Start menu wonder?

I have a laptop that the HD crashed on me . My buddy said he could get me Xp on it since i don't have it. Well he did and it's all good and everything but I think it's a Hack Copy of XP. It passed all the Genuine check for all the updates and stuff but I think he used a dell?? copy of XP!!?? I have a DELL logo at the bottom of the start menu across form the programs button. I asked if and how he did it but he wouldn't say. All he said that it a legit copy now and not to worry about it? Anyway I was wondering how to get rid of it? It's a HP laptop and it buggs the heck out of me for it to be there!!! ON MY HP!! I tried to delete some dell stuff i found but now all there is is a file looking icon with "DELL Solution Center" under it. Is there anyway i can get rid of it?It's driving me crazy there!!

 

Have you tried un-installing it? I have a Dell and that's one of the first things I got rid of.

 

Sounds like a version that is only supposed to be supplied with a Dell computer. Have you seen or do you now own the disk it was installed from? Does it say anything about being a reinstallation disk or a restore disk?

The biggest concern that I would have is that if the key has been used on another computer and is now used on a different computer (and yes, Microsoft will get that information the first time your computer tries to get updates) you won't be able to do updates without doing something about a new key. And I don't think you'll really want to be talking to Microsoft about a disk that you don't know where it came from - they may not be overly helpful.

Try pinning your friend down and pointing out the problem with using the CD key on a different computer which gets it put on the pirate list and stops you and anyone else using that key from updating. He may have been trying to be helpful but not achieved that through lack of this information.

Good luck.

 

I've gone through and updated it. It was Xp sp1 I guess because i hava TON of updates then I had to do the update for SP2. It's not my disk. I have one for Media center from my 5150 Dimension and I know those won't work on ANY other computers at all. Something about Dell's reinstall disk that "recognize" only Dell computers. Plus my HP has only a 20G Hard drive and 2.8 celeron. Slow but it works for on the road. It's home edition all i know about it and passed all the checkpoints from MS.??? But is there anyway to remove the Dell from the start menu?Like I said I deleted all the Dell stuff I found on the "search" thingy but it's still there.