Lost Windows XP OEM

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I was going to reformat my hard drive. I have a 3 year old custom built PC
with an OEM Windows XP installed. I have a product key attached to the
computer. A few months ago, I purchased a Vista upgrade and installed that on
top of my XP. I would now like to reformat my hard drive and do a clean
install but I can't find my Windows XP OEM anywhere. Do I need to purchase a
new copy of XP to use my Vista Upgrade. I do not have the XP key number,
although I have the key attached to the computer. Any ideas? Thanks.
 
I'm unsure about the statement "I don't have the XP key number, although I
have the key attached to the computer."

Do you mean you still have a sticker on the computer that has a key on it?
If so, that's the XP key.

I am unsure if it'd work, but you could maybe try downloading the Magical
Jellybean keyfinder and see if it displays the XP key as well as the Vista
key (assuming it even shows Vista info)? Worth a shot anyway.

Joe
 
markteach said:
I was going to reformat my hard drive. I have a 3 year old custom built PC
with an OEM Windows XP installed. I have a product key attached to the
computer. A few months ago, I purchased a Vista upgrade and installed that on
top of my XP. I would now like to reformat my hard drive and do a clean
install but I can't find my Windows XP OEM anywhere. Do I need to purchase a
new copy of XP to use my Vista Upgrade. I do not have the XP key number,
although I have the key attached to the computer. Any ideas? Thanks.
Click to expand...

An upgrade CD won't install unless you can prove that there's
something to upgrade. That means sticking your XP OEM disk into the
drive when the install routine asks for it. I don't think there's any
way out for you.
 
Technically you need a copy of XP or 2000 installed in order to install an
Upgrade version of Vista. If you can get your hands on a copy of an OEM XP
CD and use your own Product to Key to install it on your system that will be
legal. However not every OEM version of XP will work with every OEM key.
Some OEM versions are proprietary to a specific manufacture and might not
accept the key you have.

This might also be worth a shot http://www.windowssecrets.com/comp/070201
Please be advised that I have never tried this method myself and therefore
cannot attest to whether or not it works.
 
Tim Slattery said:
An upgrade CD won't install unless you can prove that there's
something to upgrade. That means sticking your XP OEM disk into the
drive when the install routine asks for it. I don't think there's any
way out for you.
Click to expand...


Tim, Vista doesn't do a shiny media check for proof of ownership as XP does.
It's designed to start the upgrade from the desktop of the qualifying OS.
There is a double install method around this requirement, to install on a
bare metal drive.
 
markteach said:
I was going to reformat my hard drive. I have a 3 year old custom
built PC with an OEM Windows XP installed. I have a product key
attached to the computer. A few months ago, I purchased a Vista
upgrade and installed that on top of my XP. I would now like to
reformat my hard drive and do a clean install but I can't find my
Windows XP OEM anywhere. Do I need to purchase a new copy of XP to
use my Vista Upgrade. I do not have the XP key number, although I
have the key attached to the computer. Any ideas? Thanks.
Click to expand...

The method offered by JS should work. From what I understand, Microsoft
has made the mistake of allowing an upgrade version of Vista to be
installed without qualifying media (!) for a 30-day trial period (*no*
product key needs to be entered). Before the trial period is over, all
you need to do is repeat the process, but this time perform an upgrade
(an upgrade over the trial version of Vista!), this time entering your
Vista key.

If for some reason, you want to be able to indefinitely use XP *instead*
of Vista, then the person who built you the PC should be able to provide
you with the generic OEM XP disk (this happened to me once, too). Since
you still have the product key, you should be fine. And here's a good
reference for a clean install:

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

But that one sentence at the end of your post really doesn't make any
sense:
I do not have the XP key number, although I have the key
attached to the computer.
Click to expand...

What do you mean? The 25-digit product key is printed on the sticker
attached to your PC!!!
 
here is a link to an article on how to do a CLEAN install with an upgrade disk.

