• Welcome to Overclockers Forums! Join us to reply in threads, receive reduced ads, and to customize your site experience!

use OEM XP with different motherboard?

Overclockers is supported by our readers. When you click a link to make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn More.

Athlon Mark

Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2005
Location
North Carolina
Need some advice from others with more experience than myself. Sure I'm cheap, and I don't wanna buy another XP disc if I can prevent it....

My emachines computer crapped out recently. The mouse shorted out....which shorted the motherboard....which shorted the power supply. Which left me installing new non-emachines products. Now my new Biostar motherboard won't work with the OEM restore disc that came with the computer. I formatted the hard drive and tried a fresh install, but still nothing.

Borrowed an XP disc from a friend and installed it, works perfectly. Problem is, I don't want to keep his XP on my system as it is...well...stealing. Contacted emachines and they told me they couldn't help. Ditto with Microsoft tech support.

Here's my question...is there any way I can go into my computer, using the borrowed XP disc as a boot, and "repair" the OEM installation so it will work?
 
I think it's possible that you could use the Emachine's WinXP key with your friends disk when installing it on your new comp. The key might get rejected in the install process though, so it may be easier to just buy a new OEM installation disk.

As I see it, you bought the Emachines to use a single Windows license on; as long as it's only on the one computer you should be fine (legally). MS may say otherwise, however.
 
Legally you should be fine with using your liscense key, it should work, but in some cases it may not. I'd try it and see.
As for repairing it with the other cd I don't think it will work as the recovery afaik does not replace drivers, which is most definately your problem.
 
Just use the biostar drivers and do a clean Windows install with an OEM disk. Your license allows you to use the OS software on the original machine on which it was installed. Using another disk to re-install the OS is not stealing.

Just use your license key during the install, and you should be fine.
 
I tried using my product key with the install of my friends disc, but it won't accept it. I don't know if it has anything to do with it, but his is an upgrade package disc. I used an old Windows 95 that I had on a laptop for my install, but I had to use his key :shrug:
 
I believe the upgrade and full install keys are different sets of keys, may need to find a friend with an XP OEM disk.
 
If his CD was the full retail version, even though an upgrade, your key won't work. You need an OEM CD to use an OEM license.
 
nikhsub1 said:
If his CD was the full retail version, even though an upgrade, your key won't work. You need an OEM CD to use an OEM license.

That may be difficult for me to hunt down.

Hey anyone around here have an OEM disc and live in eastern NC?


:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:
 
Actually, it would be perfectly legal for him to BORROW the media, this is not an issue. The only thing that matters is the KEY itself.
 
:welcome: to the forums!

Typically, the special OEM-bundled discs contain routines to positively identify that they're being installed on the hardware they were shipped with. I know for a fact that both Dell and HP do this; I see no reason why eMachines would not.

I do believe that the EULA specifically states that you are only to use the OEM disc with that specific system.
 
i took my gateway key (xp home) and installed it on a pc that i built for my wife's office. and put xp pro on the gateway. but i had to use a xp home disc that i bought from a retailer for another pc, could not use the gateway's disc cause at the install it would say thie is not a gateway pc, setup will be aborted :p
 
Captain Newbie said:
Typically, the special OEM-bundled discs contain routines to positively identify that they're being installed on the hardware they were shipped with. I know for a fact that both Dell and HP do this; I see no reason why eMachines would not.

When I tried to run XP from the OEM disc, all I get is a black screen. Whatever the problem, it won't let me do anything :(
 
Athlon Mark said:
When I tried to run XP from the OEM disc, all I get is a black screen. Whatever the problem, it won't let me do anything :(

You'll need to find a "generic" (not e-machines) OEM disc which does not have the bundled drivers for the E-machines proprietary motherboard. What's likely happening is that it tries to install the (wrong) drivers for your motherboard and that locks things up.
 
I'll go ahead and ask a quick related question. Does an OEM key stay with the case, the motherboard, or both? I can't tell according to the EULA and Dell support has told me diffrent things.
 
My experience from switching harware over from a Sony VAIO to a new PC is this, Either the eMachines CD's or the Serial key does what's called a handshake with your motherboard. This prevents you from using the Windows that came with your eMachines on other computers without the same exact motherboard. I lost all my cd's for my VAIO, and sony wanted 50$$ to replace the CD's with the same cd's that would only work with ONE motherboard.
 
schnikies79 said:
I'll go ahead and ask a quick related question. Does an OEM key stay with the case, the motherboard, or both? I can't tell according to the EULA and Dell support has told me diffrent things.

As a system builder, I purchase OEM copies in quantity. I use a new license when I do a complete rebuild for my personal workstation, but will, over the course of the average two-year life of that machine, replace just about every internal part at least once.

I replace the case only when I do a complete rebuild and usually install legacy parts in the old case. I then sell it with the old license at break-even cost to someone looking for an inexpensive but robust machine. Due to this life-cycle, I'd say that the case constitutes the machine.

I'd be interested in how other system builders handle this...
 
hi i`v run in to some computers that have the some files stored on the hard drive for the restore disk ..if you format the h/d you louse thoue files or if you change h/d ..it might be that ..i would buy a oem xp and use that
 
hafa said:
As a system builder, I purchase OEM copies in quantity. I use a new license when I do a complete rebuild for my personal workstation, but will, over the course of the average two-year life of that machine, replace just about every internal part at least once.

I replace the case only when I do a complete rebuild and usually install legacy parts in the old case. I then sell it with the old license at break-even cost to someone looking for an inexpensive but robust machine

So I presumed that you're still keeping the "original" motherboards in each occasion despite you may change any of their internal parts to keep your OEM licenses?
 
Back