WoooooHooooo~

[Mark_88]

So I was out collecting scrap the other day...being late as I was there was not much left...so I spot this monitor sticking out of a box and decide to have a look...and there was a computer in the box with it...

turns out the monitor is pooched...so I hooked it up to my wonky monitor and boot it up...wow!

Not sure how good the are, but it's a Dell Optiplex GX520...has dual 3.4 Ghz processors and not much else...but it works...needs more RAM...only has 500 MB but can add another bank...now I just have to find the 4400 DDR2 or something like that...I didn't grab the keyboard and it didn't have a mouse but I've managed to scrounge them up too...just working on a few tweaks...also scored a wifi stick so I can now post from home...

Oh, and it has XP Pro...with a freekin license key! Bonus...

Some days you think you get nothing but score...

 

[LIMA BEAN]

Thats big news for a backwards backwood boy like you,

 

[Mark_88]

Yeeasssm~ I's just a poor backwoods country bumpkin...now i has a compootie that woiks...

I think i might be instrumental in locking up TRS...lol

 

[LIMA BEAN]

Yeeasssm~ I's just a poor backwoods country bumpkin...now i has a compootie that woiks...

I think i might be instrumental in locking up TRS...lol

Reckon imma put up a bigger fence in Eastern 907.

 

[Mark_88]

Yep...good fences make good neighbors...

 

[AllanD]

So I was out collecting scrap the other day...being late as I was there was not much left...so I spot this monitor sticking out of a box and decide to have a look...and there was a computer in the box with it...

turns out the monitor is pooched...so I hooked it up to my wonky monitor and boot it up...wow!

Not sure how good the are, but it's a Dell Optiplex GX520...has dual 3.4 Ghz processors and not much else...but it works...needs more RAM...only has 500 MB but can add another bank...now I just have to find the 4400 DDR2 or something like that...I didn't grab the keyboard and it didn't have a mouse but I've managed to scrounge them up too...just working on a few tweaks...also scored a wifi stick so I can now post from home...

Oh, and it has XP Pro...with a freekin license key! Bonus...

Some days you think you get nothing but score...

I might actually be excited by an XP license key... if I didn't have a corporate installer for XP-Pro SP3

Intel 950chipset

SINGLE CPU Socket 775Motherboard but likely factory fitted with a Pentium D dual Core CPU

Since you say "dual core" at 3.4GHz Most likely a Pentium D 945 SL9QQ Processor

The PROPER memory for that computer is PC2-3200 400MHz DDR2 RAM
and the Board is capable of accepting FOUR 1gb sims

You can put PC2-4200 533MHz DDR2 Ram into it but it won't offer any performance increase

That computer IS 64bit capable and As I've run Windows7 on a similar machine you could theoretically run windows7 on it, but likely loading drivers to get everythign working right might be a bit "Twitchy" unless you are a sneaky bastard like I am.

As a Note, on a DELL computer you NEVER need a license key if you are installing the same (or earlier) operating system.

So if you need to reinstall the OS go on ebay and buy ANY Dell XP reinstallation disc and it'll work,
it will NEVER even ask for the CoA, because the "authentication" and "Activation" are written in the Bios.

If You wanted to "upgrade" the OS from XP to Vista or Vista to Windows7 you've need a product code (CoA) but otherwise no.

So a good thing for you to do is shop ebay for your own copy of the Dell XP-Pro SP3 reinsallation disc,
these run <$20 shipped and they are infinitely reuseable on Dell computers.

Like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Reinstallation-CD-Windows-XP-Professional-NEW-UNOPEN-/250990998668?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a703ab48c

Or This:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Reinstallation-CD-Windows-XP-Professional-NEW-UNOPEN-/250991941899?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a7049190b

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[Mark_88]

Yes, that sounds like the system specs...except for a few things...

It only has two ram bays but can take up to 4 gigs...I just went out and bought a 2 gig chip and it works MUCH better...tried to install the 512 MB ram stick with it but the system just sort of hummmed at me when I tried to boot...so it looks like I would have to buy another 2 gig stick of the same type...

It actually took a CL5 stick at 533 and the guy that sold it to me said it's all the same...meaning it will work with higher or lower...sort of like the old PC 100 or 133 working backwards...

I will check out the reinstall disk but I was kind of hoping I could use an XP PRO regular install (which I do have) with SP2 on it...but I really want to see about getting an install disk with SP3 due to limited d/l bandwidth currently...

Haven't seen the specs on the cpu but it is a single chip with dual core...checked the dev man and all it says is genuine intel D 3.4 Ghz...

 

[AllanD]

Yes, that sounds like the system specs...except for a few things...

It only has two ram bays but can take up to 4 gigs...I just went out and bought a 2 gig chip and it works MUCH better...tried to install the 512 MB ram stick with it but the system just sort of hummmed at me when I tried to boot...so it looks like I would have to buy another 2 gig stick of the same type...

