WillyTheWiz said:
I had to format the hard drire on my laptop. I reinstalled windows xp
professional on it after i enter the 15 digit product key that is
located on the sticker on the laptop it tells me that it is not
valid. what do I have to do get this corrected to use my laptop
again?
Let me rephrase what others have said:
In many cases you must use installation media that match the key. That is,
if you have a DELL laptop and intend to use the key plastered on the bottom
of the computer, you must use the DELL distribution that came with the
laptop. A retail version of the OS or a generic OEM CD installation media
won't work with a DELL key.
In many cases, the installation "media" for a laptop is really a hidden
partition on the laptop's hard drive. If you formatted the entire hard drive
you are - pardon the technical jargon - screwed. You'll have to deal with
the laptop's manufacturer to get replacement media. Here's why:
A retail or generic OEM version may not work, even with the correct key,
because of drivers unique to the laptop.