Same Key, different WIN XP Pro CD

[viiartz]

Hi, I'm re-installing windows xp pro on a machine which has changed
function of use. So, I decided to re-install xp and start fresh. Now
this PC is about three years old and the client has no idea where the
original cd or product key is (no certificate was found on the pc).

To find the product key a used Berlarc Advicer. Then I used an OEM win
xp pro cd version 2002 (sp2) but once I finished entering the product
key it told the it was invalid.

My questions.
Is the product key valid only for Particular OEM cd versions of the
same product, in this case windows xp pro? In another words the product
key used with the oem cd from three years ago will not work with the
oem cd version 2002?

How can i get around this... the client has bought the software so he
is licensed.

Anyone, thanks

Rick.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

A Genuine Microsoft Windows XP License consists of:

1. The original Certificate of Authenticity
2. The Windows XP Product Key
3. The PC manufacturer's method of restoring Windows XP
4. The original PC manufacturer's licensing documentation.

A substitution of a generic OEM Windows XP CD for the PC
manufacturer's restore method is invalid and is a form of
software piracy. Having just the COA and Product Key alone
is considered an incomplete license which can only be made
complete by contacting the PC manufacturer and ordering "their"
OEM restore or reinstallation CD which is designed for their
Product Key and licensing agreement.

Therefore, your client will have to purchase a complete
new Windows XP installation CD and Product Key.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

---------------------------------------------------------------------------­----------------

:

| Hi, I'm re-installing windows xp pro on a machine which has changed
| function of use. So, I decided to re-install xp and start fresh. Now
| this PC is about three years old and the client has no idea where the
| original cd or product key is (no certificate was found on the pc).
|
| To find the product key a used Berlarc Advicer. Then I used an OEM win
| xp pro cd version 2002 (sp2) but once I finished entering the product
| key it told the it was invalid.
|
| My questions.
| Is the product key valid only for Particular OEM cd versions of the
| same product, in this case windows xp pro? In another words the product
| key used with the oem cd from three years ago will not work with the
| oem cd version 2002?
|
| How can i get around this... the client has bought the software so he
| is licensed.
|
| Anyone, thanks
|
| Rick.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Rick;
Is the original installation also OEM?
Are both Pro? or
Both upgrade?
You need to use an identical CD as was originally used or the key may not
match.

The Product Key shown by the tools may not be correct if the computer still
has the fasctory installation of Windows.


There is a chance Microsoft can help if Windows XP is retail:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=326246
If OEN contact the seller, if the seller is no help, there is a slight
chance Microsoft may be able to help at the link above.

Your client may need to buy what the client lost.

 

[viiartz]

Thanks for the help/advice.

Hi Jupiter,
Original installation was OEM XP Pro as is the one I'm re-installing.

 

[Ron Martell]

Hi, I'm re-installing windows xp pro on a machine which has changed
function of use. So, I decided to re-install xp and start fresh. Now
this PC is about three years old and the client has no idea where the
original cd or product key is (no certificate was found on the pc).

To find the product key a used Berlarc Advicer. Then I used an OEM win
xp pro cd version 2002 (sp2) but once I finished entering the product
key it told the it was invalid.

My questions.
Is the product key valid only for Particular OEM cd versions of the
same product, in this case windows xp pro? In another words the product
key used with the oem cd from three years ago will not work with the
oem cd version 2002?

How can i get around this... the client has bought the software so he
is licensed.

Anyone, thanks

The Product Key and CD used must match each other in terms of:
- Edition (Home, Pro, Media Center, Tablet PC)
- Version (Retail Upgrade, OEM, Retail Full Install, Volume License,
etc)
- Language (English, Spanish, Chinese, etc)

A three year old PC with an OEM license should have a product key
sticker affixed to it somewhere, although this is no longer being done
with new PCs.

If it is a major brand PC (HP, Compaq, Dell, Gateway, etc) then it is
quite likely that it came with a BIOS locked OEM version of Windows XP
in which case the Product Key would be specifically coded to that
manufacturer and would not work with a generic OEM CD. You may have
to contact the OEM concerned in order to obtain a new installation CD.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."

 

[viiartz]

Thanks all, I ended up finding a cd and key that the client had bought
around the same time for another pc but never used. I have stuck the
OEM licence on to the machine for future reference.

Ta
Rick

 

[mneumann]

A Genuine Microsoft Windows XP License consists of:

1. The original Certificate of Authenticity
2. The Windows XP Product Key
3. The PC manufacturer's method of restoring Windows XP
4. The original PC manufacturer's licensing documentation.

A substitution of a generic OEM Windows XP CD for the PC
manufacturer's restore method is invalid and is a form of
software piracy. Having just the COA and Product Key alone
is considered an incomplete license which can only be made
complete by contacting the PC manufacturer and ordering "their"
OEM restore or reinstallation CD which is designed for their
Product Key and licensing agreement.

Therefore, your client will have to purchase a complete
new Windows XP installation CD and Product Key.

I have a slightly different problem and wonder if someone can clear
things up for me.

I have an HP PC with a valid XP Home licence and a system restore
partition. I would like to freshen my machine by reformatting and
reinstalling. However my HP restore partition has no SP2, and it does
have large amounts of garbage - advertising, trial software, etc. - that
I would really like to avoid. It takes several hours to clean this
stuff out.

I also have an OEM copy of Windows XP Home with SP2, with CD and
holographic sticker. It used to run on another machine which no longer
runs Windows, and is no longer in my possession.

I understand that the OEM licence is invalid for my HP machine. My
question is this: Can I use the HP licence key and the OEM disk (rather
than the HP restore partition) to reinstall Windows? In other words, I
would like to use the licence key of the HP machine for the restore, but
get the software off the CD.

Any help much appreciated,

Michael Neumann

 

[Ron Martell]

I have a slightly different problem and wonder if someone can clear
things up for me.

I have an HP PC with a valid XP Home licence and a system restore
partition. I would like to freshen my machine by reformatting and
reinstalling. However my HP restore partition has no SP2, and it does
have large amounts of garbage - advertising, trial software, etc. - that
I would really like to avoid. It takes several hours to clean this
stuff out.

I also have an OEM copy of Windows XP Home with SP2, with CD and
holographic sticker. It used to run on another machine which no longer
runs Windows, and is no longer in my possession.

I understand that the OEM licence is invalid for my HP machine. My
question is this: Can I use the HP licence key and the OEM disk (rather
than the HP restore partition) to reinstall Windows? In other words, I
would like to use the licence key of the HP machine for the restore, but
get the software off the CD.

Any help much appreciated,

Michael Neumann

I believe you will discover that your HP product key is specifically
tied to the HP supplied version of Windows and it will therefore not
work with an OEM version from any other source.

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."