Dell Laptops

[Ken]

I purchased a copy of XP from a local retail store to
upgrade the Windows ME that my Dell laptop came with.
How and why does Dells version of Windows ME only work on
Dell computers. I bought the license to ME why am I not
able to install it on a compter of my choosing??

[Jim Macklin]

It is an OEM licensed version, customized by DELL. The
license is only valid for the first computer. It cannot do
an upgrade, only a clean install or a repair.

A retail version may only be installed on one computer at a
time, but may be moved from computer to computer. A full
retail can do upgrades or install on a new HDD. An upgrade
will not install unless a previous version is installed (or
the CD is available to show it is an upgrade).

That is why OEM costs less than retail.


"Ken" > wrote in message
...
| I purchased a copy of XP from a local retail store to
| upgrade the Windows ME that my Dell laptop came with.
| How and why does Dells version of Windows ME only work on
| Dell computers. I bought the license to ME why am I not
| able to install it on a compter of my choosing??

[Jim Macklin]

It is an OEM licensed version, customized by DELL. The
license is only valid for the first computer. It cannot do
an upgrade, only a clean install or a repair.

A retail version may only be installed on one computer at a
time, but may be moved from computer to computer. A full
retail can do upgrades or install on a new HDD. An upgrade
will not install unless a previous version is installed (or
the CD is available to show it is an upgrade).

That is why OEM costs less than retail.


"Ken" > wrote in message
...
| I purchased a copy of XP from a local retail store to
| upgrade the Windows ME that my Dell laptop came with.
| How and why does Dells version of Windows ME only work on
| Dell computers. I bought the license to ME why am I not
| able to install it on a compter of my choosing??

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi Ken,

In addition to Jim, (or perhaps a different way of explaining it) the
license Dell sold you is considerably cheaper than a standard retail
license. This is why it can only be installed on the hardware it came with.
This is a restriction of the OEM license.

Also, when you use an Upgrade version of Windows, you are qualified by your
possesion of a prior version. You must retain (and not use on another
machine) this prior version for the upgrade license to be in compliance with
the EULA.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Win9x - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone -
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Win98 Help - www.rickrogers.org

"Ken" > wrote in message
...
> I purchased a copy of XP from a local retail store to
> upgrade the Windows ME that my Dell laptop came with.
> How and why does Dells version of Windows ME only work on
> Dell computers. I bought the license to ME why am I not
> able to install it on a compter of my choosing??

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi Ken,

In addition to Jim, (or perhaps a different way of explaining it) the
license Dell sold you is considerably cheaper than a standard retail
license. This is why it can only be installed on the hardware it came with.
This is a restriction of the OEM license.

Also, when you use an Upgrade version of Windows, you are qualified by your
possesion of a prior version. You must retain (and not use on another
machine) this prior version for the upgrade license to be in compliance with
the EULA.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Win9x - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone -
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Win98 Help - www.rickrogers.org

"Ken" > wrote in message
...
> I purchased a copy of XP from a local retail store to
> upgrade the Windows ME that my Dell laptop came with.
> How and why does Dells version of Windows ME only work on
> Dell computers. I bought the license to ME why am I not
> able to install it on a compter of my choosing??

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

There are some very important reasons that an OEM license costs so
much less than a retail license. OEM licenses are very limited:

1) OEM versions must be sold with a piece of hardware (normally
a motherboard or hard drive, if not an entire PC, although Microsoft
has greatly relaxed the hardware criteria for WinXP) and are
_permanently_ bound to the first PC on which they are installed. An
OEM license, once installed, is not legally transferable to another
computer under any circumstances. This is the best reason to avoid
OEM versions; if the PC dies or is otherwise disposed of (even
stolen), you cannot re-use your OEM license on a new PC.

2) Microsoft provides no support for OEM versions. If you have
any problems that require outside assistance, your only recourse is to
contact the vendor of the OEM license. This would include such issues
as lost a Product Key or replacing damaged installation media.
(Microsoft does make allowances for those instances when you can prove
that the OEM has gone out of business.) This doesn't mean that you
can't download patches and service packs from Microsoft -- just no
free live or email support for problems with the OS.

3) An OEM CD cannot perform an upgrade, as it was designed to be
installed _only_ upon an empty hard drive.

4) If the OEM CD was designed by a specific manufacturer, such as
eMachines, Sony, HP, Compaq, etc., it will most likely only install on
the same brand of PC, as an additional anti-piracy feature. Further,
such CDs are severely customized to contain only the minimum of device
drivers, and a lot of extra nonsense, that the manufacturer feels
necessary for the specific model of PC for which the CD was designed.
(To be honest, such CDs should not be available on the open market;
but, if you're shopping someplace like eBay, swap meets, or computer
fairs, there's often no telling what you're buying until it's too
late.) The "generic" OEM CDs, such as are sold to small systems
builders, don't have this particular problem, though, and are pretty
much the same as their retail counterparts.


Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
----
You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH


"Ken" > wrote in message
...
> I purchased a copy of XP from a local retail store to
> upgrade the Windows ME that my Dell laptop came with.
> How and why does Dells version of Windows ME only work on
> Dell computers. I bought the license to ME why am I not
> able to install it on a compter of my choosing??

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

There are some very important reasons that an OEM license costs so
much less than a retail license. OEM licenses are very limited:

1) OEM versions must be sold with a piece of hardware (normally
a motherboard or hard drive, if not an entire PC, although Microsoft
has greatly relaxed the hardware criteria for WinXP) and are
_permanently_ bound to the first PC on which they are installed. An
OEM license, once installed, is not legally transferable to another
computer under any circumstances. This is the best reason to avoid
OEM versions; if the PC dies or is otherwise disposed of (even
stolen), you cannot re-use your OEM license on a new PC.

2) Microsoft provides no support for OEM versions. If you have
any problems that require outside assistance, your only recourse is to
contact the vendor of the OEM license. This would include such issues
as lost a Product Key or replacing damaged installation media.
(Microsoft does make allowances for those instances when you can prove
that the OEM has gone out of business.) This doesn't mean that you
can't download patches and service packs from Microsoft -- just no
free live or email support for problems with the OS.

3) An OEM CD cannot perform an upgrade, as it was designed to be
installed _only_ upon an empty hard drive.

4) If the OEM CD was designed by a specific manufacturer, such as
eMachines, Sony, HP, Compaq, etc., it will most likely only install on
the same brand of PC, as an additional anti-piracy feature. Further,
such CDs are severely customized to contain only the minimum of device
drivers, and a lot of extra nonsense, that the manufacturer feels
necessary for the specific model of PC for which the CD was designed.
(To be honest, such CDs should not be available on the open market;
but, if you're shopping someplace like eBay, swap meets, or computer
fairs, there's often no telling what you're buying until it's too
late.) The "generic" OEM CDs, such as are sold to small systems
builders, don't have this particular problem, though, and are pretty
much the same as their retail counterparts.


Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
----
You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH


"Ken" > wrote in message
...
> I purchased a copy of XP from a local retail store to
> upgrade the Windows ME that my Dell laptop came with.
> How and why does Dells version of Windows ME only work on
> Dell computers. I bought the license to ME why am I not
> able to install it on a compter of my choosing??