brand new XP PRO product key called not valid during install... help please!

[RSS]

i just purchased a copy of windows xp pro (w/SP2) directly from
microsoft. my existing machine was not legit, in that a friend had
built the machine for me, and i don't know what he did. but i wanted
to have a valid copy of windows.

i ran into a number or problems along the way, and my system has been
a bit unstable for awhile, so i opted to do a clean install -
reformatting the partition and starting from scratch. when i perform
the install, the installer tells me that my product key is not valid.

to answer some questions that i KNOW people will ask:

1. i am 100% sure i have not mistaken a character in the product key
code. this was checked and rechecked many many many times.

2. i did not have the caps lock key on when i typed the code.

3. this is the EXACT CD and the EXACT product code that came in the
box that i purchased.

4. as far as i can tell, this is a RETAIL not OEM version.

5. my original hardware did not come with any operating system on it
(i.e. not OEM either).

the only thing i haven't tried yet, and i just can't believe why it
would make a difference, is disconnecting the other hard drive in my
machine (which has an install of XP on it). i don't see how that
information could be detected if I am not accessing or utilizing that
drive, and it is not in my boot sequence, but i'm all out of options.

does anyone have any other possibilities? i've read all the posts
that i could find from previous cases of this type. i'm not finding
the answer.

thanks in advance!

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

i just purchased a copy of windows xp pro (w/SP2) directly from
microsoft. my existing machine was not legit, in that a friend had
built the machine for me, and i don't know what he did. but i wanted
to have a valid copy of windows.

i ran into a number or problems along the way, and my system has been
a bit unstable for awhile, so i opted to do a clean install -
reformatting the partition and starting from scratch. when i perform
the install, the installer tells me that my product key is not valid.

to answer some questions that i KNOW people will ask:

1. i am 100% sure i have not mistaken a character in the product key
code. this was checked and rechecked many many many times.

2. i did not have the caps lock key on when i typed the code.

3. this is the EXACT CD and the EXACT product code that came in the
box that i purchased.

4. as far as i can tell, this is a RETAIL not OEM version.

5. my original hardware did not come with any operating system on it
(i.e. not OEM either).

the only thing i haven't tried yet, and i just can't believe why it
would make a difference, is disconnecting the other hard drive in my
machine (which has an install of XP on it). i don't see how that
information could be detected if I am not accessing or utilizing that
drive, and it is not in my boot sequence, but i'm all out of options.

does anyone have any other possibilities? i've read all the posts
that i could find from previous cases of this type. i'm not finding
the answer.

thanks in advance!

Since you are absolutely sure that your key matches your CD,
the easiest way out of your predicament is to ring Microsoft
in your country. It's a free call and you will resolve your problem
immediately. Let us know what happens!

 

[RSS]

just wanted to post the "resolution" to this matter, for sake of
completeness (and to admit my mistake!)

it turns out that i had my new XP disc in my DVD drive, but what i
didn't realize was that i had an OLD XP disc in my CD drive at the
same time, and therefore the install was running off the wrong disc
and of course it didn't accept the product key. in the shuffle of my
multiple efforts to get this machine working again, i had forgotten
about that other disc.

sorry for the foolish question... hopefully it's smooth sailing from
here.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Well, that was a big post for a trivial issue . . . thanks for
the feedback!