Crappy OEM restore CD=Win98 CD?

[samwichse]

Ok, I have an emachines that came with a crappy restore CD that installs a bunch of worthless **** and all kinds of things that load in the background. However, it has a standard looking MS serial number on the front. Now as I understand it, when you "buy" software, you actually buy a license to use it on a computer. So could I just reformat and install from a standard CD and use the serial number that came with the machine? That would make everything less... crappy.

[S.D.Willie]

i dont see why not providing YOU bought the other cd http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

certain restore cd's come with drivers for that particular machine so its no surprise if you have to hunt down a few drivers.
good luck

SD

ps. i think there ARE some certain cases where the cd key is cd-specific. i saw this once with win2k so i dont know about using the other key, use the one from the cd you are installing.



[This message has been edited by S.D.Willie (edited 06-23-2001).]

[jbyron]

Not sure about the emachines restore disk. But some come with the cab files and install files in a dir by them self.
If your's does you can install just windows with it. like Willie says you will have to fine the drivers on the disk.

[Rat]

You should be able to use the other CD and use it's ID # as well. The ID # from the restore disc prolly has a " OEM " in the middle of it and that won't work with a non-OEM disk.

Rat...

[samwichse]

Ah... but the other disk says on it "for distribution only with a new pc" and the number also has an "OEM" in the middle of it, but it's the regular version I got with my white-box PC. This is looking up after all.

Only problem is... where would you find the drivers on the OEM CD? Would they be in a special directory or something? Is a driver all in the inf file, or is that just tell windows how to install something else?

[Rat]

I don't thinkk you will have a driver issue with that E-machines, I've done several of them without a problem using retail versions of Win9x.

Rat...

[samwichse]

As long as it isn't illegal somehow.

Give it a shot, as all the **** is stangling the computer to death.