I bought a copy of XP Home a few years ago but never ended up using it, so
it's still in the wrapper. I'm buying a laptop and want to change it from
Vista to XP, but I'm wary of wiping off Vista and then finding that the
registration key on my copy of XP is no longer valid. The reason I'm worried
is that the key is clearly visible through the wrapper, and I suspect it's an
'OEM version'? I've been told that it's possible that the shop I bought it
off will have already registered that copy of XP on another PC? Can anybody
advise how I can check the XP key before removing Vista?

No way to know until you install the system and try to activate the system.

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience



"Steve Jones" <Steve (E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:A27FEFE5-504A-4A85-B6E7-(E-Mail Removed)...
> I bought a copy of XP Home a few years ago but never ended up using it, so
> it's still in the wrapper. I'm buying a laptop and want to change it from
> Vista to XP, but I'm wary of wiping off Vista and then finding that the
> registration key on my copy of XP is no longer valid. The reason I'm
> worried
> is that the key is clearly visible through the wrapper, and I suspect it's
> an
> 'OEM version'? I've been told that it's possible that the shop I bought it
> off will have already registered that copy of XP on another PC? Can
> anybody
> advise how I can check the XP key before removing Vista?

Steve Jones <Steve (E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I bought a copy of XP Home a few years ago but never ended up using it, so
>it's still in the wrapper. I'm buying a laptop and want to change it from
>Vista to XP, but I'm wary of wiping off Vista and then finding that the
>registration key on my copy of XP is no longer valid. The reason I'm worried
>is that the key is clearly visible through the wrapper, and I suspect it's an
>'OEM version'? I've been told that it's possible that the shop I bought it
>off will have already registered that copy of XP on another PC? Can anybody
>advise how I can check the XP key before removing Vista?

Have to install it to find out.

FIRST... you should check to make sure the laptop manufacturer has
provided Vista drivers for what you buy. Chances are there won't be
any. If that is the case, you won't be able to install XP
successfully.

Mike

"Chances are there won't be any." I think you mean no Windows XP drivers but
this statement is ambiguous.

--


Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Mike Torello wrote:
> Steve Jones <Steve (E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> I bought a copy of XP Home a few years ago but never ended up using
>> it, so it's still in the wrapper. I'm buying a laptop and want to
>> change it from Vista to XP, but I'm wary of wiping off Vista and
>> then finding that the registration key on my copy of XP is no longer
>> valid. The reason I'm worried is that the key is clearly visible
>> through the wrapper, and I suspect it's an 'OEM version'? I've been
>> told that it's possible that the shop I bought it off will have
>> already registered that copy of XP on another PC? Can anybody advise
>> how I can check the XP key before removing Vista?
>
> Have to install it to find out.
>
> FIRST... you should check to make sure the laptop manufacturer has
> provided Vista drivers for what you buy. Chances are there won't be
> any. If that is the case, you won't be able to install XP
> successfully.

"Steve Jones" <Steve (E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:A27FEFE5-504A-4A85-B6E7-(E-Mail Removed)...
I bought a copy of XP Home a few years ago but never ended up using it, so
it's still in the wrapper. I'm buying a laptop and want to change it from
Vista to XP, but I'm wary of wiping off Vista and then finding that the
registration key on my copy of XP is no longer valid. The reason I'm worried
is that the key is clearly visible through the wrapper, and I suspect it's
an
'OEM version'? I've been told that it's possible that the shop I bought it
off will have already registered that copy of XP on another PC? Can anybody
advise how I can check the XP key before removing Vista?

========================================================

Your main problem may be that the laptop internal components you are
considering buying are not compatible with XP. It may only have drivers
available for Vista and may not have XP drivers available. This I would
check first. You can usually do this by checking out the website of the
brand with the model number and have a look under support for driver
downloads and see if they list both XP and Vista drivers for that model or
ring and speak to the company.

As far as the XP licence is concerned, you can do a manual check over the
phone with MS to check whether the key is valid, but you or they won't know
if the key is already in use on another machine until you try and activate
the key after install because they won't have the ability on the phone to
check whether it is in use yet until the computer does a physical check
during the online activation process.

Activation
You must activate your Microsoft product to confirm that each copy of the
product is not installed on more than the limited number of computers that
is indicated in the software end user license agreement (EULA). The
activation process can be performed by using the telephone, a modem, or the
Internet. None of the information that is collected during activation will
be used to personally identify you.

