making a dell recovery cd work on an hp?

[jmebonner]

Hello,

This is purely a hypothetical ? as I do not own a dell recovery cd. However, I do have the opportunity to purchse one, legally. Is there any way to make it work on my hp? I know there's a bios code for the dell that makes it possible to not enter an oem code, but is there any way I can get around this?

[Darthtanion]

First off let me remind you that the purpose of this forum is not to bypass manufacturer authentication codes. Any more on this topic in particular will result in a quickly closed thread, so please don't ask. If, as you state, you are receiving a recovery disk in a legal manner, then a OEM code will come with it. If not, then it is highly unlikely to be legal.

Now on to the hypothetical portion of your question...
I wouldn't hold my breath on this working on any machine other than what it was designed for. This is because the Recovery Disk is not a Windows disk. It has an image of the operating system and all necessary system drivers that are copied to the hard drive and allow you to start the machine right up. You'll find that recovery disks are made for the exact hardware configuration that they were made for. Many folks will make their own recovery disks, but I find them a waste of time since I change out my hardware specifications pretty regularly.

[jmebonner]

Okay, I see, I may have stated it incorrectly. I don't think it's a recovery cd. Here's what he says it is: A Dell OEM Windows XP Home Reinstallation CD. The package is still sealed. The CD will only work on Dell computers and no others. (No Key is needed for for installation on dell computers)

I just wondered if I could get it to work w/ my hp.

Not trying to cause any trouble, tho.

[Darthtanion]

From the sounds of it, the recovery disk will look for a particular BIOS string when booting. This will enable it to install everything without a factory code, but it will still be similar to Microsoft's Open License program.

Oh; and I'd bet money that it is certainly a recovery disk. Dell doesn't give out regular Windows installation disks unless you hound them mercilessly or have it in writing before ordering that you are getting a regular Windows disk. It saves them all kinds of money that way.