Installing Windows

[Scope87]

My friend just gave me his old hp computer... i was wondering i could reformat the drive and install windows with my dell's reinstallation cd... (he lost his for the hp) .... so my question is can i reinstall windows on an hp with a dell reinstalltion cd??

[fredwest]

Hi Scope,
I wouldn't even think about it.

Recovery CDs are only for the system that came with them. There's going to be a lot of propriety stuff on the Dell recovery CD that will be looking for Dell specific hardware.......that won't be found on a HP.....

I'm thinking lots of BSOD's

If you can get an original licensed copy of the OS you want to use then use that. Recovery disks are created for the hardware of the that specific manufacturers PC.

Nothing beats a fresh install of an OS.....and it easily beats using another manufacturers recovery CD......

IMO don't try it if you want a stable system......HTH

[Scope87]

thank you fredwest

[glc]

Not only that, but Dell restore CD's are keyed to a Dell bios - you try to install it on a HP and it will laugh at you.

[fredwest]

Hi glc,
Just on Dell BIOS's

There is, from my experience, a difference in the way the hardware works with the same physical model/box of a Dell but with differing revisions of the BIOS.

It can be/is VERY proprietary.

[glc]

Our system builders build boxes with standard Intel motherboards, and the recovery CD's they provide are keyed to the exact bios. We found this out when we had to replace a motherboard on warranty, and we had to use a cmos editor (provided by the builder on floppy) to get the restore disk to run.

[fredwest]

Hi glc,
Well with me it was creating a working build for the P3 Optiplex GX100 range.

When I worked in RTE (national broadcaster in Ireland) we had three varients of the GX100 as it turned out....differing BIOS, cpu speed etc.

One for all build worked fine but small issues occured such as images not loading fully in Netscape browser to sound drivers not being loaded....and other 'unexplainable' stuff

This was NT4 mind you which made it harder and made necessary the need for three seperate images for all three models.

Bit of a pain in the butt but it HAD to be done....and these were all the 'Same PC'....

Once we knew the story though we were fine Thank God!