How to reset XP Home ed product Key

[RJK]

I've just ordered some parts to tweak up the innnards of a system box for
the granddaughter of a lady at work including an IDe hard disk.
It is an oldish system box from a "Freecycle" network i.e. she got it for
free. It has a XP Home edition Product Key sticker on it but, there is no
hard disk, and of course no XP Home ed. OEM cd. (pretty sure that this OEM
XP Home version Product Key is no longer in use).

Pleeez , no lectures on MS OEM licensing !!!

Will it work if I install XP using my XP Home ed SP1 cd, and then try the
following etc.
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-5034890.html

any tips appreciated,

regards, Richard

 

[Malke]

I've just ordered some parts to tweak up the innnards of a system box for
the granddaughter of a lady at work including an IDe hard disk.
It is an oldish system box from a "Freecycle" network i.e. she got it for
free. It has a XP Home edition Product Key sticker on it but, there is no
hard disk, and of course no XP Home ed. OEM cd. (pretty sure that this
OEM XP Home version Product Key is no longer in use).

Pleeez , no lectures on MS OEM licensing !!!

Then don't post in a newsgroup hosted on MS servers. There are no licensing
issues in this situation for you to feel naughty about anyway.

Will it work if I install XP using my XP Home ed SP1 cd, and then try the
following etc.
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-5034890.html

There is no need to use a key changer. You need to install using a generic
OEM XP Home disc and use the Product Key on the COA sticker on the side of
her computer (no need to use any of your own keys). Your own XP Home CD will
not work if it is retail. If it is a branded OEM, it might or might not -
you will just have to try it. Many branded OEM install discs won't install
on any hardware that isn't that brand (a Dell CD will only install to Dell
hardware for instance).

Either purchase a generic OEM XP installation disc to use for this purpose
or have the lady take her computer to a real computer tech - who will have
the disc necessary.

Malke

 

[RJK]

I've just ordered some parts to tweak up the innnards of a system box for
the granddaughter of a lady at work including an IDe hard disk.
It is an oldish system box from a "Freecycle" network i.e. she got it for
free. It has a XP Home edition Product Key sticker on it but, there is no
hard disk, and of course no XP Home ed. OEM cd. (pretty sure that this
OEM XP Home version Product Key is no longer in use).

Pleeez , no lectures on MS OEM licensing !!!

Will it work if I install XP using my XP Home ed SP1 cd, and then try the
following etc.
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-5034890.html

any tips appreciated,

regards, Richard

 

[RJK]

I've just ordered some parts to tweak up the innnards of a system box for
the granddaughter of a lady at work including an IDe hard disk.
It is an oldish system box from a "Freecycle" network i.e. she got it for
free. It has a XP Home edition Product Key sticker on it but, there is no
hard disk, and of course no XP Home ed. OEM cd. (pretty sure that this
OEM XP Home version Product Key is no longer in use).

Pleeez , no lectures on MS OEM licensing !!!

Will it work if I install XP using my XP Home ed SP1 cd, and then try the
following etc.
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-5034890.html

any tips appreciated,

regards, Richard

Well, thanks for all the help !

After upgrading the innards of the "free" system box, (that a friend at work
got from a "FreeCycle" network, that she aquired for her grand-daughter, and
which had a XP Home ed. Product key sticker on it but, no discs or hard disk
in it).

(...fitted new 80plus 350w PSU / new IDE hd / more PC266 RAM / 6200a
graphics card / card reader / 4 port USB card with 2 internal seeing as
there was only one pin header on motherboard and that was already used for 2
case front USB ports, new case fans ...gorgeous !!! )

I installed XP Home ed. SP1 using my XP Home ed. SP1 cd and when it asked
for Product Key, I typed in the one on the "FreeCycle" system box case
sticker, (expecting it to be rejected), and it was accepted, and XP Home
installed without a glitch, ...so I hit lucky with original XP cd version +
Product Key groups I suppose ? It activated at MS without a problem,
....SP3 on cd went in without a problem, and after plugging the internet into
its' LAN port - it's gone on to fully update itself.

So the lady at work, (who could not afford much at all), has saved a system
box with a lovely old Asus P4B533-V plus SL6SK in it, from going to scrap,
and it should serve her grand-daughter well, for school-work, and much more.
It cost me £89 in parts ! ...sob !

So, after spending quite a while reading up on MS EULA's and MS Product Key
groups / XP cd versions etc, which got more complicated and confusing, the
more I read.
I tried the above and it worked ! ...so that OEM version of XP Home, (and
same product key), is now in, and on, the same system box, on the same
motherboard+cpu it was always in / on !

regards, richard