Pirate Copy of Windows XP

[Charles]

If a person found a pirate copy of Windows XP on a PC he
had just bought, and then decided to buy a genuine copy,
could he just intall the genuine in over the pirate copy?

 

[Will Denny]

Hi Charles

Possibly, but I would suggest that the pirate copy is completely extinguished - due to Registry entries - and the legally purchased copy installed. The data files can be backed up 1st.

Will

 

[Ron Martell]

If a person found a pirate copy of Windows XP on a PC he
had just bought, and then decided to buy a genuine copy,
could he just intall the genuine in over the pirate copy?

If the purchased copy is the same version as the pirate version (e.g.
XP Pro) then you can simply replace the pirated product key with the
legitimate one by using Windows XP Product Key finder from
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/keyfinder.exe which includes an option
to change the existing product key to a valid one without doing a
reinstall.


Note that if the legitimate Windows XP version is XP Pro with Service
Pack 1 incorporated and the pirated version is just XP Pro (no Service
Pack 1) then this may not work.

In that case you may have to do a repair install as per the
instructions at http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm


And if the pirated version is XP Pro and the legitimate version is XP
Home then you will have to reformat the hard drive and install XP
clean on the empty hard drive then install the applications and
finally restore the data files from backups. Using the Files And
Settings Transfer Wizard (see http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/fast.htm
by MVP Gary Woodruff) can greatly expedite this process should it be
necessary.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."

 

[johnf]

When was XP1 incorporated on the XP CD?

--
Johnf

If the purchased copy is the same version as the pirate version (e.g.
XP Pro) then you can simply replace the pirated product key with the
legitimate one by using Windows XP Product Key finder from
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/keyfinder.exe which includes an option
to change the existing product key to a valid one without doing a
reinstall.


Note that if the legitimate Windows XP version is XP Pro with Service
Pack 1 incorporated and the pirated version is just XP Pro (no Service
Pack 1) then this may not work.

In that case you may have to do a repair install as per the
instructions at http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm


And if the pirated version is XP Pro and the legitimate version is XP
Home then you will have to reformat the hard drive and install XP
clean on the empty hard drive then install the applications and
finally restore the data files from backups. Using the Files And
Settings Transfer Wizard (see http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/fast.htm
by MVP Gary Woodruff) can greatly expedite this process should it be
necessary.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."

 

[Ron Martell]

When was XP1 incorporated on the XP CD?

CDs with Service Pack 1 incorporated started to become available
shortly after the release of the service pack. Their availability in
stores varied, depending on the location and on the amount of stock on
hand of the original version of Windows XP.


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."

 

[Peter Wilkins]

CDs with Service Pack 1 incorporated started to become available
shortly after the release of the service pack. Their availability in
stores varied, depending on the location and on the amount of stock on
hand of the original version of Windows XP.

And if you only have the original CD, you can make your own
incorporating SP1 - much easier for a reinstall.

Do a google search - there are instructions on how to do it using Nero
or EasyCD, or look at:

http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp1_cd.htm

 

[Charles]

-----Original Message-----
If a person found a pirate copy of Windows XP on a PC he
had just bought, and then decided to buy a genuine copy,
could he just intall the genuine in over the pirate copy?
.
Thank you all for your help, we have now discovered that

the Pirate copy is Windows XP Professional, we have
bought Windows XP home to install.We do not have the
original Windows XP Professional CD.If the only way is to
reformat the hard disc, any suggestions on how we go
about this please?

 

[Gordon Burgess-Parker]

the Pirate copy is Windows XP Professional, we have
bought Windows XP home to install.We do not have the
original Windows XP Professional CD.If the only way is to
reformat the hard disc, any suggestions on how we go
about this please?

Set your BIOS to boot from the CD, boot up, re-format the HDD (back up data
first!) and follow the instructions.

 

[Harry Ohrn]

If a person found a pirate copy of Windows XP on a PC he
had just bought, and then decided to buy a genuine copy,
could he just intall the genuine in over the pirate copy?

Check the version. Most pirated versions are XP Pro and because you can not
install an XP Home version over a Pro version you will need to ensure that
the version you buy is Pro if you want to upgrade install. If you decide to
buy the XP Home version you will need to do a clean install.

 

[Harry Ohrn]

Here you go
http://www.blkviper.com/Articles/OS/InstallXPHome/installxphome1.htm