Valid Windows XP Home copy license key?

[sctahoe]

I bought a retail copy of Windows XP home from Ebay - the CD and case are
valid - the key came separately on a piece of paper and I want to verify it
is legal before I install - how can I do that?
Thanks!

 

[John John (MVP)]

You can't, you will have to install and try the key.

John

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I bought a retail copy of Windows XP home from Ebay - the CD and
case are valid - the key came separately on a piece of paper and I
want to verify it is legal before I install - how can I do that?

Install and try it.

If you have a fully functional system now - and don't want to go all crazy -
simply download and install VirtualBox on your current system and us it to
create a virtual machine and install that copy of Windows XP onto that
virtual machine. That way you can test everything about it in a relatively
safe way. You can install, test the key, verify it will activate, etc.

No worries - if it truly is a retail licensed product - you can repeat the
install process until you tire of doing it - moving it from machine to
machine (or VM to VM) -with the worst case scenario being you have to call
and activate instead of activating over the Internet.

 

[sctahoe]

Where can I get virtual box software and does it cost to try it out?
Thanks for the quick, detailed reply!

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I bought a retail copy of Windows XP home from Ebay - the CD and case are
valid - the key came separately on a piece of paper and I want to verify it
is legal before I install - how can I do that?
Thanks!

Try to install it and see if it activates?

To be brutally frank, getting a legitimate software license of any kind
from eBay is more than a little bit of a crap shoot.

Odds are, if the Product Key didn't come on a bright orange sticker
that says "Do not lose this number" affixed to the CD packaging, it's
not a legitimate license. Do the words "For distribution with a new PC
only. For product support, contact the manufacturer of your PC." appear
on the CD? If so, you've been sent an OEM installation disk, whose
license has already been used on the original computer with which that
disk left the factory. OEM licenses are *not* transferable under any
circumstances, so you don't have a legitimate license.

One should be very careful buying any software on eBay, as eBay makes
no prior effort to ensure that such sales are legitimate. The problems
stem from two different sources, but have the same results: the buyer
gets ripped off. A great many people don't fully understand the terms
of the license they own, and don't understand that they cannot
legitimately resell it, and - worse still - there are a great many
sellers who do know that they're selling bogus licenses. eBay reacts
only when someone files a complaint, and then all that really happens,
especially in the case of the many deliberate fraudsters, is the seller
of the pirated software returns using a different alias, to continue
selling illegitimate licenses.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I bought a retail copy of Windows XP home from Ebay - the CD and
case are valid - the key came separately on a piece of paper and I
want to verify it is legal before I install - how can I do that?

Install and try it.

If you have a fully functional system now - and don't want to go
all crazy - simply download and install VirtualBox on your current
system and us it to create a virtual machine and install that copy
of Windows XP onto that virtual machine. That way you can test
everything about it in a relatively safe way. You can install,
test the key, verify it will activate, etc.

No worries - if it truly is a retail licensed product - you can
repeat the install process until you tire of doing it - moving it
from machine to machine (or VM to VM) -with the worst case scenario
being you have to call and activate instead of activating over the
Internet.

Where can I get virtual box software and does it cost to try it out?
Thanks for the quick, detailed reply!

Essentially - the short answer is:
It's freeware. You do not have to pay to use it, ever. You download it,
install it, configure and utilize it as you need to. You can download it
directly from: http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads and get more
information on its usage from here:
http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/End-user_documentation


A little more on how to get the short answer:
Now is a great time to point you to one of the easiest ways to find
information on problems you may be having and solutions others have found:

Search using Google!
http://www.google.com/
(How-to: http://www.google.com/intl/en/help/basics.html )

Example - you want to find out about the application I mentioned,
VirtualBox...

A search for:
What is VirtualBox
http://www.google.com/search?q=what+is+virtualbox

One of the hits:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VirtualBox

Which could lead you to the Home page:
http://www.virtualbox.org/

Which tells you:
"... it is also the only professional solution that is freely available as
Open Source Software under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL)
...."

With more information available:
http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/VirtualBox

And all of the other links found above the longer answer. ;-)

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Where can I get virtual box software and does it cost to try it out?

Microsoft's VirtualPC 2007 (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.asp?)

Innotek's VirtualBox
(http://www.virtualbox.org/)

Both are free.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[John Barnett MVP]

There is no way of knowing until you actually install the product and try to
activate it.

Install it, activate it and see what happens.


--
John Barnett MVP
Windows XP Associate Expert
Windows Desktop Experience

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org
Web: http://www.silversurfer-guide.com

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..

 

[sctahoe]

Great info!

So is this like something I have heard of called VMware?

I really appreciate the education!
Sam

 

[sctahoe]

Thanks - but this is a bit confusing....

