CD keys - several?

[Alynn Baker]

We bought 4 computers this year and each came with the WinXP home CD, of
course. On 1 of them I wrote the CD key that appears on a sticker on the
bottom of the computer. On the others I did not write the key on the CD
before storing it.

Does it matter which Windows CD I use if something calls for inserting the
CD (as long as it is the same version, say XP home including service pack
1)? Or is the CD hard-wired to only its own peculiar key code?

In addition, the utilities I downloaded that read the installed key from my
computer do not agree with the sticker under the laptops. I understand that
the manufacturer may have used another CD than the one they sent me.

 

[Dan DiNicolo]

We bought 4 computers this year and each came with the WinXP home CD, of
course. On 1 of them I wrote the CD key that appears on a sticker on the
bottom of the computer. On the others I did not write the key on the CD
before storing it.

Does it matter which Windows CD I use if something calls for inserting the
CD (as long as it is the same version, say XP home including service pack
1)? Or is the CD hard-wired to only its own peculiar key code?

In addition, the utilities I downloaded that read the installed key from
my computer do not agree with the sticker under the laptops. I understand
that the manufacturer may have used another CD than the one they sent me.

As far as using the CD is for the same version, you won't have any issues on
that front.

 

[David Candy]

If they are MS XP disks it will be fine. The seller would have used their key for the preinstalled version. Use the key on the computer if you ever need to.

For MS XP all types of a disk are interchangable. EG All MS XP Home OEM CDs will accept any key for MS XP Home OEM but not MS XP Home Retail keys. Also an IBM or HP XP will need a key for that type.

 

[Alynn Baker]

Thanks for the help, everyone. I understand that, as long as I use the key
on the computer's label, I'm OK.

Dell wrote me that their Windows CDs won't ask for that number if used on
Dell computers. So I guess they won't work at all on a non-Dell computer,
which is not a problem for me since I'm only looking to catalog which Cd
goes with which Dell computer we own!


"David Candy" <.> wrote in message
If they are MS XP disks it will be fine. The seller would have used their
key for the preinstalled version. Use the key on the computer if you ever
need to.

For MS XP all types of a disk are interchangable. EG All MS XP Home OEM CDs
will accept any key for MS XP Home OEM but not MS XP Home Retail keys. Also
an IBM or HP XP will need a key for that type.