windows XP disc’s?

Question

I got some windows XP disc’s from a gateway I owned a while back and was wondering if I could use them to install on the new machine that I plan to build?

Answer 1

“When you buy Windows XP in a shrink-wrapped box, you are allowed to install one copy on one PC. When Windows comes pre-installed on a new PC, it stays with the PC. You cannot transfer it from the bundled machine to a different machine. MS uses a technique called “BIOS locking” to make sure the copy stays ties to that specific PC forever.

Windows installer makes you type the 25-character code that’s printed on the case. The Product Activation program looks at various serial numbers inside your PC – the processor, network card, disk drives, etc. – mixes them together, and produces a second 25 character code that identifies your PC. These 50 characters, together, are called the Installation ID.

When you activate XP, you give MS the 50-character Installaton ID. If nobody else activated that 25-character code or if it has been activated with that specific Installation ID (which means you activated this particular copy of XP from the same PC twice) MS send back a 42-character Confirmation ID. The Installation ID and the Confirmation ID are stored on our PC.

If that 25-character code has been already been used on a different PC you will be notified that the number of times you can activate Windows with this product key has been exceeded.”

Source: paraphrased from p. 18, Windows Gigabook for Dummies, by Peter Weverka et al.

Answer 2

I know nearly nothing about hardware of computers, but...

I think you can install Windows XP on any computer as long as it has enough space on the hard drive to store the files that comes along with installing the Window's XP operating system.

A computer with a good fan and good ram is ideal, because the machine needs to be able to take other programs without getting all hot and shutting down.

Answer 3

why not, but don't try to put the software on.... only windows (98/XP) that is if you have the gateway CD disk for it...
gateway utilities will look for the hardware. and it won't be there..and crash out

if your looking for a office suite then go to open office and download Open Office 2 it is the same as MS Office you get everything with it Calc (Excel) Writer (Word) Plan (Power Point) Base (Access) There is also lots of free linux software that will run under windows..

if you do a websearch for what you need you will find it... as they say "seek and you will find"

Answer 4

i tried doing the same thing on a dell system, in my case though, i changed my motherboard because of some problems. if i remember it right, what happened was it detected that i made a major upgrade and asked me to call microsoft to get some keys (your system will give you some number keys and when you call microsoft to activate the os you'll tell them those numbers and in return they'll give you numbers). you'll not be able to use xp without those keys.

when you turn on your system, a screen will pop up saying that you need to activate the software.

Answer 5

you can only use them if you plan on having windows xp on your new computer. you might need to install them before you install any other programs. if you have already registered them in your name you should be able to use them on any other computer.

Answer 6

yes u can but wen u activite windows you have to lies ms this copy of windows xp came with that system n u only using it on that pc n u up grade your system

Answer 7

maybe. they might be designed to only install on the gateway motherboard, though. technically it's illegal to do that, but "theoretically", it can't hurt to try.

Answer 8

Probably not.