What version of Windows is my key for?

[JWhipple]

I recently bought a used Dell Vostro 1310 w/ no installed OS from a reputable dealer and see that it has a key label on the bottom of the case, but the version of Windows appears to have been rubbed off by handling of the machine.

I've installed a larger hard drive (it came with a miserable 80gb!) and 4 GB of RAM - I'd like to use this key but it makes it hard to know what version of OS to install when I can't see what it had previously

Is there any way to tell based on the key label or the key itself?

 

[Tews]

That key would only be useful for the OEM version that came pre-installed with the machine.. You would be better off purchasing your own copy of Windows and doing a clean install.. There are some good deals out there, but dont try to buy one off of ebay!!!!

 

[osholt]

I don't know if you can tell from the key what OS it is.

I do know however that the key is either for Windows Vista business or Windows XP professional and not Windows 7 because those are the 2 options that you could choose when buying it new (according to Dell Vostro 1310 Review).

Oli

 

[electrotune1200]

I'm just curious why there was no OS installed to begin with.

But if you had to guess a version, I would bet on Home Premium.

 

[JWhipple]

It was from a local dealer that buys used machines from local businesses , refurbs them and then resells them. My guess why there is no OS is that the business wiped the HD clean - or the dealer did.

To be completely honest even with a brand-new machine I always wipe the machine clean the moment I get into the door and reload the same OS using the product key on the label that came with the machine.

Same idea was going to apply here - I was going to install same OS it originally had on it using the included key - and yes - it does have the full 25 characters.

 

[Darician]

Well with Vista, you can grab any Vista DVD as they have all the editions and just try the key to see what happens. As far as XP, if you have access to an XP Pro OEM disc, you should be fine.

 

[DeaconFrost]

I would go back to the source and ask what version was installed. If you have that sticker, you technically have the license, so the dealer you bought it from wasn't really following proper procedures. They may tell you, they may not, but it is worth a shot.

 

[Abhishek Ghosh]

I am not sure about the legal point: the company wiped the OS means they are using the key on another machine; otherwise why they will erase.

Anyway, some BIOS give information which OS was shipped with. My this HP lappy shows "Vista Home Premium" I upgraded to Vista Ultimate then, Now using Win 7 Ultimate. But it has not been changed. I dont know about Dell. Use the f10 , f1 , 0r Esc key during boot to enter bios, browse to see if anything there, if you are not sure about what you are doing dont save and exit. In any case, if you cant find how to exit just press ctrl + alt + del to restart.

Yes the key it self can point to: Google it. I dont know telling it legal or illegal.

 

[ken9122]

If you can read the Express Service Tag #. Go to dell support site and get the original config.

Ken

 

[DeaconFrost]

I am not sure about the legal point: the company wiped the OS means they are using the key on another machine; otherwise why they will erase.

Just because they wiped the OS, doesn't mean it is in use anywhere else. Even if it was in use elsewhere, it wouldn't be legit, because the COA on the case is what determines legality.

If you can read the Express Service Tag #. Go to dell support site and get the original config.

Yep, this will work!

However, if the reseller did their job properly, the COA sticker would be removed, and the service tag would be removed from the case and the BIOS as well. It doesn't sound like they did their job in full, so you might luck out. If you have the COA sticker, you are legit.

 

[Abhishek Ghosh]

Yes I agree with DeaconFrost fully.

 

[MacGyvr]

Having restored many Dell computers for customers, I can speak to this rather definitively. ANY Dell restore disc will work on ANY Dell computer that is capable of running the operating system on the disc, and NO key is required. In other words, if this computer came with XP, you can use an XP recovery disc from ANY Dell computer to restore it. There is no legality issue with this because the disc is embedded with Dell's XP key, as long as you don't change OSes...such as going from a computer that had XP and changing it to Vista. I have restored probably 100 or more Dell XP systems using the same disc in the last two years. This holds true for Vista as well. I'm not sure about Windows 7, but it's not in play here because this system didn't come with 7 on it initially.