For Win98, I don't think there were any complex hardware checks, so probably. Might be lightened a bit and not include the generic drivers Dell never thought they would need, but also include install of drivers for hardware Dell did use. XP up, hardware checks got more rigorous I think.

FSC (Fujitsu Siemens) OEM CDs do hardware checking, so only buy/use them after you made sure they match the computer in question.

BitWrangler wrote on 2021-10-24, 13:12:

XP up, hardware checks got more rigorous I think.

I have been using a Dell XP OEM CD for years and it never complained no matter which system.
The OEM garbage bloat is a bit annoying, installing this takes far the most time of the whole install (and there is no way of opting this out).

I used an OEM XP Professional on this one, it installed, but I didn't bother activating it so far. But I don't know what kind of PC is it for (if it's for any specific brand). Neither on the packing nor on the manual there is only MS branding. I have unopened Fujitsu-Siemens OEM XP Prof. and Gateway XP Home, but I kept them unopened. Those have Fujitsu-Siemens and Gateway branding all over the disks, so I'd assume they are picky.

The Windows 98 CD-ROM that came with my Aptiva at the time refuses to install on my Compaq Deskpro, so there's clearly some kind of hardware check going on (BIOS?).

That is just a generic OEM bundle with just a DELL sticker attached, so yes it will work on other systems.
If you are caraful you stream that sticker off wihout damaging the booklet and nobody would be the wiser.

Everyone is getting on a good point. In the Windows 95/Windows 98 days, OEMs, particularly "white box" generic PCs, tended to bundle clean Windows 95/98 install media as well as all the drivers for the hardware. I suppose in the Windows 98 timeframe and especially by XP, everything transitioned to those restore CDs (and then taking away even the CDs!) with all the bloat--Dell being a holdout for a long time. Those restore CDs do tend to have hardware checks in them, while the clean Windows install CDs did not. Another advantage of a generic no-name PC back in the 90s is they tended to use standard Baby AT boards and cases, while brand-name ones like Packard Bell would use proprietary LPX components.

I've got a Dell recover CD for XP. Basically it's an XP install cd, but with some little bloat for OEM support stuff. It does install on any pc that runs XP, no other drivers left away.

Key is, in the right Dell PC, it automatically is activated, but in any other it is not. It can be activated using the standard procedures.

HP's WinXP CD's were pretty good if you knew the trick.
If you booted off the Windows CD it would just need the "system restore" cd for verification then ask for the Windows CD back and continue with a generic install.
That was for the business class computers, the home market always fell cheap so may not have worked

waterbeesje wrote on 2021-10-24, 20:18:

I've got a Dell recover CD for XP. Basically it's an XP install cd, but with some little bloat for OEM support stuff. It does install on any pc that runs XP, no other drivers left away.

Key is, in the right Dell PC, it automatically is activated, but in any other it is not. It can be activated using the standard procedures.

Yeah, it has to do with the SLIC being built into the BIOS. Other OEMs do the same sort of thing but the OEM SLIC key is going to be different from my understanding.
https://itstillworks.com/microsoft-access-inv … al-7372625.html