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=5932



(e-mail address removed)



I was going to reformat my hard drive. I have a 3 year old custom built PC
with an OEM Windows XP installed. I have a product key attached to the
computer. A few months ago, I purchased a Vista upgrade and installed that on
top of my XP. I would now like to reformat my hard drive and do a clean
install but I can't find my Windows XP OEM anywhere. Do I need to purchase a
new copy of XP to use my Vista Upgrade. I do not have the XP key number,
although I have the key attached to the computer. Any ideas? Thanks.
 
I'm not technical but from what I've heard you don't need to actually install
XP before you install Vista, I believe you just have to stick the Win XP cd
in your drive like mentionned in a prior post to verify that you do own a
qualifying upgrade product and then your Vista upgrade should install. A
replacement cd would need to come from the company that sold you the software
as it's an OEM license and not a retail copy. Microsoft will only replace OEM
licences of Win XP if your OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer - Who would
be the company that built your PC with the XP installed is out of business).
So if someone can indeed verify for you that you will not have to install XP
and not have to enter in the product key for XP then you can just borrow
someone's full version win xp cd and that'll work even though your not
supposed to use other ppl's cd's because it's just going to verify that you
qualify to install an upgrade copy of Vista.
 
I'm not technical but from what I've heard you don't need to actually
install
XP before you install Vista, I believe you just have to stick the Win XP
cd
in your drive like mentionned in a prior post to verify that you do own a
qualifying upgrade product and then your Vista upgrade should install.
Click to expand...

Not so. Vista does not do a shiny media check like XP did. It is designed
to upgrade from the desktop of the installed, qualifying OS. That said
there is a double install method to get a clean install with an upgrade
version, but there is no shiny media check.

<snip>
 
I'm not technical but from what I've heard you don't need to actually install
XP before you install Vista, I believe you just have to stick the Win XP cd
in your drive like mentionned in a prior post to verify that you do own a
qualifying upgrade product and then your Vista upgrade should install.
Click to expand...


That was true of previous Upgrade versions of Windows, but
unfortunately it is not true of Vista.
 
Daave said:
The method offered by JS should work. From what I understand, Microsoft
has made the mistake of allowing an upgrade version of Vista to be
installed without qualifying media (!) for a 30-day trial period (*no*
product key needs to be entered). Before the trial period is over, all
you need to do is repeat the process, but this time perform an upgrade
(an upgrade over the trial version of Vista!), this time entering your
Vista key.

If for some reason, you want to be able to indefinitely use XP *instead*
of Vista, then the person who built you the PC should be able to provide
you with the generic OEM XP disk (this happened to me once, too). Since
you still have the product key, you should be fine. And here's a good
reference for a clean install:

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

But that one sentence at the end of your post really doesn't make any
sense:


What do you mean? The 25-digit product key is printed on the sticker
attached to your PC!!!
Click to expand...
 
Rock said:
Tim, Vista doesn't do a shiny media check for proof of ownership as XP does.
It's designed to start the upgrade from the desktop of the qualifying OS.
There is a double install method around this requirement, to install on a
bare metal drive.
Click to expand...
Mark
 
Are you Mark or Tim? I'm confused!

If you are referring to the Product ID number, that doesn't get
generated until after you install Windows. As long as you have the
25-digit Product Key, you're all set.
 
I was going to reformat my hard drive. I have a 3 year old custom built PC
with an OEM Windows XP installed. I have a product key attached to the
computer. A few months ago, I purchased a Vista upgrade and installed that on
top of my XP. I would now like to reformat my hard drive and do a clean
install but I can't find my Windows XP OEM anywhere. Do I need to purchase a
new copy of XP to use my Vista Upgrade. I do not have the XP key number,
although I have the key attached to the computer. Any ideas? Thanks.
Click to expand...

Your vendor might replace it. Nothing to lose by asking.
 

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