Windows XP Pro (full) product key...not valid?

[Guest]

Hi,
I received a copy of Win XP pro (full install) from a guy recently. I
installed it, put in the key and it works great. It never asked for me to
activate or register either. Anyway...I went to the "Genuine Microsoft
Software" page to download the new Anti-Spyware tool MS offers.....when you
go to download you have the option for them to check to see if your win xp is
"genuine"..so I tried it and failed. It basically said that the product key
was "one on a list of invalid Product Keys"...and that either the key i am
using is pirated or apart of an expired company key, in which case i need to
get the udpated key.

SO i contacted the guy who sent me this win xp and asked him where he got
it, etc...and he said
"> I called my sister. she said it's from a tech friend. it's a valid

corp version disc with the registration feature disabled for reinstall
purpose. but everything else works exactly the same as any retail in
store. it is a working valid disc you can use."

....he told me that he installed it once before..but since then he has
uninstalled and is now using Windows Server 2k3 instead. So, I guess is
there some way to tell MS that the key is being transferred to me, or is this
copy of Win XP just not legit/legal??

Either way, what can/should I do? I own a copy of Win XP Pro (upgrade)
which I bought at the store, but if I want to reformat my PC and install
Windows again, I cant use an upgrade version...any ideas?


thanks.

 

[Yves Leclerc]

There is no such version as Corp. This is usually a "selling point" of a
pirated Volume Licensed version. If you have not receive an original
hologramed CD and a COA, then you have a pirated version.


If you own an XP Upgrade, you will just need a Windows 98 install CD. You
do not need to install Windows 98 since the Upgrade set-up will ask for the
CD at the time it needs to check of upgrade certification.

 

[Menno Hershberger]

Hi,
I received a copy of Win XP pro (full install) from a guy recently.
I
installed it, put in the key and it works great. It never asked for
me to activate or register either. Anyway...I went to the "Genuine
Microsoft Software" page to download the new Anti-Spyware tool MS
offers.....when you go to download you have the option for them to
check to see if your win xp is "genuine"..so I tried it and failed.
It basically said that the product key was "one on a list of invalid
Product Keys"...and that either the key i am using is pirated or apart
of an expired company key, in which case i need to get the udpated
key.

SO i contacted the guy who sent me this win xp and asked him where he
got it, etc...and he said
"> I called my sister. she said it's from a tech friend. it's a valid


...he told me that he installed it once before..but since then he has
uninstalled and is now using Windows Server 2k3 instead. So, I guess
is there some way to tell MS that the key is being transferred to me,
or is this copy of Win XP just not legit/legal??

Either way, what can/should I do? I own a copy of Win XP Pro
(upgrade) which I bought at the store, but if I want to reformat my PC
and install Windows again, I cant use an upgrade version...any ideas?

You can if you have an old Windows 98 or ME CD installation disk to
show as verification that you have a previous Windows version.
Since you already have XP installed on your computer, it may not even
ask for that. If you do a "repair" install with your upgrade CD, it will
ask for your *valid* CD Key during the repair, and that should make your
installation legal.
If I were doing it, I think I'd delete the current partition, reformat
and do a clean install. I *think* that having had XP already installed
(even if it wasn't a legal copy) it probably won't ask for verification.
If it does, then you'll need the install CD for a previous version.

 

[Vagabond Software]

Hi,
I received a copy of Win XP pro (full install) from a guy recently. I
installed it, put in the key and it works great. It never asked for me to
activate or register either. Anyway...I went to the "Genuine Microsoft
Software" page to download the new Anti-Spyware tool MS offers.....when you
go to download you have the option for them to check to see if your win xp is
"genuine"..so I tried it and failed. It basically said that the product key
was "one on a list of invalid Product Keys"...and that either the key i am
using is pirated or apart of an expired company key, in which case i need to
get the udpated key.

SO i contacted the guy who sent me this win xp and asked him where he got
it, etc...and he said
"> I called my sister. she said it's from a tech friend. it's a valid


...he told me that he installed it once before..but since then he has
uninstalled and is now using Windows Server 2k3 instead. So, I guess is
there some way to tell MS that the key is being transferred to me, or is this
copy of Win XP just not legit/legal??

Either way, what can/should I do? I own a copy of Win XP Pro (upgrade)
which I bought at the store, but if I want to reformat my PC and install
Windows again, I cant use an upgrade version...any ideas?

It probably would function normally, but nevertheless; it is an illegal copy of Windows XP.

You have some options with the legitimate Upgrade version of Windows XP that you possess. Beg or buy a valid copy of Windows 98/ME or Windows NT Workstation 4.0 or Windows 2000 Professional. When you do a clean install with your Upgrade CD, you will be prompted to insert the media of a qualifying product, and you can simply insert the CD from one of the forementioned products.

You should be able to pick up a qualifying product pretty cheap on Ebay.

carl

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Hi,
I received a copy of Win XP pro (full install) from a guy recently. I
installed it, put in the key and it works great. It never asked for me to
activate or register either.

Then it wasn't a retail key. It would have had to have been a Volume
License key.

Anyway...I went to the "Genuine Microsoft
Software" page to download the new Anti-Spyware tool MS offers.....when you
go to download you have the option for them to check to see if your win xp is
"genuine"..so I tried it and failed. It basically said that the product key
was "one on a list of invalid Product Keys"...and that either the key i am
using is pirated or apart of an expired company key, in which case i need to
get the udpated key.

