Re installing OEM XP - product key not recognised

[Guest]

Hi,
I'm trying to reinstall XP on a relatives PC after their hard drive died.
They own an OEM license of XP but don't have the disks (it was pre
installed). I have my own set of XP home disks but they won't accpet the OEM
XP product key. Is there anything I can do?

 

[John John]

You have to use an OEM disk, OEM product keys are not valid for retail
versions. Also, while I am not 100% sure, because of SLP (System Locked
Pre-installation) I don't think that a product key from a major PC
manufacturer (like Dell, HP, etc.) would work with a generic OEM
version. I stand to be corrected on that SLP comment, someone else can
confirm or correct the statement.

John

 

[Jordan]

The release of the OEM version of XP has a set of keys that will not work
when you try to install an OEM XP SP2 CD. You can either use the OEM, OEM
SP1, or even an OEM SP1a CD and your key should work.

If you want to have XP2 installed in one shot you can slipstream SP2 into
your OEM or OEM 1x CD and the key will work.

When MS released OEM XP SP2 they put something in it that prevented all pre
SP2 keys from working on those CDs.

 

[David B.]

Actually they will