I could install from my Retail Windows 2000 Professional CD and use my own valid serial. I have one last idea but I have my doubts about it producing a 100% kosher install. As I said I'm not going to give away my Windows 2000 license. I installed my retail copy of Windows 2000 on the machine with my retail key just so that I could run the Dell parts tool. The Dell's parts website has an automated system where some activex stuff identifies your machine and tells you what parts you can buy. I would think that Dell should still have record of it. Could it be that this machine is too old? It's a PIII class machine but it was bought through the business channel. I entered both the 'service tag' and 'express service code' and neither was recognized. I thought I'd go to Dell and see what they wanted for a set of restore disks. I couldn't find PID's and volume labels for Dell Royalty copies of Windows 2000 Professional so I could not try that. I installed with it but setup didn't accept the serial from the COA. I made a copy of my retail disk with the PID and volume label changed to match that of an OEM Windows 2000 Professional CD. I did some research and found that there is a PID number that restricts the type of serial number that setup will accept. Just to get this out of the way I do not want to use my retail license on this machine. This was without an internet connection and long before the OS was up and running.

I tried to install with that but the setup refused the serial from the COA. I have at my disposal a legal retail Windows 2000 Professional CD (no service packs). The machine was running Windows 2000 Pro (with SP's) until some time about 1.5 years ago when the disk died. This machine was bought by a business and has lived an uneventful life running billing software in the back room of a medical office. I know that serial on the COA is good and that it hasn't been abused. i am not asking for (and will not do) anything that violates the original license terms. it must pass WGA and function for the long haul without licencing issues. I want a fully legal, license compliant, OS install. My goal is to get Windows 2000 Pro installed using the serial from the machine's COA. My problem is that I don't have the original Dell branded install disks.

It has a Windows 2000 Professional COA on the case.

I have an old Dell Dimension 4100 server that I'm trying to get up and running again.

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