Hey dude, thanks a lot for the package. You rock.

OK moving on...

Philo, why the FUCK can't I reinstall Windows XP on a Dell PC using the OEM license key, but with my retail XP CD? The retail CD is legit, the license key on the Dell is legit, why won't they play together?? This is making my life difficult.

Love,
Muppet

I don't know. :)

I *think* it's that OEM licenses are not transferable, and so OEM installers are written to only respect OEM licenses, and retail installers only respect retail keys.

Philo

Correct.

The OEM key I have doesn't work with my Windows XP CD - it only works with the 'Restore CD' I got with my laptop. The restore cd is bloated, so needless to say I've used 1 key twice, and the other key 0 times.

Oh well.

"I *think* it's that OEM licenses are not transferable"

In most of Europe that's not an enforcable license clause, and in the US I think it varies from state to state; if it turns out CT is one of the places that's decided the doctrine of first sale outweighs the contract then you're within your rights to use a regular OEM XP CD and install it using the key that came bundled with your machine...

BTW, FWIW, I think the OEM license stuff is crap. But they don't ask me.

Philo