Does anyone know if you can use the Windows XP reinstallation cd from a Dell or do I have to go buy a brand new full version of Windows XP? Any help on this issue would be great. Thanks, Scott
. It should be o.k. It will probably format the VM disk at the start of the install, but that should not be a problem. It could be if you wished to do a re-install at a later stage. .
The copy of XP that came with my Dell would only install on another Dell computer. I think it checks the BIOS for a Dell text string during installation. If it doesn't work, though, you wouldn't need to buy the full XP. I used an upgrade copy to create my Parallels XP VM. You just need to have a copy of some version of Windows to prove prior ownership. The good news is that doing it this way I made it through Windows Product Activation as well as passing the "Genuine Windows Advantage" test when I upgraded the image to IE 7.
This is also a violation of your Windows license. You cannot use a Dell/OEM license on a machine other than it was bundled with. Now, you might say that you don't care, but Windows Genuine Advantage does, and has been known to invalidate such improperly licensed installations.
I tried this a few months ago. I installed Windows XP Pro fine with the Dell disc, but when it wanted to activate it knew that something wasn't quite right. So I ended up buying a new OEM copy of Windows.