The person said they called Msoft and they said it was unregistered and yes,
the CD does say what you mentioned and yes, it is likely an OEM version - but
the person installed Vista on the PC that had this version of XP on it and it
is not installed on any other PC's , so why would I not be able to use it and
register it under my name since it is not being used elsewhere?
I have not had anyone give these type of restrictions on using the software
- all other posts just say to install it and try it....I'm just trying to
prevent a surprise if/when I go to install it. In fact, I will likely call
Msoft myself to verify I can use it before I do install it.

Thanks for the reply!

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Great info!

So is this like something I have heard of called VMware?

Yes, these are the same type of product, but they're free.

I really appreciate the education!
Sam

You're welcome.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Thanks - but this is a bit confusing....

The person said they called Msoft and they said it was unregistered....

Microsoft would have no way of knowing; they provide no support for OEM
licenses. It would seem the seller is either a liar, or had no
understanding of what he/she was told. Either way, he/she is obviously
an untrustworthy source.

.... and yes,
the CD does say what you mentioned and yes, it is likely an OEM version - but
the person installed Vista on the PC that had this version of XP on it and it
is not installed on any other PC's , so why would I not be able to use it and
register it under my name since it is not being used elsewhere?

Because an OEM license is *permanently* bound to the first computer on
which it is installed, and is *not* legitimately transferable to any
other computer, ever, under any circumstances. This is clearly stated
within the End User License Agreement (EULA), so the seller has *NO*
excuse for not knowing he/she is fraudulently selling the license. The
seller is, in affect, selling you "stolen goods." Further, there's a
very good chance that that OEM installation DVD is BIOS-locked and
simply will not work on any computer other than the specific make/model
with which it was originally sold. Is there a brand name, such as Dell
or Gateway, on the DVD? If so, it almost certainly won't work.

I have not had anyone give these type of restrictions on using the software
- all other posts just say to install it and try it....I'm just trying to
prevent a surprise if/when I go to install it. In fact, I will likely call
Msoft myself to verify I can use it before I do install it.

OK, to eliminate any surprise: Based on the information you've
provided, you definitely do *NOT* have a legitimate license, regardless
of whether or not you can successfully install and/or activate. You
*have* been a victim of a fraudulent sale, and should contact both eBay
to file a complaint, and the pertinent law enforcement agencies.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[VanguardLH]

So is this like something I have heard of called VMware?

VMWare Server
Virtual PC
VirtualBox

all free

I've tried each one. I choose VMWare Server but my needs may not match
yours.

 

[VanguardLH]

I bought a retail copy of Windows XP home from Ebay - the CD and case are
valid - the key came separately on a piece of paper and I want to verify it
is legal before I install - how can I do that?

If it was a *retail* version then it would include the sticker or COA
that has the product key, not some inkjet printed piece of paper with
the code. That the sticker and/or COA are missing means you did NOT get
a *retail* copy of the product. Something got sliced up, like a volume
license.

My guess is that someone at eBay is slicing apart a volume license. A
replacement CD can be ordered or a 5-license volume package with CDs can
be purchased but ALL of them are to remain within the same organization
that purchased the volume license. The seller is NOT allowed to
separate the multiple licenses either by Microsoft or by eBay. eBay
enforces the Microsoft licensing so you probably want to contact them on
a suspicious auction.

Send notice to eBay that you suspect foul play regarding this auction.
You did NOT get a retail copy of the product. Of course, you never
bothered to show a link to the eBay auction to see if there were
conditions presented that you are required to read. Something in the
auction might've explained why no sticker or COA was included in the
sale but no one else can check since you never identified the auction.

To check, you could call the Microsoft Anti-Piracy Hotline at (800)
RU-LEGIT. I don't know if they will validate the [hopefully] unused
product key for an uninstalled product.

 

[sctahoe]

Thanks - if the COA is attached to the PC, then they could not send it to me
- it was likely an OEM copy and not a retail copy but the CD markings do not
have any PC maker info on it like Dell or Gateway....

If I install it and it passes the GWA activation, does that mean it is a
valid copy for me to use?

I bought a retail copy of Windows XP home from Ebay - the CD and case are
valid - the key came separately on a piece of paper and I want to verify it
is legal before I install - how can I do that?

If it was a *retail* version then it would include the sticker or COA
that has the product key, not some inkjet printed piece of paper with
the code. That the sticker and/or COA are missing means you did NOT get
a *retail* copy of the product. Something got sliced up, like a volume
license.

My guess is that someone at eBay is slicing apart a volume license. A
replacement CD can be ordered or a 5-license volume package with CDs can
be purchased but ALL of them are to remain within the same organization
that purchased the volume license. The seller is NOT allowed to
separate the multiple licenses either by Microsoft or by eBay. eBay
enforces the Microsoft licensing so you probably want to contact them on
a suspicious auction.

