In 2006 I purchased a computer from DELL that came with a free upgrade to
Vista.
Now I just purchased a larger drive and am trying to do a restore.
I need to restore the system with XP Pro. first and when I try to put the
Vista upgrade on it asks for the COA which I cannot find.
I still have the old drive and it works fine. There must be a way to get the
COA from the Vista operating system from that drive.
Does anyone know where to get it?

Dell has now information on this.



--
Ed Davis

Reinstall Windows XP using your Dell recovery media, then install the Vista
upgrade.

--


------
"Microsoft Communities" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> In 2006 I purchased a computer from DELL that came with a free upgrade to
> Vista.
> Now I just purchased a larger drive and am trying to do a restore.
> I need to restore the system with XP Pro. first and when I try to put the
> Vista upgrade on it asks for the COA which I cannot find.
> I still have the old drive and it works fine. There must be a way to get
> the
> COA from the Vista operating system from that drive.
> Does anyone know where to get it?
>
> Dell has now information on this.
>
>
>
> --
> Ed Davis
>

When you got your free Vista upgrade it should have come with a new Vista
product key sticker which you could place on the Dell system cabinet next
to the XP Product Key sticker.
In any case you can use the following utility to find out the Product Key.

http://www.rjlsoftware.com/software/...winproductkey/

"Microsoft Communities" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> In 2006 I purchased a computer from DELL that came with a free upgrade to
> Vista.
> Now I just purchased a larger drive and am trying to do a restore.
> I need to restore the system with XP Pro. first and when I try to put the
> Vista upgrade on it asks for the COA which I cannot find.
> I still have the old drive and it works fine. There must be a way to get
> the
> COA from the Vista operating system from that drive.
> Does anyone know where to get it?
>
> Dell has now information on this.
>
>
>
> --
> Ed Davis
>

OR you could just clone the old HD to the new HD
programs that do this are usually free download from the manufacturer of the
new HD.

peter

--
If you find a posting or message from me offensive,inappropriate
or disruptive,please ignore it.
If you dont know how to ignore a posting complain
to me and I will be only too happy to demonstrate :-)

"Microsoft Communities" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> In 2006 I purchased a computer from DELL that came with a free upgrade to
> Vista.
> Now I just purchased a larger drive and am trying to do a restore.
> I need to restore the system with XP Pro. first and when I try to put the
> Vista upgrade on it asks for the COA which I cannot find.
> I still have the old drive and it works fine. There must be a way to get
> the
> COA from the Vista operating system from that drive.
> Does anyone know where to get it?
>
> Dell has now information on this.
>
>
>
> --
> Ed Davis
>

I tried the software on my system where I do have the COA and the number is
not the same everything else that it gave me was correct.
Thanks for your help.



--
Ed Davis
"Curious" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
> When you got your free Vista upgrade it should have come with a new Vista
> product key sticker which you could place on the Dell system cabinet next
> to the XP Product Key sticker.
> In any case you can use the following utility to find out the Product Key.
>
> http://www.rjlsoftware.com/software/...winproductkey/
>
> "Microsoft Communities" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> In 2006 I purchased a computer from DELL that came with a free upgrade to
>> Vista.
>> Now I just purchased a larger drive and am trying to do a restore.
>> I need to restore the system with XP Pro. first and when I try to put the
>> Vista upgrade on it asks for the COA which I cannot find.
>> I still have the old drive and it works fine. There must be a way to get
>> the
>> COA from the Vista operating system from that drive.
>> Does anyone know where to get it?
>>
>> Dell has now information on this.
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Ed Davis
>>

Did That and that is where it is asking me for the COA.


--
Ed Davis
"David B." <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Reinstall Windows XP using your Dell recovery media, then install the
> Vista upgrade.
>
> --
>
>
> ------
> "Microsoft Communities" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> In 2006 I purchased a computer from DELL that came with a free upgrade to
>> Vista.
>> Now I just purchased a larger drive and am trying to do a restore.
>> I need to restore the system with XP Pro. first and when I try to put the
>> Vista upgrade on it asks for the COA which I cannot find.
>> I still have the old drive and it works fine. There must be a way to get
>> the
>> COA from the Vista operating system from that drive.
>> Does anyone know where to get it?
>>
>> Dell has now information on this.
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Ed Davis
>>
>

I am not sure what a COA is. I only know that to install a Windows OS that
you need a Product Key

