re-installing XP Home blues

[Aikon-AmandaB]

I bought a rebuild computer from a second hand store that had XP Home
(service pack 3) pre-installed on it.
This morning my master drive siezed so I had to go and buy a new hard drive.
I installed a (lagit) copy of Windows '95 and (ligit) XP Home Upgrade that I
already owned, and when I went to input the product key from the old
operating system the key came back invalid.
So I used the product key from the copy of XP I had just installed. It also
came back invalid.
I have a little book with all the product keys I have ever used in it. one
of them eventualy came through as valid.

Everything was going good until I tried to install updates. The validation
tool came up with an invalid copy of Windows.
I have successfuly validated the product key twice (once with the automated
system and once with a human), but I still recieve an "invalid copy of
Windows" when I try to update.

How do I get my copy of windows validated without haveing to switch to Vista
or spending hundreds of dollars on a new copy of XP?

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

If the Upgrade copy is no longer installed on any machine and hasn't been
used as a qualifying product for further upgrade, you do it by starting over
with the legal copy and calling Microsoft for a replacement key. However,
according to this article, Windows 95 is not an accepted path for upgrading
to Windows XP of any stripe. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/292607/en-us

From: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326246/en-us
To replace a product key, contact Microsoft Customer Service and Support. To
locate the appropriate telephone number, visit the following Microsoft Web
site:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;CNTACTMS

Windows XP does not cost "hundreds" of dollars. More like an average of
$120, depending on the package you buy.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=windows+xp+system+builder

 

[Alan]

While the Microsoft article might state that "Windows 95 is not an accepted
path for upgrading to Windows XP of any stripe," in reality Win 95 could
always be used as a qualifying product for upgrading to XP.

It was a bug in XP that Microsoft never bothered to fix since XP was first
released, and it's not exactly been a secret.

Alan

 

[Big_Al]

While the Microsoft article might state that "Windows 95 is not an accepted
path for upgrading to Windows XP of any stripe," in reality Win 95 could
always be used as a qualifying product for upgrading to XP.

It was a bug in XP that Microsoft never bothered to fix since XP was first
released, and it's not exactly been a secret.

Alan

And if my memory serves me, you don't have to load 95 to load XP. Just
load XP and at some point it will tell you it needs to search for a
valid upgrade version, make sure the 95 CD is in the drive, remove the
XP CD. It may or will give you an option to specify the CD rom. Just
read the screen carefully. When validated, just put the XP cd back in
to finish the upgrade. And of course use your XP license key.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

While the Microsoft article might state that "Windows 95 is not an accepted
path for upgrading to Windows XP of any stripe," in reality Win 95 could
always be used as a qualifying product for upgrading to XP.

Not exactly. It's never been possible to upgrade directly from 95 to
XP (although it appears that Aikon-AmandaB is saying he did that,
something must be wrong with what he says). However, it has always
been possible to use a Windows 95 CD as proof of ownership of a
qualifying product when doing a clean installation with the XP upgrade
CD.

It was a bug in XP

Well, maybe. I've always suspected that it might be a bug, but I've
seen any confirmation of it anywhere. Have you?

 

[Daave]

If the Upgrade copy is no longer installed on any machine and hasn't
been used as a qualifying product for further upgrade, you do it by
starting over with the legal copy and calling Microsoft for a
replacement key. However, according to this article, Windows 95 is
not an accepted path for upgrading to Windows XP of any stripe.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/292607/en-us

Are you sure? My understanding is that an *in-place* upgrade is not
supported. However, I don't see why a clean install is not permitted.
See:

http://mvps.org/marksxp/WindowsXP/upgrade.php

"Windows 95 Official Retail and OEM CD-ROMs are taken as qualifying
media for use with the upgrade version of Windows XP Home or
Professional."

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

Thanks for the info, especially as amended by Ken. It's probably something I
*did* know at some point, but a few years of seizures have wreaked havoc
with my memory.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Thanks for the info, especially as amended by Ken. It's probably something I
*did* know at some point, but a few years of seizures have wreaked havoc
with my memory.

You're welcome, Gary.

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

No, of course I'm not sure. I've learned to NEVER be sure about ANYTHING
when it comes to computers.

I was taking Microsoft's word for it. As you'll note, it's not something
that in practice makes any sense other than it's a bug in XP. We've had two
different answers besides mine.

--That Win95 is totally a part of the upgrade path (and that fact just got
left out of the KB article?)

-- That you can't upgrade in place but you CAN use a Win95 CD to prove
eligibility, further suggesting the "bug" theory.

Note that there is no mention anywhere that Win95 floppy installation disks
can be used to prove eligibility. Which begs the question whether Win98
installation floppies (rare as they are), can be used for the purpose. (Oh
no, I happen to be in a position to test all this stuff! Horrors!)

 

[Alan]

You're welcome.

Alan

Thanks for the info, especially as amended by Ken. It's probably something
I *did* know at some point, but a few years of seizures have wreaked havoc
with my memory.