In ,
PA Bear [MS MVP] typed:
I told the H-P/Compaq rep that I have a Dell OEM Windows
XP Home CD that came with my own machine. He said that XP
should install okay using that --
which it did.

But did he say you'd be able to Activate the install?

That would be a silly omission and a silly comment, no offense.


And what about the Compaq-specific drivers?

Assuming the disc isn't locked to the Dell, which many are not: Any non-XP
Compaq specific drivers are on the Drivers disc and a Programs Disk maybe
with a different name anyway. If the only recovery ware is on-disk in a
hidden partition, then what you say may be true. Dell is still a Quality
outfit and provides the legit XP disc on many of its models.

I think you're SOL here. That being said...

Depends; chances are good he's OK.
Good links below, BTW.

HTH,

Twayne`

canned
Please visit http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/ and click on
the Validate Windows button then restart your computer.

If you weren't able to Validate, proceed as follows:

1. Download this diagnostic tool, saving it to your desktop:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=56062

= WinXP: Double-click on the executable to run the tool.

= Vista & Win7: Right-click on the executable and select
Run as Administrator to run the tool.

2. After running the tool, click on the Windows and/or
Office tab as appropriate and then click on Copy (to
clipboard).
NB: You may want to open a new Notepad file, paste the
contents of your clipboard into it & save for future
reference.
3. Begin a new thread in the following Microsoft Genuine
Advantage forum and paste the results from the WGA and/or
OGA Diagnostic Data tool in a detailed post:
http://social.microsoft.com/Forums/e...dowsxp/threads

4. A troubleshooting specialist will analyze the data and
recommend an appropriate solution.
/canned


Alan wrote:
I had to do a clean XP Home installation today on an old
Compaq Presario 2500 laptop for a client of mine.

Because he had none of the Recovery or XP Installation CDs
that came with the machine, I called H-P to request a
replacement set. However, because the
laptop is so old by their standards they had no
installation media that I could buy.

I told the H-P/Compaq rep that I have a Dell OEM Windows
XP Home CD that came with my own machine. He said that XP
should install okay using that --
which it did.

I'm now trying to register Windows XP using the 25
Character XP Code on the
bottom of the Compaq laptop. While I thought it MIGHT just
work over the Internet, it was flagged as being incorrect.

I then called the phone number listed and all I can get is
an automated voice response which tells me -- after I read
the 54 character message code -- that the code is wrong
and "I won't be able to validate my installation right
now." Is there a phone number with a real person at Microsoft,
who I can call and
activate this installation?

Thanks very much.

Alan