Gateway Recovery Disk

[deltabwa]

Hi, I had a Gateway Computer with Win ME and I think the MB died. I moved the HD to another (unsused HP) computer and wanted to kept the Gateway HD (the HP HD went to my new computer). The problem is that the Gateway Recovery disk now won't work saying it will only work with a Gateway computer. Is there a way to get around that and reinstall Win ME. There was a conflict somewhere with ME that after I installed Win98 I didn't have. But I would like to keep ME on it.

Thanks

[PrntRhd]

A post a few days ago explained Microsoft OEM licensing, basically you cannot use a Gateway Restoration CD on any other PC without violating the license, it is only acceptable for use for that one Gateway PC. If that Gateway PC dies the license dies with it per MS.

[Fruss Tray Ted]

In Windows, open My Computer and right click and explore your recovery cd. If you see different files, you may be able to find WinME and install from there. The autoplay or autoinstaller wont work unless in the original pc.

If the older pc is defunct and you have the os and the apps form the older system I see no reason you would be in violation of anything. IMO, you have the right to install what you paid for on one pc, whether it is the one it came with or not.

[PrntRhd]

FTT,
Until I find the latest MS explanation, read this:
http://www.networkclue.com/os/Windows/licensing/index.php
These are called OEM Licenses and of course they come with restrictions. An OEM license only allows you to use the software on the specific computer it came with. In other words, when that computer is old and slow and it is time to throw it away, that license must legally be thrown away as well.

[pop pop]

Interesting. I wonder if I have a problem then?

I have a Gateway desktop unit that I bought several years ago. It had numerous problems while underr warrantee that Gateway support could never fix. I did. The OS (XP) was reinstalled on that machine several times from the Recovery CDs. Eventually, I abondoned XP on that machine and the original Gateway recovery CDs sat unused in a box for about two years.

About four months ago I threw together a machine for my wife from parts I had laying around and some new parts. I wondered if I could use the Gateway XP. Thinking that I could not, I tried anyway. It installed fine and activated fine using the original XP key that came with the Gateway.

If there's an issue here, it's news to me. I thought (maybe wrongly), that I paid for one license on one machine, not one license on one machine till death do us part. Based on the way the install and activation went, looks like M$ has no issue either ... yet.

[deltabwa]

I tried using it but when I went to DOS it told me it only works with Gateway. I wonder if you used enough or the right part from Gateway to make it work.

thanks for your help.