New PC - old operating system

rubble2

I have a desktop which is getting on a bit in years, it came with XP home edition for which I have the original CD.

If I buy a new PC without an operating system installed can I load my XP disc on to it or does the fact that the disc has been activated on another machine mean that it cannot be loaded onto the new computer?

Thanks

closed

oem installed os's are tied to the machine, and you won't get the best use out of a new machine with a 10 year old os installed, better to buy preinstalled from a major manufacturer imo.

if you existing machine is slow, backup and reinstall.

securityguy

rubble2 wrote: »

I have a desktop which is getting on a bit in years, it came with XP home edition for which I have the original CD.

If I buy a new PC without an operating system installed can I load my XP disc on to it

Strictly, no, as it's almost certainly an OEM copy licensed for one machine. In practice yes, and if it requires reactivation, it'll probably work. However, the disk you have is highly unlikely to have the required drivers, up to and possibly including the networking, so you may have to do some messing around in order to make it work. Given that an OEM Windows license adds very little to the price of a machine the hassle seems not worthwhile unless you have very specific requirements.

Cisco001

If it is retail copy, Yes.

If it is OEM copy, No

Alternatively, use Linux

macman

Why would you want to put an OS which will become officially obsolete in 12m onto a brand shiny new PC?
Would you put a Ford Prefect sidevalve motor into your new Fiesta?

jackieblack

macman wrote: »

Why would you want to put an OS which will become officially obsolete in 12m onto a brand shiny new PC?

I guess it depends what the alternative is? :eek:
I'd stick with XP over Windows 8 any day of the week
No longer supported isn't the same as obsolete

Lifeforms

jackieblack wrote: »

I guess it depends what the alternative is? :eek:
I'd stick with XP over Windows 8 any day of the week
No longer supported isn't the same as obsolete

Or alternatively use Win 7 which is perfectly fine to use.
The issue is that XP will be stopped being supported which includes security fixes and such, and unless people are very careful this will scupper them eventually.

jackieblack

Lifeforms wrote: »

Or alternatively use Win 7 which is perfectly fine to use.
The issue is that XP will be stopped being supported which includes security fixes and such, and unless people are very careful this will scupper them eventually.

Agree totally, but the key word (for me) is eventually
Microsoft seem to do ok with every alternate OS so, hopefully, eventually, whatever follows Windows 8 will be bearable/usable/practical/reliable etc etc

If the alternative to XP in this case is W7, then fair enough.

Lifeforms

At that point I see windows 8 being like Vista. For me particularly it'll be an OS I'll probably pass on for it's successor assuming it works out like Win 7. Went straight from XP to 7, and it was quite a different system to use, but missing Vista (aside from the inane questions, and repairs I had to do to friends systems), I benefited

jackieblack

Lifeforms wrote: »

At that point I see windows 8 being like Vista. For me particularly it'll be an OS I'll probably pass on for it's successor assuming it works out like Win 7. Went straight from XP to 7, and it was quite a different system to use, but missing Vista (aside from the inane questions, and repairs I had to do to friends systems), I benefited

Ditto

My dad (in his 70s) went from Windows ME (first PC) to Vista :doh::wall:

macman

Use W8, and bung Classic Shell on it if you can't live with the Fisher Price interface.