Installing legal over illegal installation

[Cindy Wakeman]

I have a member at TechTV who bought a used computer and
found that it has an illegal copy of WinXP Pro on it. He
went out and bought a legal copy, but it will not let him
install over the other copy. I suspect his only solution
will be formatting and installing clean, which I'd
recommend anyways, but wondered if any of you know of any
other solution.

Thanks! Cin

 

[Chris Lanier]

http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

 

[VMS Tech]

If you got a used computer with a illegal copy of XP Pro from a company, You
should report them to Microsoft and have them buy you a legit copy, or cut
down the dollar amount you paid for the system. But If you got it from a
user, the decision is up to you; from what I hear.

I believe the MVP guys in the forms know about some type of registry edit
you can do, to re-register the product key and then re-active the copy of xp
on a existing installation.


Thanks,

Travis Sapara
VM-Systems
Service Manager
(e-mail address removed)
(780)632-2859

 

[Nicholas]

The only solution is to purchase the "full, retail version" of
Windows XP Professional and perform a "repair install".
One cannot simply change the Product Key since the pirated
copy is likely not a "retail version".

How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install
http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

[Courtesy of Michael Stevens, MS-MVP]


--
Nicholas

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| I have a member at TechTV who bought a used computer and
| found that it has an illegal copy of WinXP Pro on it. He
| went out and bought a legal copy, but it will not let him
| install over the other copy. I suspect his only solution
| will be formatting and installing clean, which I'd
| recommend anyways, but wondered if any of you know of any
| other solution.
|
| Thanks! Cin

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Ryan;
That probably will not work.
That fix is if both Windows XP are the same version.
In this case the illegal is probably Volume License and the new is
retail.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Cindy;
Does it fit this:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=326904
If it does, you most likely have a pirated Windows XP Pro.
Purchase Windows XP Pro (Home will not work) and perform a Repair
Installation using the new valid key and CD:
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_repair_install.htm