another crazy idea - x30 with WM5

[Douglas685]

Ok, I have another idea, has anyone tried loading wm5 onto an x50 and then doing a raw data transfer to an x30. Basically, could someone install wm5 on an x50 and put the install files onto an x30. I know of crazy tricks like this that have worked in the past. For example, at my PC repair store, a client donated an old 133mhz 486. We were about to pitch it when we had a funny idea to try and install windows xp on it. Windows refused to install on it the regular way. What we did was
a. pulled the hard drive out of the crazy old pc and put it into a newer one (a PIII i think)
b. let setup format and copy the files
c. When it asked us to reboot to continue the install, we took the hard drive back out and put it into the old machine again. we turned the old machine on and to our surprise, windows actually installed. After another hour and a half of installing, we finally booted into xp (friggin the slowest thing on the planet I might add:rolling: ).
Now obviously the idea behind this is to trick windows into installing or simply to take a full install and transfer it.
a few obsticles may exist tho
1. Even though the specs on the x50 and x30 are very similar, wm5 would not like the mobo in the x30 and wouldn't boot up
2. very minor things, such as a different built in wifi or a different size of rom may also cause issues, but i think this may be worth a shot. Has anyone else thought about something like this?

You aren't the first!
It wouldn't work... at least without some extreme hacking of the OS. The hardware is too different -- VGA vs. QVGA, plus the memory controller is different, plus other things as well, I am sure. Unlike XP, WM5 does not have the capability of doing a hardware scan and then loading the appropriate drivers. Everything is preselected when the ROM is built.

If WM5 was availble for another QVGA device you might have a shot at it. Assuming you can get a legal copy of WM5 for it..... because otherwise you can't even get started.

Nice try though :approve:

[torptorp]

Was wondering about this myself! Anyone ever tried it? any success?

[Xtremegene]

You aren't the first!

If WM5 was availble for another QVGA device you might have a shot at it.

Err, I believe both the 416 MHz and 520 MHz versions of the x50/x51 series are QVGA, so that can't be a major OS restriction on WM5's part. Otherwise though, yeah, I am no ROM (hacking) expert so I can't see any viable procedure. It's just what we're stuck with given their (Dell/MS) current business practices.