Old Software newer Computer

When I bought my original Dell it came with Windows 98 and included Home office as part of the Software package, after a glitch in the system the W98 was replaced with XP and the Home office was re loaded and worked a treat.

That old Dell has been replaced with another that has Windows XP, can anyone see any reason why we can't reload Home office again as it has about 8 accompanying clip art discs and a very simple but effective photo editing programme called 'Photo Me' both of these last things are mainly for the benefit of my kids as I am cheesed off with them being online and Beebo MSN et al getting in the way of their homework.

Cheers in advance

Can't see any reason at all..... whether apps will work or not is usually decided by the Operating System they are running on and not the hardware. If it ran fine on XP before, it will run fine on X again I should have thought.

I agree with Mewsta.

Suck it and see

The moral of this story is 'never ask mewsta or saint_stevo for computer advice; or listen to any they try to give.'

The software would be bundled for the original Dell machine and only installable on that specific configuration of hardware. This is why it was still able to be installed ON THAT MACHINE after the OS upgrade to XP. Now you are trying to install it on a different machine with different hardware, it won't. If you still have the old machine and it runs, you could try just saving the clipart files to use in whatever program you're now going to use.

Unless there is a component in the software program that requires a certain piece of hardware to be in the computer that is obviously no longer there, then I would suggest that there really isn't a problem, and that a little bit of creative installation is all that is required. Over the years between the first install and now, have the discs been well looked after..? If they are less than perfect, then they may refuse to install. Do the discs attempt to install..? Have you tried looking at the disc contents and finding the SETUP or INSTALL file..? There's also the Win95/98 compatibility mode which allows WinXP to run much earlier software. Basically, there's usually a way the problem unless the discs are scratched. And in that case, it's out with a disc scratch repairer before you can resume.

No, it'll be Dell's usual trick (like most mass suppliers) of having loads of crappy little programs (think MS Works etc) preinstalled on their machines and the backup disks will only run on that machine.

You could upgrade the operating system no problem, but you can't, for instance, take the disk that is supplied with that machine and install it on a different comptuer... oh, just like the original poster has experienced : r o l l :

No, it'll be Dell's usual trick (like most mass suppliers) of having loads of crappy little programs (think MS Works etc) preinstalled on their machines and the backup disks will only run on that machine.

 

You could upgrade the operating system no problem, but you can't, for instance, take the disk that is supplied with that machine and install it on a different comptuer... oh, just like the original poster has experienced : r o l l :

True there's always that nasty little trick that HP, Acer, Packard Bell, and the like will perform, and that's the cabinet files that lurk on the PC's HDD, which the CD just refers to. It's an appalling rip off that suppliers like those above get away with year after year.

When people ask me what to look out for when buying a PC, one of my buyer beware signs is the pre-installed software bundle, and to ask the question: Do these discs contain the full programs..? If the answer is no, then the PC possibly ain't quite the bargain you thought it was. In fact, I usually say to completely ignore whatever software comes with the machine and to concentrate of the hardware spec.

Hate software bundles. Usually crap and rarely used after purchase anyway.

shall we wait and see what the original poster finds out Essruu you massive b*tch

Oh, silly me: I thought I'd already read that he was able to use his bundled software on his Dell machine, but when he tried to install it on a new machine that it wasn't authorised to be installed on, it would't install.

What else is it, exactly, that you are waiting for him to find out? LOL.

Oh, silly me: I thought I'd already read that he was able to use his bundled software on his Dell machine, but when he tried to install it on a new machine that it wasn't authorised to be installed on, it would't install.

 

What else is it, exactly, that you are waiting for him to find out? LOL.

that isnt how i read it.....

though he was asking if there is any reason why it wouldn't install, in prep?

Good shout Ess, I forgot about Dell's lovely bundled software that recognises the hardware as being it's own!!! If by any chance it's not a Dell disk containing the software you should be fine!

Despite asking the question last week it remains on my to do list, so as it has caused so much heated debate I had better get on with it and report back my findings.

Just to keep the grey cells ticking though when the XP was installed on the old computer this bit of software needed to be re installed as everything had been flushed out of it.

I think I am right in believing that Dell also have, or had, a lot of no password or installation codes required software at one time so that when they "made" the computer for you it was bish bash bosh stick a label on the box and send it. Or am I being slightly naive to folklore when in fact the computers own inner identity was the password that went onto the Microsoft system.

I best give it go tonight!

Thanks for all of your comments and advice, I eventually got around to doing it and it went on (so far without any issues........... touch wood). It works too, there was a grey area within the agreement but then having bought the software with my own money in the first place where is the problem?

I shall await the knock on the door.

Good news!