OEM Product Key

[Guest]

I bought Windows XP Home Edition OEM for a new computer I put together. The
older computer that I have has Windows XP Home on it too. My question is: the
older computer is not running smoothly and I want to format that harddrive
completely, could I use the product key from my older computer with the newer
OEM disk that I bought?

I do not want to do anything until I'm sure it will work.

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I bought Windows XP Home Edition OEM for a new computer I put together. The
older computer that I have has Windows XP Home on it too. My question is: the
older computer is not running smoothly and I want to format that harddrive
completely, could I use the product key from my older computer with the newer
OEM disk that I bought?

If you mean to use the new OEM CD and old OEM Product Key on the old
computer, and then use the new OEM CD and it's own new Product Key on
the new computer, then, yes. As I understand your question, you intend
to use the same CD, but two different Product Keys on two different
computers. The specific CD used for an installation is irrelevant (as
long as it's the same type as the Product Key); it's the Product Key
that actually represents the license.


--

Bruce Chambers

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[Rock]

I bought Windows XP Home Edition OEM for a new computer I put together. The
older computer that I have has Windows XP Home on it too. My question is:
the
older computer is not running smoothly and I want to format that harddrive
completely, could I use the product key from my older computer with the
newer
OEM disk that I bought?

I do not want to do anything until I'm sure it will work.

Yes as long as the product key on the older computer is also for a generic
XP Home OEM version in the same language. CDs are not unique. They will
work with any product key of the same type.

 

[ruens]

Yes as long as the product key on the older computer is also for a generic
XP Home OEM version in the same language. CDs are not unique. They will
work with any product key of the same type.

Does the service pack version of the new OEM disc matter?

 

[Rock]

Does the service pack version of the new OEM disc matter?

No it doesn't matter for a clean install, though it's best to use an
installation CD that has SP2 on it. If it's not you can create an
installation CD using it that has that SP2 installed in a process called
slipstreaming. Autostreamer makes it easier.

Slipstream

http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp2_cd.htm
http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/

Autostreamer
http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/1092632287/1
http://www.simplyguides.net/guides/using_autostreamer/using_autostreamer.html
http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=223562

To get SP2:

Download Windows Service Pack 2 Standalone Version
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...BE-3B8E-4F30-8245-9E368D3CDB5A&displaylang=en

Order Windows XP Service Pack 2 on CD
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/sp2/cdorder/en_us/default810.mspx

 

[Plato]

I bought Windows XP Home Edition OEM for a new computer I put together. The
older computer that I have has Windows XP Home on it too. My question is: the
older computer is not running smoothly and I want to format that harddrive
completely, could I use the product key from my older computer with the newer
OEM disk that I bought?

One serial number per pc.

 

[ruens]

No it doesn't matter for a clean install, though it's best to use an
installation CD that has SP2 on it. If it's not you can create an
installation CD using it that has that SP2 installed in a process called
slipstreaming. Autostreamer makes it easier.

Slipstream

http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp2_cd.htm
http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/

Autostreamer
http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/1092632287/1
http://www.simplyguides.net/guides/using_autostreamer/using_autostreamer.html
http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=223562

To get SP2:

Download Windows Service Pack 2 Standalone Version
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...BE-3B8E-4F30-8245-9E368D3CDB5A&displaylang=en

Order Windows XP Service Pack 2 on CD
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/sp2/cdorder/en_us/default810.mspx

Autostreamer made it very easy indeed

 

[Rock]

Autostreamer made it very easy indeed

Great, glad that worked for you and thanks for posting back.