Getting XP Pro License back from Hard Drive

[Guest]

I had a Dell computer that was fried by a lightining storm and thankfully
didn't kill my hard drive. I have a friend who has safely taken the entire
contents off the drive and we have reformatted it for use in my new self
built computer. The same friend had an install disk and when we tried to use
the product key that I originally had it wouldn't work. it kept saying
invalid key. We had to use his last corporate key to do the install since we
couldn't get my key to work.

How do I get my key back onto "into" my new computer so I won't get a finger
shaken at me my MS? I was able to use his load disk with the corp key loaded
up with all the updates beyond SP2, etc... I just want to switch my keys so
everything is [somewhat] back the way it was? I really don't want to have to
buy a new copy of XP!

Thanks for any help.
ms

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Use the Windows Product Key Update Tool:
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/selfhelp/PKUInstructions.aspx

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User

---------------------------------------------------------------------------­-----

:

I had a Dell computer that was fried by a lightining storm and thankfully
didn't kill my hard drive. I have a friend who has safely taken the entire
contents off the drive and we have reformatted it for use in my new self
built computer. The same friend had an install disk and when we tried to use
the product key that I originally had it wouldn't work. it kept saying
invalid key. We had to use his last corporate key to do the install since we
couldn't get my key to work.

How do I get my key back onto "into" my new computer so I won't get a finger
shaken at me my MS? I was able to use his load disk with the corp key loaded
up with all the updates beyond SP2, etc... I just want to switch my keys so
everything is [somewhat] back the way it was? I really don't want to have to
buy a new copy of XP!

Thanks for any help.
ms

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the help! Hopefully it will work.
ms

 

[David B.]

Per the license the Dell OEM XP license is not transferable to another PC.
Also The product key on your Dell install is not going to match the one on
the sticker and will not work either. Having said that, the key on the Dell
sticker will work ONLY if the new install was done with an OEM CD, it will
not work with any of the retail CD's. Also, in order to use your key, you'll
need to do a format and fresh install with an OEM CD, the OEM key from your
Dell is not compatible with a volume license installation.

 

[Guest]

Unless things have changed, you probably wouldn't need the serial number as
if you have the original Dell XP CD, it seems to extract the serial number
from the BIOS (I guess).

I've reinstalled XP with the Dell XP CDs and it never asks for the number.

 

[David B.]

Actually it's coded into the installation CD, it can be used on quite a few
Dell models, and each install will end up with the same key.

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Unless things have changed, you probably wouldn't need the serial number
as
if you have the original Dell XP CD, it seems to extract the serial number
from the BIOS (I guess).

I've reinstalled XP with the Dell XP CDs and it never asks for the number.

I had a Dell computer that was fried by a lightining storm and thankfully
didn't kill my hard drive. I have a friend who has safely taken the
entire
contents off the drive and we have reformatted it for use in my new self
built computer. The same friend had an install disk and when we tried to
use
the product key that I originally had it wouldn't work. it kept saying
invalid key. We had to use his last corporate key to do the install since
we
couldn't get my key to work.

How do I get my key back onto "into" my new computer so I won't get a
finger
shaken at me my MS? I was able to use his load disk with the corp key
loaded
up with all the updates beyond SP2, etc... I just want to switch my keys
so
everything is [somewhat] back the way it was? I really don't want to have
to
buy a new copy of XP!

Thanks for any help.
ms