"Microsoft Communities" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I tried the software on my system where I do have the COA and the number
> is not the same everything else that it gave me was correct.
> Thanks for your help.
>
>
>
> --
> Ed Davis
> "Curious" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>> When you got your free Vista upgrade it should have come with a new Vista
>> product key sticker which you could place on the Dell system cabinet
>> next to the XP Product Key sticker.
>> In any case you can use the following utility to find out the Product
>> Key.
>>
>> http://www.rjlsoftware.com/software/...winproductkey/
>>
>> "Microsoft Communities" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> In 2006 I purchased a computer from DELL that came with a free upgrade
>>> to
>>> Vista.
>>> Now I just purchased a larger drive and am trying to do a restore.
>>> I need to restore the system with XP Pro. first and when I try to put
>>> the
>>> Vista upgrade on it asks for the COA which I cannot find.
>>> I still have the old drive and it works fine. There must be a way to get
>>> the
>>> COA from the Vista operating system from that drive.
>>> Does anyone know where to get it?
>>>
>>> Dell has now information on this.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Ed Davis
>>>
>
>

Then I would contact Dell support for assistance if they are the ones that
provided the upgrade.

--


------
"Microsoft Communities" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:u$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Did That and that is where it is asking me for the COA.
>
>
> --
> Ed Davis
> "David B." <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Reinstall Windows XP using your Dell recovery media, then install the
>> Vista upgrade.
>>
>> --
>>
>>
>> ------
>> "Microsoft Communities" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> In 2006 I purchased a computer from DELL that came with a free upgrade
>>> to
>>> Vista.
>>> Now I just purchased a larger drive and am trying to do a restore.
>>> I need to restore the system with XP Pro. first and when I try to put
>>> the
>>> Vista upgrade on it asks for the COA which I cannot find.
>>> I still have the old drive and it works fine. There must be a way to get
>>> the
>>> COA from the Vista operating system from that drive.
>>> Does anyone know where to get it?
>>>
>>> Dell has now information on this.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Ed Davis
>>>
>>
>
>

"Curious" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:#(E-Mail Removed)...
> I am not sure what a COA is. I only know that to install a Windows OS
> that you need a Product Key

COA = Certificate of Authenticity and includes the 25-character product key
when Windows has come pre-installed on a system :-)


>
> "Microsoft Communities" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> I tried the software on my system where I do have the COA and the number
>> is not the same everything else that it gave me was correct.
>> Thanks for your help.
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Ed Davis
>> "Curious" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> When you got your free Vista upgrade it should have come with a new
>>> Vista product key sticker which you could place on the Dell system
>>> cabinet next to the XP Product Key sticker.
>>> In any case you can use the following utility to find out the Product
>>> Key.
>>>
>>> http://www.rjlsoftware.com/software/...winproductkey/
>>>
>>> "Microsoft Communities" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>> In 2006 I purchased a computer from DELL that came with a free upgrade
>>>> to
>>>> Vista.
>>>> Now I just purchased a larger drive and am trying to do a restore.
>>>> I need to restore the system with XP Pro. first and when I try to put
>>>> the
>>>> Vista upgrade on it asks for the COA which I cannot find.
>>>> I still have the old drive and it works fine. There must be a way to
>>>> get the
>>>> COA from the Vista operating system from that drive.
>>>> Does anyone know where to get it?
>>>>
>>>> Dell has now information on this.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Ed Davis
>>>>
>>
>>

OK so that is the name of the sticker(s) I was referring to.
On my laptop I have both the original XP sticker and the one that came with
the free Vista upgrade so that I can rebuild any time if I need to.

"John E. Carty" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> "Curious" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:#(E-Mail Removed)...
>> I am not sure what a COA is. I only know that to install a Windows OS
>> that you need a Product Key
>
> COA = Certificate of Authenticity and includes the 25-character product
> key when Windows has come pre-installed on a system :-)
>
>
>>
>> "Microsoft Communities" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> I tried the software on my system where I do have the COA and the number
>>> is not the same everything else that it gave me was correct.
>>> Thanks for your help.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Ed Davis
>>> "Curious" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>> news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>> When you got your free Vista upgrade it should have come with a new
>>>> Vista product key sticker which you could place on the Dell system
>>>> cabinet next to the XP Product Key sticker.
>>>> In any case you can use the following utility to find out the Product
>>>> Key.
>>>>
>>>> http://www.rjlsoftware.com/software/...winproductkey/
>>>>
>>>> "Microsoft Communities" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>> In 2006 I purchased a computer from DELL that came with a free upgrade
>>>>> to
>>>>> Vista.
>>>>> Now I just purchased a larger drive and am trying to do a restore.
>>>>> I need to restore the system with XP Pro. first and when I try to put
>>>>> the
>>>>> Vista upgrade on it asks for the COA which I cannot find.
>>>>> I still have the old drive and it works fine. There must be a way to
>>>>> get the
>>>>> COA from the Vista operating system from that drive.
>>>>> Does anyone know where to get it?
>>>>>
>>>>> Dell has now information on this.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Ed Davis
>>>>>
>>>
>>>