes... but I need a computer and have limited funds). Using
his computer has involved upgrading to a new HDD and thus a reinstall of
WinXP Home. Problem is, my brother couldn't find his XP install CD. So,
I've used the one that came with my I-1000. All seemed well until I tried
activating XP and input the code that was
on the bottom of my brother's I-8600. As I'm sure you've guessed, it didn't
work... and actually, I sort of anticipated this. But I wasn't sure, so
thought I'd give it a try.

So now the question is this:
Should I . . . . . . . .
(a) go to "the shop" and get the code off the bottom of my I-1000 and input
it when trying to activate the I-1000 XP license on my brother's I-8600?
--or--
(b) should I redouble my efforts to locate my brother's XP-CD and start over
on his machine?

I guess another way of asking the question is: are the install CD and the
code on the bottom of the PC it's shipped with, mapped to eachother, such
that you can swap the mapped pair between two machines... as long as you keep
them together?

Thanks ahead of time for whatever help you can provide.

--Thri



First off, I'm taking for granted that XP Home Edition was also installed on
your brother's Inspiron. Double check the sticker on the bottom of his laptop.
It has to say XP Home Edition. If not, keep looking for his installation CD. As
a matter of fact, finding that CD would be the answer to all your problems. When
using the correct installation CD, Dell systems don't require activation. They
use an SLP key. That's a fancy way of saying that you wouldn't have to enter the
CD key from the sticker.

Don't do (a). Odds are you'd run into the same problem anyway. Instead when you
try to activate, chose phone activation and tell them you're reinstalling XP
using the key on the bottom of the laptop. Give only enough information to get
the job done.

Good luck

Nepatsfan


.

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