Linux Question

[Brian D. McGrew]

Scott @ Dell :-)

You're very close in your answer.  Note that I have not tried a Dell OEM
Windows Vista CD, only Dell OEM XP.  The Dell OEM XP will install on any
PC.  However, on Dell hardware the activation is nullified as you'd
said.  On other hardware it acts just like a retail copy and requires a
product key.  Easy enough, there is one on the side of your machine and
as long as it hasn't been activated, you're good to go in a VM.

Note that I use VMWare, not Virtual PC.  Another work around that I have
found to work about 50% of the time is to install WinXP on the system
then move the primary drive to the slave and install Linux/VMWare and
then point the entire VM at the original hard drive containing Windows.
It'll work and you've got a 50/50 chance of Windows detecting new
hardware and asking for a product key or not.

-brian

Brian D. McGrew        { brian at visionpro.com ||
brian at doubledimension.com }
--
> Do not read this email while waxing that cat! 
-----Original Message-----
From: linux-desktops-bounces at dell.com
[mailto:linux-desktops-bounces at dell.com] On Behalf Of
Scott_Purcell at dell.com
Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2007 7:00 AM
To: smartin at steamvalve.com; linux-desktops at lists.us.dell.com
Subject: RE: Linux Question

Scott, 

Windows Desktops are not an area of specialty for me (I focus on Linux
on Servers) so please take my response as that of a volunteer
participant on the list, rather than as a "Dell Response".  I may be
gladly contradicted by others who know better :-)

I don't *think* we sell those CDs after you are more than about 30 days
from the original invoice date.  But even if we did, I don't think they
would install easily (or perhaps at all) on a virtual machine.  In order
to nullify the need for Microsofts validation process on Dell OEM copies
of windows, the installer verifies that it is being installed on Dell
Hardware and refuses to install elsewhere.  On a virtual machine, it
would "see" the virtual hardware instead of the physical hardware and
refuse to install.

At least that is my understanding...
Can anyone else confirm or deny?

Scott Purcell

-----Original Message-----
From: linux-desktops-bounces at dell.com
[mailto:linux-desktops-bounces at dell.com] On Behalf Of Scott Martin
Sent: Monday, March 26, 2007 2:29 PM
To: linux-desktops
Subject: Linux Question

I currently have five Dell Dimensions with WinXP preloaded on them. I
want to switch to Debian Linux. Unfortunately when I bought these
machines I did not get the XP CD's to recover. I would like to purchase
them if possible in order to run them under VirtualBox (virtual
machine).

Can I still get these from Dell?

Thanks
Scott Martin

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