i have a cd...and a product key on the bottom of my laptop

[onemanarmy427]

i have a windows vista home premium cd.
it came with a product key but i already used that.
i wanna know if i can use that same cd to install windows vista but using a
different product key that displays under my laptop...???
help please?

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

No. The Windows Vista product key affixed to your laptop
is only valid with your computer manufacturer's recommended
recovery or reinstallation procedure or disc. Consult the
User's Guide that came with your laptop.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience -
Windows Vista Enthusiast

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

i have a windows vista home premium cd.
it came with a product key but i already used that.
i wanna know if i can use that same cd to install windows vista but using a
different product key that displays under my laptop...???
help please?

 

[Rick Rogers]

Hi,

Probably not. If your disk is retail and the key is OEM, they aren't
interchangeable. An OEM key needs to be used with OEM media, and a retail
disk requires the use of a retail key.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

 

[Shane Nokes]

There is no such thing with Vista as OEM vs. Retail discs per se.

What is happening these days is those keys that are on the bottom of laptops
are "cancelled" keys that don't work for installs but are valid licenses.

 

[Rick Rogers]

Um, sorry but yes there is still a difference with OEM/retail media and the
keys involved. And yes, the problem you noted exists as well.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

 

[Shane Nokes]

No there's not.

I have an OEM disc that I use for my retail installs of Vista Ultimate on my
desktop machine, using the retail key that Microsoft provided for me at the
end of the Vista beta.

Seriously, do some research Rick.

Normally I'm all for the MVP's, but in this case you are plain wrong.

 

[Shane Nokes]

Rick I think I know what you're talking about now.

Let me see if I'm getting what you're saying and then I can correct what
you're saying that's wrong.

Are you talking about Restore Media perhaps as opposed to OEM Media?

Restore Media would already have a key included that's a "master key" for
that particular OEM and would activate upon install.

In that situation if I attempted to use the Retail Media (or even OEM media)
to install then it wouldn't work with the key provided on the bottom (since
that key doesn't work anyways)

Is that what you're thinking of? Restore instead of OEM perhaps?

 

[Bruce Chambers]

No there's not.

I have an OEM disc that I use for my retail installs ....

That's a flat out contradiction. OEM and retail are mutually exclusive
terms. If you're selling OEM installations as retail licensed, you've
been committing fraud in a big, big way.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[Shane Nokes]

I'm committing fraud by installing an operating system on my own computer?

Oh my, someone call the news media.

I didn't know it was fraud to install something on ones own computer.

Let me make it simple for you.

The Retail and OEM discs are the same image.

Do a binary comparison genius.

This isn't XP days.

The discs are one and the same.

If you don't believe me go buy an OEM disc from newegg and then do a binary
comparison.

They will come up with the same CRC.

What you're talking about is restore discs which are not the same.


So long story short, I use an OEM (the same type you can buy at newegg) disc
coupled with my Retail key because they are the same disc.

I just don't happen to have any retail discs with SP1 already included.

I do happen to have the ISO images that MS provided us with at the end of
the SP1 beta as well.

That's how I know that the binaries match up, bit for bit.