computer help

andyw2006 · 11-05-2007, 02:17 AM

i had a dell e521 and it died
i recently orderd a new system from tiger direct, i want to know will my hard drive work in the new pc... or do i have to buy a new o/s any help?

paratwa · 11-05-2007, 02:25 AM

Your hard drive will work, but you will have to buy a new OS. The windows operating system on Dell's are OEM, They are tied to the system they came on, so Microsoft will not allow you to register it on a new system.

Also, Dell adds tons of crap that only works with Dell systems.

But if you go to Newegg.com you can get a OEM copy of windows xp for $99.

It is never a good idea to use a windows installation from a previous system anyways. Any time you change out a motherboard, you need to do a fresh install of your OS. That's because the chipset drivers from the old motherboard can cause problems with the chipset from the new motherboard. And it is not easy to just delete the old chipset drivers, if not right out impossible.

11-05-2007, 02:17 AM	#1 (permalink)
andyw2006 New Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 1	computer help i had a dell e521 and it died i recently orderd a new system from tiger direct, i want to know will my hard drive work in the new pc... or do i have to buy a new o/s any help? Last edited by andyw2006; 11-05-2007 at 02:19 AM. Reason: typo

11-05-2007, 02:25 AM	#2 (permalink)
paratwa Diamond Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Arizona Posts: 1,969	Your hard drive will work, but you will have to buy a new OS. The windows operating system on Dell's are OEM, They are tied to the system they came on, so Microsoft will not allow you to register it on a new system. Also, Dell adds tons of crap that only works with Dell systems. But if you go to Newegg.com you can get a OEM copy of windows xp for $99. It is never a good idea to use a windows installation from a previous system anyways. Any time you change out a motherboard, you need to do a fresh install of your OS. That's because the chipset drivers from the old motherboard can cause problems with the chipset from the new motherboard. And it is not easy to just delete the old chipset drivers, if not right out impossible. Last edited by paratwa; 11-05-2007 at 02:27 AM.

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