I want to install Windows Vista for Bootcamp using the reinstallation DVD that came with my Dell PC, but it says "Use this DVD only to install the operating system on a Dell PC." Will it work with Bootcamp?
Aside from the printing telling you that you shouldn't, many, if not most (including dell) branded OEM DVDs (and CDs) are bios locked, which means they'll work to install on a dell, but not on just any old system.
Why is this such a touchy issue?
If you buy a Windows XP Dell install CD w/COA from eBay, and it has never, and will never be used on any machine unless YOU buy it.
How is this piracy?
Windows is not worth the full price they are asking anyway. If it was, we would not be using Boot Camp in the first place.
It's not a touchy issue. Boot Camp has specific requirements, one of them is that you use a retail disc or a non-branded OEM disc.
Some PC vendor-supplied OEM discs are tailored for the hardware they're sold with. Additionally, since most people who come here with this kind of question are using the disc from an existing PC, there are potential licensing issues as well.
So, the tried and true best advice is simply to follow Boot Camp's documented requirements.
I say it is a "touchy issue" because I have seen threads closed on this very topic. I think that drawing an immediate conclusion that piracy is involved whenever this question is asked, is simply uncalled for.
I would like to be able to discuss the topic so we could find the cheapest way to get XP onto our machines using Boot Camp. I think that paying $100+ for an operating system that is over 10 years old, is outrageous. Most Mac users will refuse to pay this.
I doubt that I am alone in my opinion on this.
Indeed, for the most part, it appears that such reinstallation disks DO NOT WORK under Boot Camp, specifically that has been the reported experience with Dell disks. Similarly, many volume-licensed disks (e.g., disks that you get at your college or workplace) don't work either. Some VL discs do, some don't.
But if you are trying to get XP on your machine as cheaply as possible, I would not spend money on a Dell-branded reinstallation disk. I would instead purchase a System Builder OEM disk.
Boot Camp is persnickety on what works and doesn't and from the Forum's perspective, we recommend you purchase what Apple indicates will work. Any other purchases are really at your risk, EULA considerations aside.
Cheers