It actually took a CL5 stick at 533 and the guy that sold it to me said it's all the same...meaning it will work with higher or lower...sort of like the old PC 100 or 133 working backwards...

I will check out the reinstall disk but I was kind of hoping I could use an XP PRO regular install (which I do have) with SP2 on it...but I really want to see about getting an install disk with SP3 due to limited d/l bandwidth currently...

Haven't seen the specs on the cpu but it is a single chip with dual core...checked the dev man and all it says is genuine intel D 3.4 Ghz...

The POINT to getting a Dell reinstall disc is that you don't need a license key to install the OEM SX-Pro SP3 off a DELL Reinstaller onto a Dell that was factory shipped with XP.

And if you screw something up and need to do it over the installer doesn't get "twitchy" about letting you activate it again.

Oh it'll have a license key once the installer is done running but it will already be "Activated" and you'll never see the WGA-Authentication screen

And I specifically suggested the Dell Pro SP3 disc precisely because even with a fast connection if saves you several hours loading redundant updates.

TRUST ME, if you own a Dell or work on computers and see Dells
floating across your workbench you NEED a dell reinstaller.

I have a collection of them, W2K, XP, Vista & Windows7

I don't have a 64bit Windows7-Pro Reinstaller yet and I'd like to have a Dell reinstaller for XP-MCE, but I'm not going to bother getting the Vista x64 installers.

AD

 

[Mark_88]

Well, that makes sense...thanks for the heads up...I checked those two links but they were removed...I will ask the guy where I bought the RAM from to see if he has any kicking around...I offered to swap two 1 gig sticks of the ECC Ram from the server but he was more interested in sucking me in for $45 for the RAM...

I checked the price on the ECC RAM and it shows up as $75...but I guess if he can't sell them he is stuck with another obsolete piece...I've also got the 400 watt power supply but nobody seems to want to trade...lol

There is aother guy I've dealt with that sells pretty much everything much cheaper...but he is a bit out of the way...might be heading his way soon though...so I will check these out before I try other venues...not having paypal or a CC limits my buying power from the web anyway...have to deal with local resellers when possible...

 

[AllanD]

Well, that makes sense...thanks for the heads up...I checked those two links but they were removed...I will ask the guy where I bought the RAM from to see if he has any kicking around...I offered to swap two 1 gig sticks of the ECC Ram from the server but he was more interested in sucking me in for $45 for the RAM...

I checked the price on the ECC RAM and it shows up as $75...but I guess if he can't sell them he is stuck with another obsolete piece...I've also got the 400 watt power supply but nobody seems to want to trade...lol

There is aother guy I've dealt with that sells pretty much everything much cheaper...but he is a bit out of the way...might be heading his way soon though...so I will check these out before I try other venues...not having paypal or a CC limits my buying power from the web anyway...have to deal with local resellers when possible...

Search eBay using the following search terms:

Dell, XP, Reinstaller

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Windows-XP-Service-Pack-3-32Bit-Media-New-Sealed-Package-/110825171350?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19cdb1e996

If the seller doesn't follow ebays rules the auction gets pulled so you've gotta keep looking.

I'd expect to pay $20-ish for an XP-pro SP3 installer, these are a light turquois color, the Olive colored discs are XP-Pro SP2

XP-MCE is Orange.

 

[Mark_88]

Do you happen to need the ECC RAM? Two 1 Gig sticks...

I'd be willing to send it to you if you have an installer disk you can spare...XP PRO SP3...for Dell...

PM me if interested...or I have a 400 Watt power supply if that is sweeter to you...it's heavy though so the shipping would be expensive...the RAM should ship much cheaper...

I don't have a CC or paypal so buying off these guys requires money orders and possible hassles...

 

[scrapper]

I don't have a CC or paypal so buying off these guys requires money orders and possible hassles

I would buy stuff from ebay and ran the creditcard up, so to stop that problem I went to walmart and got a walmart money card. It will cost 3.00 a month but I think it is cheaper than interest on a cc.You cant spend more than what you put on the card.Memory is not cheap unless you know someone who has upgraded their computer.Good Luck

 

[Mark_88]

yeah, I hated paying $43 for a stick of RAM when I have a bunch of it here from old computers...but it won't work with this system...

The 2 gig chip got it past the grinding halts I was getting with the 512 mb...just need to upgrade the monitor and it will be a dang good system...had to buy a USB keyboard too so the whole thing has cost me $67...not bad for a piece of discarded electronic waste...

 

[scrapper]

You are saying it takes a pc3200 memory? I probly got a 1 gb stick. It should work okay with 3 gb. Let me know what you are using. My dual core vista will only be able to use 3 gb of 4 gb memory, so 3 will be about all yours can use.
My video needs replaced.I may have a disk for a dell will look but it may be 98 or win2k.

 

[2813josh]

Sounds like a purty good score