kevgibbo said:
Hi,
I have a Sony Vaio laptop which was pre-installed with Windows XP
Professional, I upgraded this using a Windows Vista Home Premium CD
(clean install) which came with a different PC so I now need a unique
license for my copy. If I purchase a Windows Vista Ultimate upgrade
will this also include the product key I need?
It'll incklude a Product Key, but not one that will be of any immediate
help.
From your description, you used an OEM installation CD to install that
illicit copy of Vista. A Vista Ultimate Upgrade Product key will not
work with the OEM installation. Product Keys are bound to the specific
type and language of CD/license (Vista Edition, OEM, Volume, retail,
full, or Upgrade) with which they are purchased. For example, a Vista
Home Premium OEM Product Key won't work for any retail version of WinXP
Home, or for any version of Vista Business, and vice versa. An
upgrade's Product Key cannot be used with a full version CD, and vice
versa. An OEM Product Key will not work to install a retail product.
An Italian Product Key will not work with an English CD. Bottom line:
Product Keys and CD types cannot be mixed & matched.
To the best of my knowledge, you've two options, at this point:
1) Format the hard drive, reinstall WinXP, and then perform the upgrade
using the Vista Upgrade CD and Product Key.
2) Boot from the Vista Upgrade CD, format the hard drive and perform a
clean installation, *without* entering the Product Key. Then, from
within this installation, upgrade (yes, reinstall) to Vista Ultimate,
this time entering the Product Key. (This is an unsupported
work-around, so I can't personally speak as to its efficacy.)
--
Bruce Chambers
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