SO i contacted the guy who sent me this win xp and asked him where he got
it, etc...and he said
"> I called my sister. she said it's from a tech friend. it's a valid

Obviously not.

...he told me that he installed it once before..but since then he has
uninstalled and is now using Windows Server 2k3 instead. So, I guess is
there some way to tell MS that the key is being transferred to me, or is this
copy of Win XP just not legit/legal??

Either way, what can/should I do?

Go buy a legitimate copy of your own.

I own a copy of Win XP Pro (upgrade)

which I bought at the store, but if I want to reformat my PC and install
Windows again, I cant use an upgrade version...any ideas?

If you are trying to install a WinXP Service Pack and getting the
following:

The Product Key Used to Install Windows Is Invalid
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q326904

You need to purchase and use a _legitimate_ full retail copy of
WinXP Pro to perform a repair (a.k.a. in-place upgrade) installation,
using the new CD and Product Key.

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=KB;EN-US;Q315341

--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[Guest]

Ok....so if I reformat my C: drive, i can just put in my XP Pro upgrade disc,
and reboot my PC...then during the install of XP pro it wil ask for a windows
disc (like 98 or ME)...and i just have to insert that utnil the XP install
completes?

thanks

 

[Santa]

it only CHECKS the 98/me disk for a few seconds, then asks you to put
the xp cd back in

 

[Vagabond Software]

Ok....so if I reformat my C: drive, i can just put in my XP Pro upgrade disc,
and reboot my PC...then during the install of XP pro it wil ask for a windows
disc (like 98 or ME)...and i just have to insert that utnil the XP install
completes?

Not even that long. It will read the disc you have inserted, verify that it is a Windows 98/ME/NT/2000 CD, then ask you to remove the CD and reinsert your Upgrade CD. All will function normally and legitimately after that.

Basically, whatever previous version of Windows you have plus your Windows XP Upgrade CD is your full version of Windows XP. It is absolutely no different than the full install version, except the latter does not have to have any previous versions.

carl

 

[Santa]

ith me upgrade you could use an 98 boot disk,, is this true for XP ?

 

[Vagabond Software]

ith me upgrade you could use an 98 boot disk,, is this true for XP ?

I don't know the answer to that.

carl

 

[Guest]

There certainly is a "corp" version, although it's not called corp -- you've
probably got either a volume licensed copy or a TechNet subscription copy,
either one of which can be installed an arbitrary number of times, with no
activation required. What it sounds like is that this tech guy made (or
obtained a cd) a copy of his company's XP install disc, and passed it on to
you. The license belongs to the company, even if you're the one holding the
disc.

-LB

 

[NobodyMan]

There certainly is a "corp" version, although it's not called corp -- you've
probably got either a volume licensed copy or a TechNet subscription copy,
either one of which can be installed an arbitrary number of times, with no
activation required. What it sounds like is that this tech guy made (or
obtained a cd) a copy of his company's XP install disc, and passed it on to
you. The license belongs to the company, even if you're the one holding the
disc.

Linda, Yves is correct. You are wrong.

Microsoft has never produced a Corporate version of XP, or ANY of
their other products. What they do produce is a version that uses a
Volume License Key (VLK), whereby a person can use one installation
key multiple times. None of those installations require Product
Activation. However, you do have to pay MS for each installation.
For the average home user, the price benefit for this is practically
non-existant, but when you consider a large company with hundreds of
computers, those small savings per installation start to add up.

The name "corporate version" probably stems from the idea that VLK
versions are usually sold to large agencies, such as corporations.
Regardless, it is not a separately produced "Corporate" version and
never has been.

 

[Ken Blake]

In

Ok....so if I reformat my C: drive, i can just put in my XP Pro
upgrade disc, and reboot my PC...then during the install of XP
pro it
wil ask for a windows disc (like 98 or ME)...and i just have to
insert that utnil the XP install completes?

Yes, but you don't have to reformat the drive first, and you
don't have to keep it in until the XP installation completes.

You can find detailed instructions here:
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

or here http://windowsxp.mvps.org/XPClean.htm

or here http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm

 

[Ken Blake]

In

ith me upgrade you could use an 98 boot disk,, is this true for
XP ?

I'm not sure what you mean by a "98 boot disk." If you mean a
Windows 98 installation CD, the answer is yes.

 

[Ken Blake]

In

There certainly is a "corp" version, although it's not called
corp --

Yves is absolutely correct. There is no such version as Corp.

Saying "there certainly is a "corp" version, although it's not
called corp" is like saying there certainly are dragons, but
they're called "lizards," not "dragons."

 

[Alex Nichol]

...he told me that he installed it once before..but since then he has
uninstalled and is now using Windows Server 2k3 instead. So, I guess is
there some way to tell MS that the key is being transferred to me, or is this
copy of Win XP just not legit/legal??

Either way, what can/should I do? I own a copy of Win XP Pro (upgrade)
which I bought at the store, but if I want to reformat my PC and install

It is plain not legal; stolen goods somewhere along the line. Those CDs
can be installed provided you do not try to install a Service Pack - but
are still illegal. You can try to trace it down and report to
http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/reporting/default.asp

But you are unlikely to get redress if the vendor was not a commercial
organisation

 

[Plato]

I received a copy of Win XP pro (full install) from a guy recently. I

I got a stereo from a guy recently he said if fell off a truck. Now the
cd player wont work is there a fix?