Depending on the age of the computer you might be able to find a tool for inserting a new image in the the BIOS then you could create "Curt's Computer" logo.

Sounds like a good plan - upgrades are never a good idea and even MS say side by side installs on the same disk are not advised.

Backup you data, bite the bullet and format your hard disk completely (in Windows 7 install use the tool to delete all the partitions and let it rebuild the new partitions you need so you start clean).

If it isn't a silly question how exactly did you manage to install a Dell copy of Windows 7 onto a Fujitsu computer - I though Dell windows disks looked at the BIOS for activation and would only install on Dell hardware?

-the salesman said it would install without any questions,  and he was right.

I will need to purchase a cable to move the downloaded backup files from the desktop to the laptop - moving is faster, than downloading from Livedrive. So I must be on my way at once; it is almost closing time around here.

-the salesman said it would install without any questions,  and he was right.

I will need to purchase a cable to move the downloaded backup files from the desktop to the laptop - moving is faster, than downloading from Livedrive. So I must be on my way at once; it is almost closing time around here.

If you have an external drive use Windows Easy Transfer Wizard to backup your data and then double click the package on the new computer to restore it - pretty quick way of doing it.

Quote from: Carol Haynes on March 05, 2012, 03:33 PM

I thought OEM disks from manufacturers like Dell could only be sold to their own customers for restoring their own factory built systems and had to bcustomizeded according to the terms of the OEM license precisely to stop them being installed on other hardware.

That's correct. There used to be ways of getting around the vendor's hardware lock. But it was always a hassle and generally not worth it. It's also become more difficult with each post XP SP2 version of Windows to do so. So I wouldn't be surprised if it's no longer possible.

Manufacturers are also getting a lot stricter about selling restoration OS DVDs. Almost all manufacturers now require serial numbers off the computer and user registration before they'll ship you one of their disks. No name/serial match? Sorry. No disks for you!

Um... Not exactly. The Branded OEMs are customized as to what they will (brand) hardware they will activate on ... But they will install on anything. I've got a set of Dell (because they are the cleanest) install disks that range from XPSP3 to Win7, and have used them to install on machines from all sorts of different manufacturers (Acer, HP, eMachine, etc...) and never had a problem as long as the COA was for the edition being installed...and was still legible.

Dell disks will only self activate on Dell hardware ... But they will install and activate on anything if you have a valid COA product key. Which is probably why they are so tight about giving them out (as it makes 'upgrading' rather flexible...)

Um... Not exactly. The Branded OEMs are customized as to what they will (brand) hardware they will activate on ... But they will install on anything. I've got a set of Dell (because they are the cleanest) install disks that range from XPSP3 to Win7,

SJ, what do you mean by cleanest?

Um... Not exactly. The Branded OEMs are customized as to what they will (brand) hardware they will activate on ... But they will install on anything. I've got a set of Dell (because they are the cleanest) install disks that range from XPSP3 to Win7, and have used them to install on machines from all sorts of different manufacturers (Acer, HP, eMachine, etc...) and never had a problem as long as the COA was for the edition being installed...and was still legible.

@SJ - Good to know. I've had Sony and Gateway disks refuse to install for me if booted on non-manufacturer machines. Same goes for a few HP and eMachine CDs I have. Wonder if that's just an anomaly I've experienced, or if they're doing something new? Also needed to order Viao disks for a client and had to get into a long phone conversation with Sony to get them because I didn't have the correct serial number they wanted about a year ago.

Maybe they're lightening up now that XP's on it's way out? (Although you did say Win 7 too didn't you?)

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Out of curiosity...how did you get around the product activation issue?

Quote from: 40hz on March 05, 2012, 07:51 PM

Out of curiosity...how did you get around the product activation issue?

I didn't per se ... It just reverts to (psudo) retail behavior with a Activate Windows prompt, followed by a Rejected Product Key message that lets you enter a new key ... which I just grabbed off the COA label on the machine in question. It then activates, done.

Aha...

Thx. Adding it to my KB.

No hassles with GA when accessing WSUS afterwards I take it?

No hassles with GA when accessing WSUS afterwards I take it?

Nope...clean as a whistle they are.