Recover dead Dell XP as boot camp on Macbook Pro?

[neatokino]

I've got an old Dell Dimension 8300 desktop that is dead and will not boot anymore-- the problems are hardware and not software related. The Dell ran XP Pro, which has been updated to SP2, though the install disks for the computer are only SP1. Software on the Dell includes, microsoft office, dreamweaver, and photoshop. I don't want to replace the Dell computer, but I'd love to be able to run XP and the software it has on my Macbook Pro with bootcamp.

Is there a way to transfer everything off the Dell and onto my mac? I have all the Dell install discs, but I do not have the original program discs for office, dreamweaver, and photoshop. I bought the Dell used from a computer training school that was going out of business, and all the software was (legitimately) loaded on it, but I was not provided with the original software discs.

I know that under the OEM liscense I'm not supposed to load XP on to any other computer besides the Dell it came with, and I'd be perfectly willing to buy a retail license for XP if I needed to-- though the Dell is completely dead and gone, so I would not be violating the single user/single computer aspect of the license, and, I wouldn't have any moral issues in reusing the software this way (er... not many... I don't really want to break the law). I guess I should also ask: do I have the right to continue using office, dreamweaver, and photoshop, as long as they're no longer on the old computer?


I would also be happy running windows and the programs in VM Ware if that was easier.

Can anyone suggest how I do this?

TIA

[timswim78]

If you can get the system running for a little bit, you can download a trial copy of VMWare server and make a VM of the Windows installation.
Then, buy Fusion or Parallels for your Mac and use either of them to run the Windows VM that you created.

[gkarris]

If you don't have the original discs, then, NO, you cannot use them on another computer.

You were supposed to get the original install discs with the computer.

MS OEM Windows licenses are only for the computer that was built and put on. It is NOT transferrable.

If that computer dies, oh well...

[CanadaRAM]

I guess I should also ask: do I have the right to continue using office, dreamweaver, and photoshop, as long as they're no longer on the old computer?

Unless you have the serial numbers, disks and transfer of license from the previous owner, no. (Which means, you didn't have the right to use them on the Dell, either.)

It doesn't matter if the previous owner had 'legitimately installed' the software if the license did not tranfer to you.