Re: Botched Upgrade

Shenan Stanley wrote:
TxTom wrote:
Running Gateway Solo Pro 9300, with mfg installed Windows 98 which
would not support new software, so needed to upgrade to Windows XP.

Used "reinstall" Windows XP facility that was provided by Dell when
I purchased my a new laptop.

Oops.
Dell OEM install on a Gateway computer...

Completed a "clean install" and
reinstalled applications and files which worked OK for several
weeks and then asked for Internet registration which I could not
complete??

Yeah...

Purchased Windows Upgrade incld Service Pack 2 assuming that I was
ill advised with respect to using the XP copy form Dell. Attempted
to install using new Product Key.

You were correct - to say the least.

The system booted from CD but was not given option to upgrade and
the install sequence programed wants to do a full installation on
the same disk partition with the existing copy of the incumbent
Windows XP system. In the present circumstance, I can not access
any files on the hard drive to perform a backup that would give me
a fresh "clean install" option.

Yeah - you *may* be able to do a repair install to fix your product
key - but no promises.

How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

How to perform an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315341

The problem is that you tried to transfer an OEM license. That
would be against the EULA at least - although it might technically
work. In this case - I suppose it did not. However - you said
register... There is no registration requirement - did you mean
activation?

Bill Ridgeway wrote:
Not only is there the technical question of whether or not a Dell
OEM Windows XP will install on a Gateway computer but the legal
question. What OS are you running on your Dell? You really should
have a separated Windows XP CD (and licence) for each computer. I
appreciate it costs more doing it that way but, in a way, it could
be argued that you are now paying for trying to cut corners!

To be brutally frank if anyone botched the upgrade ...

....

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html


.

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