Can't install XP Professional with the XP product key

[Guest]

I have a very obscure question. I am working on a computer whereby XP
professional stopped working (likely due to a virus but products like Norton
can't even be installed). The owner couldn't find the XP product key. We
used the http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml utility to get the
registration key and cleaned the machine. Upon reinstallation... the
registration key wouldn't work.

My question is: Does XP Professional have a different product key then the
XP Professional with Service Pack 1? They gave me the XP professional with
SP1 CD to use and I don't know the history but suspect that the computer was
originally installed a prior version.

Any ideas of where I go from here? Is there any location that I can
download an older version of XP Professional - to test my theory?

Thanks for your help

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I have a very obscure question. I am working on a computer
whereby XP professional stopped working (likely due to a virus but
products like Norton can't even be installed). The owner couldn't
find the XP product key. We used the
http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml utility to get the
registration key and cleaned the machine. Upon reinstallation...
the registration key wouldn't work.

My question is: Does XP Professional have a different product key
then the XP Professional with Service Pack 1? They gave me the XP
professional with SP1 CD to use and I don't know the history but
suspect that the computer was originally installed a prior version.

Any ideas of where I go from here? Is there any location that I can
download an older version of XP Professional - to test my theory?

CD Keys are not dependent on Service pack level.

So the problem is more likely that the version they had installed previously
is not the same "type" as that of the CD they gave you - either because of
some image the OEM that sold them the computer used, because of poor
managment of their backups on the users part or because someone else
previously reinstalled their system with a bootleg copy.

That key you have look like any of these:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326904

You also may want to read this:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310637

 

[Guest]

Thanks for your response. The Product Code was valid. As it turns out... I
tried an old XP Professional CD (before SP) and tried that install. Using
their install code - this time it worked. Strange... but I seem to be up and
running.

Thanks for your help.