Reinstalling Windows XP on a Dell system........... no license key needed??

[True Colors]

I have a 9 year old Dell system. The hard drive died.

I took another hard drive and I wiped it clean.

I purchased a "Windows XP reinstallation disk for Dell" CD off of ebay.

I installed that onto my blank hard drive. It did NOT ask me for a Windows license key.

After I connected to the internet, my computer connected to Microsoft to verify the version of Windows I installed is legitimate(aka, not pirated). My version did pass.

So what is the deal? Why do I not have to put a Windows license key in?

Can I use this exact same CD to reinstall Windows XP on my other Dell computers? I have a few Dell systems at home.

The Dell reinstallation disk that I bought looks like this.

http://www.ioffer.com/img/item/985/486/21/I0WN3vvprIIvVRL.jpg

Thanks,

TC

 

[patonb]

Dells have an odd install, that didn't require an XP key.. I think the XP version is tailored to Dell Systems, so it checks if you have a dell and if so its all happy.

If you look at pirated versions of OS's, you'll see abunch are Dell versions.... or atleast a bunch I've seen.