[tbird6820]

I am having problems with my dell Dimension 4550 and while I'm trying to resolve the problem I would like to take the hard drive out and install it in my emachine.

This hard drive will be the main hard drive on the emachine.

Windows XP home is installed on the drive.

It's a IDE drive.

The computer that I plan on using is a Emachine T1140.



I noticed that in the I386 folders I fround 10 reinstallbackups.

[rgreen4]

This sounds as though you want to do this on a temporary basis. I would not recommend it, for reasons of the drivers and the need to reactivate with MS. Then when you "resolve" the issues with the Dell, you may want to move it back with all the hassles involved.

If the e-Machines has a functional bootable HD, why would you go through this?

[mphenterprises]

Hi TBird and welcome to the PCWorld Communities. :D




Since the Discussion you previously posted this message within is idle for about eight months, I have branched your issue into its own Discussion. Even though your situation may appear to be similar, it is always best to open your own Discussion and allow as many of our members an opportunity to review your problem. Latching onto an idle Discussion could potentially leave your concern on the back burner.

To maintain the new Discussion title, please respond to either this post or the original post.

[tbird6820]

Thanks for the welcome, I'm glad to be part of.

rgreen4 has a very good point, I am not aware of the need to reactivate with MS and yes this would be a temporary fix.

Now I have a change of plan, I'll just slave the drive and save myself and my brother a whole lot less hassles today and further down the road.

I'm by far no expert in this field so if it turns out that a new motherboard is needed (2003 Dell demension 4550) or if a new computer is purchased and I use the original hard drive will there still be a need to reactivate with MS?

This 2003 Dell 4550 came preloaded with windows XP home, is it possible to create a windows CD?

[mphenterprises]

tbird6820 said:

Now I have a change of plan, I'll just slave the drive and save myself and my brother a whole lot less hassles today and further down the road.

Definitely a much better idea.

tbird6820 said:

This 2003 Dell 4550 came preloaded with windows XP home, is it possible to create a windows CD?

This website may be a better solution: Request Backup Discs from Dell

tbird6820 said:

... if it turns out that a new motherboard is needed (2003 Dell demension 4550) or if a new computer is purchased and I use the original hard drive will there still be a need to reactivate with MS?

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There was a discussion within this Community awhile back about what specifically would give cause for a reactivation of Windows. I believe both options listed would require a reactivation of Windows. If I can dig up that discussion, I will link it in here.

[mphenterprises]

I cannot find the exact discussion but here is another Discussion from about eight months ago: {thread:id=32533}.

[tbird6820]

This website may be a better solution: Request Backup Discs from Dell

In my first post I had found the I386 folders I found 10 reinstallbackups, could I make a Cd from this other wise I will contact Dell as you suggested. ( I would really like to have a CD)



There was a discussion within this Community awhile back about what specifically would give cause for a reactivation of Windows. I believe both options listed would require a reactivation of Windows. If I can dig up that discussion, I will link it in here.

I will also search, ThanksB-)

[mphenterprises]

tbird6820 said:

In my first post I had found the I386 folders I found 10 reinstallbackups, could I make a Cd from this other wise I will contact Dell as you suggested. ( I would really like to have a CD)

Personally, I would not recommend that. Even though I do not like manufactured computers, there are some advantages. In this case, it looks like Dell would provide Backup and Recovery Discs for free. The fact that there have been ten reinstalls and/or backups leads me to believe that either 1) the user of this computer has been very diligent or 2) there may be something wrong with the Operating System that required so many reinstalls or backups.

In either case, I believe a fresh installation, with a new backup and recovery disc, would be in your best interest. This is just my opinion and others may have a varying opinion.

[rtfire1]

Where it is a dell os install you might not have to reactivate with ms after you put in the new mainboard or you might have to. Xp can be hit or miss on that but I would wait for the new board

[tbird6820]

:^0 Boy clean install sounds like music to my ears! I'm heading right over to the link provided and as far as the computer goes I'll have to wait and see whats wrong.

[coastie65]

OK, I have reading through this and I may be wrong but there appears to be some hit and miss here. Taking an Hdd out of a Dell and using it as a main in an emachines probably isn't going to happen anyway. Because of the different machine configurations it will most likely be a no go if you are planning to boot from the Hdd. Using it as a slave would be okay, I think. coastie65

[tbird6820]

It works great as a slave.

I was talking with the Dell technicians and this is what their opinion.

You can only install the hard drive from the 4550 in the E machine system as a second [Slave] hard drive, it would not work as the primary C:/ drive, to use it as the C:/ drive, you would need to reinstall XP. Note: Dell's OEM copies of XP can only be used in their computers, as they are tied to Dell's BIOS.

I pretty sure with the right software anything is possible.

[rtfire1]

I don't think that right because there using in some cases the same mobo as other companies. I know the board in the xps i have is also in gateway pcs of the same time frame.

[mphenterprises]

tbird6820 said:

I was talking with the Dell technicians and this is what their opinion.


You can only install the hard drive from the 4550 in the E machine system as a second (Slave) hard drive, it would not work as the primary C:/ drive, to use it as the C:/ drive, you would need to reinstall XP. Note: Dell's OEM copies of XP can only be used in their computers, as they are tied to Dell's BIOS.

I agree with RTFire. I do not believe what the Dell technician told you is valid. Granted, I do not have any Dell test computers to experiment but that does not sound accurate. I know RGreen can shed some light on this subject when he sees this Discussion.

[SnyperTodd]

The Dell tech may be correct. It's called "System Locked Preinstallation," or SLP. There is a digital "certificate" in the OS that is tied to a software licensing table in the BIOS of the motherboard. On a BIOS with a different "SLIC" table, or without one at all, such as a non-OEM motherboard, that particular version of Windows will not activate, even with a valid key. There are ways around this, but they are, shall we say, "less than legal," and I don't want to be banned for discussing them.

[mphenterprises]

Hi SnyperTodd. Thanks for clearing that up. Yes, I definitely did not know that.

[tbird6820]

Definitely great knowledge to know SnyperTodd

I would like to say that if this 4550 demenison were mine I would use a 1inch nylon rope secured to the inside and filled with 4500psi concrete and would be selling it at my garage sale as an anchor, real cheap.

Finally I have received the results back on this computer which it needs a new mobo and I am amazed at the cost form dell, a whopping $252.95 before shipping.

I tried to convince my brother just to go and buy his own windows CD and he would free to build or buy something nice and his thoughts are, I'm just buying the mobo and thats it, (what are you going to say!)

I will say one thing, my brother has surely had his problems with this machine:_|

[squishie]

The high school was updating their computers (Dells)and I pulled 2 - 80G hard drives out of a trashcan. Reformattted them and stuck them in a Compaq. Loaded the OS and everything worked fine. Then a friend gave me an old HP XT963 with a bigger processor. So just for fun I took the drives out of the compaq and put them into the HP. Fired right up and have been using it ever since. This won't work with all computers. I think (just a guess) that the processor's have to be made by same company. Intel to intel, AMD to AMD ect.:|

[rtfire1]

one of my dells was acting up this weekend and well testing it to see if it was a bad drive I droped it in an modded hp I have for testing drives and stuff it booted with no issues so i tryed my other dells drives and that one would not work the first drive is an ide where the secons was an sata drive.

[tbird6820]

It's been awhile now and my brother bought a new computer and gave me the dell 4550.

I liked the clam shell and thought I'd remove the mico-mobo and buy something different. BOY what a hassel that would be after talking with dell so I decided to put it im my garage for now and move on to something else.