WinXP Media Center license on XP pro possible?

[silverbullet99]

Is it possible to use a license key from Windows XP Media Center On an installation of Windows XP Professional? I have a computer with Media Center installed, but don't have the disk ( even though i requested one from Dell at time of purchase). I have XP Professional. but I don't know if the license keys are tied to a specific edition of windows..

thanks.

[edDV]

Is it possible to use a license key from Windows XP Media Center On an installation of Windows XP Professional? I have a computer with Media Center installed, but don't have the disk ( even though i requested one from Dell at time of purchase). I have XP Professional. but I don't know if the license keys are tied to a specific edition of windows..

thanks.

Doubt it. MCE is what you bought and since OEM is tied to the mother board. MS may have a method to convert but either Dell or MS need to reissue a license Key.

Dell is the place to start.

[wtsinnc]

My Dell Dimension E510 came with Windows MCE installed and being curious, I borrowed a Dell Windows XP Professional reinstallation cd from a friend. The installation on a spare hard drive proceeded without incident; I was asked for my product key, but (apparently), there is no issue among the three versions of XP as I have subsequently acquired an XP Professional reinstallation cd and an XP Home Edition cd which (along with my Media Center Edition reinstallation cd) have been used numerous times for clean installs using my one original key. For the past year or so, the installation proceeds and completes without my being prompted for my key. I currently have seven hard drives and have lost count as to how many reinstalls I've performed. The main thing is to use the brand-specific OEM reinstall cd pertinent to your computer (Dell, HP, etc.). Of course, you will also need to reinstall drivers and applications, so be sure to have the cd with those handy. One additional piece of information; my computer's hardware configuration has remained exactly the same except for the different brands of hard drives I own. In closing, my experience has been specifically with Dell, so the process could be somewhat different with another brand. I hope this helps; good luck !

[hiptune]

Of course, you will also need to reinstall drivers and applications, so be sure to have the cd with those handy.

How did you get this disc with the drivers? Is Dell nice about those requests?

[TBoneit]

You don't need the key if you use the Dell Discs on a Dell and it also shouldn't need activation.

Trying a OEM WinXP and using the MCE key as a test worked until it asked for disc 2. Only the MCE set has a disc 2 so I'm guessing it was installing the Xp as if it were MCE.

Only reason I even tried was it was a slow day at work.

Porbably tomorrow I'll be installing MCE on a PC I'm refurbing using the MCE key.

I seem to remember seeing something like that with Office 97, if you used a upgrade key it wanted to see an older office, using the same disk if you used a Full key it didn't need to see an older office.

In fact Dell just sent some Vista Home Basic discs and said to use them if a reload was necessary and discard the old ones.

Last time I checked the Dell disc set was an extra $10 when you buy.

[wtsinnc]

The Dell Resource CD (with drivers and applications) and the Windows Media Center reinstallation CD were included with my computer. I was told prior to buying my computer that I would have to ask for the CDs, as Dell stopped automatically including them in 2005. If you don't have a resource cd for your computer and Dell won't send you one, the correct drivers can be downloaded from the Dell website and burned to a cd, or you can often find what you want on Ebay.

[rallynavvie]

I was told prior to buying my computer that I would have to ask for the CDs, as Dell stopped automatically including them in 2005.

You have to ask for the installation CDs? Why? Are they trying to push their in-home service needlessly for re-images? I understand they may use a backup partition but if the HDD takes a dump then you're SOL and have to call in the contracted techs.

[wtsinnc]

Dell and all of the other computer manufacturers save money by not including the reinstallation software. In Dell's case they eliminated the software and created a separate partition on the hard drive with a "shadow copy" of the operating system plus drivers, applications, and utillities. In the event of OS corruption, the "shadow copy" could be accessed through the F8 key on boot-up for automated repair or replacement. Missing from this "solution" was a remedy for recovery from a problem which would render the hard drive inaccessable. Dell has finally reverted to offering the XP reinstallation media, but you need to ask for it. As for reinstallation media for Vista or Ubuntu, I don't know. If you are looking for a great primer about Windows reinstallation proceedures, go to www.windowsreinstall.com , Bob Cerelli's Windows Pages, and Bob Thurrott's Supersite for Windows as well as Microsoft's Windows home page and also search Dell.com (service and support) for more information. If you've bought a Dell and did not receive the XP reinstallation CD and resource CD pertinant to your particular model, call them and ask for them. I know people who have done just that and received then absolutely free of charge.