A few years ago I had a computer stolen that had a OEM version of XP Pro
installed. I still have the original XP CD and would like to install it on
a recently acquired used computer. My problem is that I do not have a
record of the product key. Am I stuck with having to buy a new install CD?
Unfortunately, yes. The fact that you don't have the product key
actually doesn't even matter. Even if you had it, the license doesn't
permit you to do this. An OEM copy comes with several disadvantages,
the most severe of which is that its license ties it permanently to
the first computer it's installed on. It can never legally be moved to
another computer, sold, or given away without that computer.
It's for that reason that I recommend retail Upgrade copies instead of
OEM ones. They usually cost only slightly more than OEM versions, and
come without the OEM version's restrictions. Moreover, despite what
many people think, Upgrade versions *can* do clean installations as
long as you own a CD of a previous qualifying version to show it when
prompted. Most people have such CDs, but worst case, if you don't,
they can be bought used inexpensively someplace like eBay.
