Installing used copy of XP

[SteveD]

I have purchased a used copy of XP Upgrade. The original
owner claims he has uninstalled it from his PC. Will I
have any problems with installation. May main concern is
the registration (?) part of the installation. From what
I understand, during the installation, the PC's moden
connects to Microsoft for verification to prevent multiple
installs with the same CD. Can Microsoft remedy this for
me ?????

Thanks

 

[purplehaz]

Registration is always optional. Activation is required. During install if
activation doesn't go thru, it will prompt you to call MS and explain what
you did and they should activate you. Make sure this is a retail version of
xp(not an oem version) and the seller also should have given you all
documentation, cd's, product keys, to make the sale legal.

 

[Norm]

It's the activation part you have to worry about, not registration.
Microsoft won't allow you to activate it if it in use by the person you
purchased it from. Just depends on how much you trust the person you bought
it from. You cannot activate with the same Product ID on 2 machines at the
same time, it has nothing to do with the CD.

 

[Alex Nichol]

I have purchased a used copy of XP Upgrade. The original
owner claims he has uninstalled it from his PC. Will I
have any problems with installation. May main concern is
the registration (?) part of the installation.

Registration as owner is optional, and I would not bother, it is purely
for marketing purposes. He should have provided you with CD, documents,
Product Key and Certificate of Authenticity as proof of ownership. You
use the 25 character Product key again. When it comes to *activation*,
the important bit, which I would do having got things settled and when
on the net, after a day or so, you may find it will go through on the
net anyway - if more than 120 days since he last did it certainly will.
If not, you will have to phone a toll-free number that will be given, to
explain and swap one long number for another to check back as you type
it in