COA Missing

[Microsoft Communities]

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.

 

[David B.]

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

 

[Curious]

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/utility/winproductkey/

 

[peter]

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

 

[Microsoft Communities]

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.

 

[Microsoft Communities]

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


--
Ed Davis

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

 

[Curious]

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

 

[David B.]

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

--


------

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

 

[John E. Carty]

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

 

[Curious]

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.