A big difference will be the DELL specific hardware drivers. Also, most old Dell versions of MS Windows tend to be crippled (not all features enabled). And the T41p recovery disks also include the original Think Vantage software which won't work on the Dell.
(1) The easiest approach is to download from the DELL web site the drivers specific to your desktop machine. Your desktop case should have a sticker with the machine model number, often close to the Windows genuine Product Key sticker--use that to reach a page with all DELL original and subsequent drivers for the product line that includes your machine. (2) Then install a clean copy of Windows XP. ISOs of full Microsoft versions for Windows XP SP2 (as opposed to Dell versions) are freely available on the web. During installation use the Windows Product Key on your desktop. If you can't find a full XP SP3 version, download the SP3 update from Microsoft and install that after installing the SP2 version. (3) Then install the Dell drivers for the hardware included in your machine (typically Dell machines will not have installed all hardware for all drivers listed on the page, for example, alternative hardware options). This installs a better version of Windows (the full Microsoft version) than the original Dell version together with Dell hardware drivers. I have used this method to rebuild several Dell machines, both desktop and laptop. Good luck. On Wed, Apr 13, 2011 at 4:37 PM, Andrew Webber <[email protected]>wrote: > I need to do a complete reinstall of Win XP on a desktop machine, > unfortunately the only media we have are Windows Vista (must have been > bought with the Win XP upgrade pre-installed). I think the desktop is > a Dell. > > The only media I can find handy are a set of Win XP recovery disks for > my T41p. Can I use those? Of course I'd use the desktop's product key > from the sticker on the case, but is there likely anything in the T41 > disks that would prevent this? > > Thanks! > > -- > Andrew mailto:[email protected] > > _______________________________________________ > Thinkpad mailing list > [email protected] > http://stderr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/thinkpad > _______________________________________________ Thinkpad mailing list [email protected] http://stderr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/thinkpad
