Lost and Found XP home disks

[Guest]

My HD crashed and I went to install XP on my Computer from the disk that I
got with my computer when I bought it. However I could not find them and
thought my kids had thrown them away. So I went out and bought a new copy of
XP Home and installled it.

I now found the original install disk so I am wondering since my kids
computer still has 98 on it is there a way for me to update the CD key on my
computer to the CD key from the install disk that came with my PC and use the
new version of XP home for my kids computer.

Thanks CW

 

[Jerry]

You would have to uninstall the one you bought from one computer and put it
on the other computer. The keys cannot just be changed.

 

[Harry Ohrn]

You might be able to if you use the Magical Jellybean keyfinder from here
http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml It has an option to change
keys. The problem you might encounter has to do with the versions of XP. If
the new version you bought is a "Retail version" and the old version that
came with your computer is an OEM version then keys are not interchangeable.
You will need to uninstall the new version from your computer and install it
on the kids computer. You can't legally install the OEM version that came
with your computer onto an other computer.

So try the keyfinder. It costs nothing and if the keys are interchangeable
it will let you make the change. If the keys are not interchangeable then it
won't accept the change.

 

[paulmd]

My HD crashed and I went to install XP on my Computer from the disk that I
got with my computer when I bought it. However I could not find them and
thought my kids had thrown them away. So I went out and bought a new copy of
XP Home and installled it.

I now found the original install disk so I am wondering since my kids
computer still has 98 on it is there a way for me to update the CD key on my
computer to the CD key from the install disk that came with my PC and use the
new version of XP home for my kids computer.

Thanks CW

You have two legal copies of XP, therefor, you can have two computers
with XP on them.

So yes, you can upgrade your kid's computer from win98 to XP.

Though be aware of minimum system requirements (especially RAM).

Pentium 1 MMX, 233MHZ, 128MB RAM.

I prefer at least a Pentium 3, and 256MB ram. And at least 6GB free
hard drive space.

It will install on 64MB Ram, and an even slower Pentium 1, but that's a
little painful.

As for the Keys stored in the machine, don't worry, as long as you have
two Certificates Of Authenticity (COAs), you're fine. I wouldn't bother
doing a repair install for this situation.

 

[Rock]

My HD crashed and I went to install XP on my Computer from the disk that I
got with my computer when I bought it. However I could not find them and
thought my kids had thrown them away. So I went out and bought a new copy
of
XP Home and installled it.

I now found the original install disk so I am wondering since my kids
computer still has 98 on it is there a way for me to update the CD key on
my
computer to the CD key from the install disk that came with my PC and use
the
new version of XP home for my kids computer.

The copy of XP that came with your computer is most likely an OEM copy. The
license for it - called the EULA, states it cannot be moved to another
computer.

What version of XP did you buy - retail or OEM? If retail, if you remove it
from your computer it can be reinstalled on the other one. Then install the
OEM copy that came with your computer back on your computer.

If you bought an OEM copy, again per the EULA, it's tied to the first
computer on which it's installed.