To activate your product over the telephone, use one of the following
numbers: [It says Volume Licensing but it's the same for single licences.]
a.. Office activation (U.S. only): (888) 652-2342
b.. Windows activation: (888) 571-2048
c.. TTY number: (800) 718-1599
d.. If you are an International customer, visit the following Microsoft
Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/r...l/numbers.mspx
When you get through just tell them your concerns and ask if they can check
the validity of the key for you.

--
Regards,
Touch Base
Report back on the results, good or bad so others may benefit

Steve Jones wrote:
> I bought a copy of XP Home a few years ago but never ended up using it, so
> it's still in the wrapper. I'm buying a laptop and want to change it from
> Vista to XP, but I'm wary of wiping off Vista and then finding that the
> registration key on my copy of XP is no longer valid. The reason I'm worried
> is that the key is clearly visible through the wrapper, and I suspect it's an
> 'OEM version'? I've been told that it's possible that the shop I bought it
> off will have already registered that copy of XP on another PC? Can anybody
> advise how I can check the XP key before removing Vista?

Imaging such a "validity checker" existed. Abusers could use the checker,
to make up their own keys, by testing the keys one at a time. The
"validity checker" website would be constantly overloaded, as everyone
with an invalid copy of WinXP, attempted to find a valid key value to
use :-) Someone would write an application, to pummel the "validity
checker" in an automated way, so 100's of requests could be sent per
second. Sounds like fun...

Before doing the installation, see if you can find a thread on the web,
where someone else has determined where all the drivers can be found.
Some drivers may take you a while to locate.

Paul

Lots of luck! Have you done this? Doubtful!

If MS offered this service people would be calling with any set of made up
keys trying to find a lucky guess that was valid.

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience



"BeeCeeBee" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> It really is quite simple, call microsoft and they will check the
> validity ot the key.
>
>
> --
> BeeCeeBee
> Posted via http://computerhelpforums.net Forum to USENET Gateway
>

"Gerry" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Mike
>
>"Chances are there won't be any." I think you mean no Windows XP drivers but
>this statement is ambiguous.

I definitely meant XP drivers.

"Steve Jones" <Steve (E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:A27FEFE5-504A-4A85-B6E7-(E-Mail Removed)...
>I bought a copy of XP Home a few years ago but never ended up using it, so
> it's still in the wrapper. I'm buying a laptop and want to change it from
> Vista to XP, but I'm wary of wiping off Vista and then finding that the
> registration key on my copy of XP is no longer valid. The reason I'm
> worried
> is that the key is clearly visible through the wrapper, and I suspect it's
> an
> 'OEM version'? I've been told that it's possible that the shop I bought it
> off will have already registered that copy of XP on another PC? Can
> anybody
> advise how I can check the XP key before removing Vista?

As far as I know, there is no way to do this. And frankly, it's not
particularly likely that it's been activated already.

You do need to be sure that there actually are XP drivers for your laptop,
and have them on hand. If they don't exist, don't downgrade.

I removed Vista from my laptop and put XP Pro on it. I soon found that the
laptop ran *slower* with XP, so I put Vista back on, turned UAC off, and the
machine runs very well now.

If you want to be able to very quickly go back to Vista if there's a
problem, purchase a new hard disk and install XP to that. Set the Vista
drive aside. This will cost you perhaps $60 - $90 more.

HTH
-pk

On Tue, 28 Apr 2009 02:14:10 -0700, Steve Jones <Steve
(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> I bought a copy of XP Home a few years ago but never ended up using it, so
> it's still in the wrapper. I'm buying a laptop and want to change it from
> Vista to XP, but I'm wary of wiping off Vista and then finding that the
> registration key on my copy of XP is no longer valid. The reason I'm worried
> is that the key is clearly visible through the wrapper, and I suspect it's an
> 'OEM version'? I've been told that it's possible that the shop I bought it
> off will have already registered that copy of XP on another PC?


Just because it's an OEM version doesn't mean that they did that. And
if they did, and sold you a copy that's already installed on another
computer, they have been entirely dishonest. You should tell them that
they either will give you another clean, unused copy or you will
report them to the police.

However, more important, you should realize that if you are buying a
new laptop that comes with Vista, there is an excellent chance that
there are no XP drivers available for it and it will never
successfully run XP.



> Can anybody
> advise how I can check the XP key before removing Vista?

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
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