HDD died and took the OS and recovery partition with it.

[Guest]

I acquired a second hand HP Pavilion with a bad HDD. I have no way of
knowing who actually purchased it originally. It is in good shape otherwise
and has the COA sticker on the side of the case.

I have tried repeatedly to install XP Home using the PID from the COA with
numerous XP Home CD's and the PID number is always rejected as invalid.

What am I missing? I have tried OEM, Retail, and even one upgrade disk.
There were never any recovery CD's provided with this model - one only had to
press F10 at boot to enter the recovery process.

I read posts about BIOS-locked versions and so much and it is all confusing.
I would appreciate an input at all,

Thanks!

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I acquired a second hand HP Pavilion with a bad HDD. I have no way of
knowing who actually purchased it originally. It is in good shape
otherwise and has the COA sticker on the side of the case.

I have tried repeatedly to install XP Home using the PID from the COA
with numerous XP Home CD's and the PID number is always rejected as
invalid.

What am I missing? I have tried OEM, Retail, and even one upgrade
disk. There were never any recovery CD's provided with this model -
one only had to press F10 at boot to enter the recovery process.

I read posts about BIOS-locked versions and so much and it is all
confusing. I would appreciate an input at all,

Likely a lost cause. That number would probably only work with the original
installation media.
Buy an OEM version of XP, install it with its own number.

 

[johnsmith]

I acquired a second hand HP Pavilion with a bad HDD. I have no way of
knowing who actually purchased it originally. It is in good shape otherwise
and has the COA sticker on the side of the case.

I have tried repeatedly to install XP Home using the PID from the COA with
numerous XP Home CD's and the PID number is always rejected as invalid.

What am I missing? I have tried OEM, Retail, and even one upgrade disk.
There were never any recovery CD's provided with this model - one only had to
press F10 at boot to enter the recovery process.

I read posts about BIOS-locked versions and so much and it is all confusing.
I would appreciate an input at all,

Like cats, PIDs have a limited number of lives; probably the previous owner used them all.

 

[DL]

Lets see if I read this right.
You replace the hd and tried to install a retail version of winxp?

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Obtaining HP Recovery CDs
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...3&lang=en&cc=us&lc=en&dlc=en&docname=bph07143

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups

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

:

| I acquired a second hand HP Pavilion with a bad HDD. I have no way of
| knowing who actually purchased it originally. It is in good shape otherwise
| and has the COA sticker on the side of the case.
|
| I have tried repeatedly to install XP Home using the PID from the COA with
| numerous XP Home CD's and the PID number is always rejected as invalid.
|
| What am I missing? I have tried OEM, Retail, and even one upgrade disk.
| There were never any recovery CD's provided with this model - one only had to
| press F10 at boot to enter the recovery process.
|
| I read posts about BIOS-locked versions and so much and it is all confusing.
| I would appreciate an input at all,
|
| Thanks!

 

[Guest]

Thanks everyone for the lightning-fast responses. Thanks Carey for the link,
I will consider this, but I don't understand about the PID. Why is mine
apparently invalid on every MS release of XP Home? This seems unfair to the
EU.

 

[Guest]

Yes, that about sums it up. Is that bad. Am I a bad, bad man for trying to
reinstall Windows in an unorthodox manner? What is it about my PID that is
invalid when it's plainly printed on the COA by MS?

Thanks.

 

[Guest]

I know you must be kidding me... The PID is supposedly "good in perpituity",
- that's a good long time.

Thanks

 

[Guest]

As far as I know, the installation media was the hard drive itself. There
was never any installation media provided by the manufacturer.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Thanks everyone for the lightning-fast responses. Thanks Carey for
the link, I will consider this, but I don't understand about the PID.
Why is mine apparently invalid on every MS release of XP Home? This
seems unfair to the EU.

It's simple.

The Original Equipment Manufacturer put an Original Equipment Manufacturer
(OEM) copy of the OS on the machine. Whether they provided the end-user
with media or some other means of restoration was up to them - but they
chose to give the user the cheaper alternative of the OEM copy and not the
more expensive (but better in the long run for a few reasons) Retail version
of Windows XP Home. The CD Key they gave and probably placed on a sticker
on the machine was made to work with one set of media - theirs.

A few of the worst things about the OEM copies.. No siupport from
Microsoft - only the original reseller (OEM); it dies with the machine; the
OEM has the right to change the copy in many ways and is left with the
option to provide whatever method they see fit of restoring the machine to
its original state.

You will have to purchase a new copy of Windows XP Home Edition and use the
CD Key that comes with that CD. It's that simple.

 

[DL]

So your initiating a clean install and when it comes to enter the key, from
your retail version of winxp, thats on the orange sticker on the cd, case it
gives an err msg ' wrong #' ?
If this is the case are you sure your entering the code correctly ie 8 or B
look the same as do 0 and O

 

[Ron Martell]

Like cats, PIDs have a limited number of lives; probably the previous owner used them all.

That is not correct.

His problem is with the special "BIOS Locked" OEM code.

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm

 

[gg]

OEM software are supposed to be install on one PC and only PC. If you
substantially changed the hardware so that it consider a different PC, too
bad, it is gone. I believe that is the current license term. if you don't
like the term, you better buy the retail version


The install CD must use its own PID, not something else. that is why we are
asked to enter the "key" which is the de-encryption key.

 

[Ron Martell]

I acquired a second hand HP Pavilion with a bad HDD. I have no way of
knowing who actually purchased it originally. It is in good shape otherwise
and has the COA sticker on the side of the case.

I have tried repeatedly to install XP Home using the PID from the COA with
numerous XP Home CD's and the PID number is always rejected as invalid.

What am I missing? I have tried OEM, Retail, and even one upgrade disk.
There were never any recovery CD's provided with this model - one only had to
press F10 at boot to enter the recovery process.

I read posts about BIOS-locked versions and so much and it is all confusing.
I would appreciate an input at all,

Thanks!

The Product Key that came with your HP Pavilion is for a "BIOS Locked"
SLP version of Windows XP.

As of March 1, 2005 Microsoft changed the activation procedure so that
the blocks of product keys assigned to the BIOS Locked OEM versions
will no longer activate over the Internet.

Your only hope is to obtain an installation CD for your specific HP
model from HP.

Either that or purchase a new Windows XP license with CD and Product
Key.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm