WINDOWS XP OEM CD

[Guest]

hi there....i have a slight dilemma- a few years ago i purchased a pc with
windows xp home installed, but the manufacturer was asking an exta 100 pounds
for the OEM cd, which i thought was rediculous so i declined.

now my sister has purchased a new pc base unit in the house which shipped
with its own OEM cd and registration KEY, and i know my pc has its own
registration key, but i was wondering if something happened to my pc and i
needed to reboot it from the windows cd could i use hers.

are activation keys specific to each windows CD or are they only specific to
the pc's?

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Often, the CDs are specific to a make and model of PC.
The CDs are usually identified for the computer it is intended to work.

You could contact the computer manufacturer and see if an option to buy the
CD is still available.
Also check your manual, many computers had the option to make your own
restore media.

Also try EBay for media for your specific make and model.

 

[Dave B.]

If the new CD is an actual Microsoft OEM CD and not modified by the PC mfg,
then yes, it will work.

--

 

[DL]

£100 for the cd?? - then you purchased from a serious rip off manu.
Its too late now, of course, but the OEM licence from MS to the manu obliges
them to supply some means of restoring your PC to origonal win config.
Whether by means of a restore cd, a win OEM cd, or a restore partition is
the manu choice.