I bought the laptop with a wiped harddrive with no restore disk and no warranty. No dell partition is on it. I'm currently using a non legit copy of windows vista business 64 bit (the laptop key is for that sort of copy, gray area I know). I plan on donating this laptop to my teacher's classroom and I don't want it be running pirated software and pirated disk. So yeah where can I get a Dell Windows Vista Business 64 bit restore disk? I keep getting dead ends.
Try ebay, or get a hold of Dell. Otherwise, you maybe stuck with Open source operating systems. So pick your favorite flavor of linux.
There's not a legit key on the bottom?
[QUOTE=Levelog;43793953]There's not a legit key on the bottom?[/QUOTE]
This key is normally restricted to the Dell OEM image for that laptop.
[QUOTE=SirZoloft;43794903]This key is normally restricted to the Dell OEM image for that laptop.[/QUOTE]
No.
When you get a factory fresh Dell laptop, the key that Windows uses and the key that is on the bottom of the laptop are completely different. Dell uses a SLIC system where they have a single disk image they deploy that uses a single key, so thousands of a model of laptop could be using the same key. The reason it works is because of another SLIC validation key embedded in the BIOS of the machine that validates the version of Windows on the Disk image and lets the activation function of Windows pass.
The key on the bottom of the laptop is there because with every laptop you purchase, you also purchase a Windows OEM license. The reason they don't use that key is because if they had to install a key specific version of Windows on every machine they sold, it would be deployment hell.
The Windows product key attached to a Dell, HP, lenovo, etc. will work with Windows installation media, you do not need a specific manufacturer installation CD/DVD for it to work.
If the OP can get a valid Windows Vista ISO that hasn't been modified for activation crap then the key on the laptop will work fine.
[QUOTE=GiGaBiTe;43795080]No.
When you get a factory fresh Dell laptop, the key that Windows uses and the key that is on the bottom of the laptop are completely different. Dell uses a SLIC system where they have a single disk image they deploy that uses a single key, so thousands of a model of laptop could be using the same key. The reason it works is because of another SLIC validation key embedded in the BIOS of the machine that validates the version of Windows on the Disk image and lets the activation function of Windows pass.
The key on the bottom of the laptop is there because with every laptop you purchase, you also purchase a Windows OEM license. The reason they don't use that key is because if they had to install a key specific version of Windows on every machine they sold, it would be deployment hell.
The Windows product key attached to a Dell, HP, lenovo, etc. will work with Windows installation media, you do not need a specific manufacturer installation CD/DVD for it to work.
If the OP can get a valid Windows Vista ISO that hasn't been modified for activation crap then the key on the laptop will work fine.[/QUOTE]
Exactly. Never had a problem just reinstalling from a vista disk. Also, any vista disk will do. You can install from flash drive easily too.
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