Send notice to eBay that you suspect foul play regarding this auction.
You did NOT get a retail copy of the product. Of course, you never
bothered to show a link to the eBay auction to see if there were
conditions presented that you are required to read. Something in the
auction might've explained why no sticker or COA was included in the
sale but no one else can check since you never identified the auction.

To check, you could call the Microsoft Anti-Piracy Hotline at (800)
RU-LEGIT. I don't know if they will validate the [hopefully] unused
product key for an uninstalled product.

 

[sctahoe]

OK - the CD does not have any PC maker info on it like Dell or Gateway....If
I install it and it passes the GWA activation, does that mean it is a valid
copy for me to use?

 

[VanguardLH]

Thanks - if the COA is attached to the PC, then they could not send it to me
- it was likely an OEM copy and not a retail copy but the CD markings do not
have any PC maker info on it like Dell or Gateway....

If I install it and it passes the GWA activation, does that mean it is a
valid copy for me to use?

If the sticker for an OEM version were on a computer then that license
got installed on that sticker. Once installed, the OEM can never be
resold or used anywhere else, even if the computer were destroyed.

"Retail" and "OEM" are mutually exclusive. You said that you bought a
retail version. Now you're saying that maybe what you got was an OEM
version. If the OEM version were not used, the sticker and COA would
still be available to include with the install CD. If the sticker is
missing because it is on the seller's computer then it is illegal to
resell it to you.

If the sticker was on their computer for a retail version then what you
bought was a USED retail version. You never mentioned that the product
was used. Besides, usually the sticker can be removed. After all, it's
not going to be useful to the seller unless they are using a pirated
version using that product key which means you could end up with
activation problems.

Considering your wavering on what you actually bought - first it's a
retail version, then an OEM version, and no mention it might've been a
used product - no one can nail down what might or might not be legal.
You still haven't provided a URL to the eBay auction to look at what you
bought.

Passing activation merely means that the particular license hasn't
exceeded some unspecific number of activations. If you have to
re-activate the product several times (hardware failure, fresh install
of OS to wipe out malware, experimentation, etc.) then the activation
won't work and you'll have to call the phone number given at the end of
the activation wizard. If the seller is the one that still owns the
real license, you might find out only then that yours is a pirated copy.
If the seller illegally sliced up a volume license (i.e., they bought a
5-license package with 5 CDs and then sold each CD separately but with
the same product key for each CD) then you could lose your license to
Windows is someone declares they bought all 5 licenses.

Considering that what you got *might* be a used OEM version on which the
product key was printed on a piece of paper and you never got either a
sticker or COA (certificate of authenticity), there is strong indication
that you got an illegal version. Is "OEM" anywhere within the product
key's string? I know that if that is there then it is a product key for
an OEM version; however, its absence doesn't guarantee a non-OEM product
key. Again, seeing the actual eBay auction would help in determining
what you bought.

An install CD that is in an unlabelled jewel case. A product key
printed on a piece of paper instead of getting a sticker with the
product key on it. No COA included. Uh huh, I bet next we'll hear
about how cheap you got the product. You already know the sale is
suspicious. What you do about it is up to you. I'd contact the seller
and tell them that you don't trust they sold you a legal license and
demand a refund in under 14 days (or whatever is eBay's policies on how
long to settle a dispute outside of arbitration by eBay). At the same
time, I'd start a complaint process at eBay to notify them they have a
suspicious seller. After whatever eBay states is the period after which
you submit a recovery process from eBay is when I'd start doing so.
Don't be nice. Being nice by waiting too long gets you screwed by
eBayer sellers and buyers. Don't bother with any excuses like they were
on vacation, a death in the family, or whatever they contrive.

 

[Ken Blake]

I bought a retail copy of Windows XP home from Ebay - the CD and case are
valid - the key came separately on a piece of paper and I want to verify
it
is legal before I install - how can I do that?

You have to install it and try to activate it.

However my guess is that if it came separately, hand-written on a piece of
paper, it is unlikely to be legitimate.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

OK - the CD does not have any PC maker info on it like Dell or Gateway....If
I install it and it passes the GWA activation, does that mean it is a valid
copy for me to use?

Strictly speaking, no. You already know it's an nontransferable OEM
license purchased with another computer, and that it was sold illegally.
Continued use of it, even if you do get it activated, will depend
entirely upon your level of personal integrity.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[kim]

What`s the ebay item #

Thanks - but this is a bit confusing....

The person said they called Msoft and they said it was unregistered and
yes,
the CD does say what you mentioned and yes, it is likely an OEM version -
but
the person installed Vista on the PC that had this version of XP on it and
it
is not installed on any other PC's , so why would I not be able to use it
and
register it under my name since it is not being used elsewhere?
I have not had anyone give these type of restrictions on using the
software
- all other posts just say to install it and try it....I'm just trying to
prevent a surprise if/when I go to install it. In fact, I will likely call
Msoft myself to verify I can use it before I do install it.

Thanks for the reply!