Windows XP product key does not work

[anjezatr]

I had a Windows 98 2nd edition and wanted to upgrade to Windows home edition.
So, I bought a new hard drive and replaced the old one and bought a Windows
XP home edition CD (not an upgrade) on ebay without a product key, with the
understanding that the product key on my computer would work. Well it did
not work. So, I got the product key off the CD and that didn't work. What
can I do? Thanks.

 

[Maincat]

I had a Windows 98 2nd edition and wanted to upgrade to Windows home
edition.
So, I bought a new hard drive and replaced the old one and bought a
Windows
XP home edition CD (not an upgrade) on ebay without a product key, with
the
understanding that the product key on my computer would work. Well it did
not work. So, I got the product key off the CD and that didn't work.
What
can I do? Thanks.

You go down to your local store, or Amazon or other online seller and buy XP
with a product key. Why did you think a 98 product key would work with XP?

 

[Vanguard]

I had a Windows 98 2nd edition and wanted to upgrade to Windows home
edition.
So, I bought a new hard drive and replaced the old one and bought a
Windows
XP home edition CD (not an upgrade) on ebay without a product key,
with the
understanding that the product key on my computer would work. Well it
did
not work. So, I got the product key off the CD and that didn't work.
What
can I do? Thanks.

"replaced the old [hard drive]"

So just where do you think is the product key that is on your computer?
You replaced the hard drive so there is nothing on it. Software doesn't
use telepathy to read from disconnected hard drives.

"got the product key off the CD". WHICH disc was that? The one for
Windows 98 or for Windows XP Home?

Why would you think a product key for Windows 98 applies at all to any
other version of Windows? Even for an upgrade you must enter the
product key for the version of Windows that you are installing. You
WILL need the product key for Windows XP. No legal copies of Windows
can be sold without the product key. You got ripped off.

"What can I do?"
Contact the seller and tell them that they must provide a product key
since all LEGAL copies of Windows must include it. If the seller
refuses, contact eBay to inform them that the seller is distributing
pirated copies of the software and use eBay's protection to get a
refund. Tell the seller that you are also going to report their piracy
to the FBI and to Microsoft.

 

[anjezatr]

I received a geniune Holographic authenticate CD and extracted the product
key off the disc and still get a not valid message.

I had a Windows 98 2nd edition and wanted to upgrade to Windows home
edition.

[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]

What
can I do? Thanks.

"replaced the old [hard drive]"

So just where do you think is the product key that is on your computer?
You replaced the hard drive so there is nothing on it. Software doesn't
use telepathy to read from disconnected hard drives.

"got the product key off the CD". WHICH disc was that? The one for
Windows 98 or for Windows XP Home?

Why would you think a product key for Windows 98 applies at all to any
other version of Windows? Even for an upgrade you must enter the
product key for the version of Windows that you are installing. You
WILL need the product key for Windows XP. No legal copies of Windows
can be sold without the product key. You got ripped off.

"What can I do?"
Contact the seller and tell them that they must provide a product key
since all LEGAL copies of Windows must include it. If the seller
refuses, contact eBay to inform them that the seller is distributing
pirated copies of the software and use eBay's protection to get a
refund. Tell the seller that you are also going to report their piracy
to the FBI and to Microsoft.

 

[Gordon]

I received a geniune Holographic authenticate CD and extracted the product
key off the disc and still get a not valid message.

the Licence key is NOT kept on the CD - that's the Product code which is
entirely different. And in any case, the product code is in a different
format to the Licence key....

 

[Maincat]

the Licence key is NOT kept on the CD - that's the Product code which is
entirely different. And in any case, the product code is in a different
format to the Licence key....

You have been taken for a kipper mate.

 

[Ken Blake]

I had a Windows 98 2nd edition and wanted to upgrade to Windows home
edition. So, I bought a new hard drive and replaced the old one and
bought a Windows XP home edition CD (not an upgrade)

Since you owned Windows 98, you qualified for an Upgrade, and an Upgrade was
what you should have bought. It's cheaper than the full version and comes
without the restrictions of the OEM version. And it *can* do a clean
installation if you have a Windows 98 CD to show it.

on ebay

Ugh! A *very* risky place to buy copies of Windows XP. The risk of getting
an illegal copy is extremely high.

without
a product key,

If you bought a copy without a product key, you definitely *did* buy an
illegal copy.

with the understanding that the product key on my
computer would work.

? What product key on your computer? If you didn't have Windows XP before
there is no product key on your computer. Even if you had a prior product
key, it wouldn't have worked with your new copy unless it exactly matched
with respect to Retail vs. OEM, Home vs. Professional, and Full vs. Upgrade.

Well it did not work. So, I got the product
key off the CD and that didn't work.

Off what CD? The Windows XP CD? There is no product key on the CD.

What can I do? Thanks.

Unfortunately all you can do is buy a legitimate copy of Windows. You don't
have one, and you got taken by the seller. Chalk up the money you wasted to
an expensive lesson, and next time remember caveat emptor.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

I received a geniune Holographic authenticate CD and extracted the product
key off the disc and still get a not valid message.

That's not surprising, since that's not where the install key is located.
Disks of a given type are *all the same* and do not contain an install key,
with the exception of some OEM versions. These won't have holograms.

You may have extracted something, but it isn't an install key.

Sorry, but the short story is that you've been had.

The CD you bought may or may not be a genuine CD, but in either case does
*not* represent a genuine license.

IIRC, there are counterfeit Holographic disks. But even if yours is
genuine, it's not helpful without the license key.

For it to be a genuine license, there has to be an install key with it.
This key comes on the folder the CD comes in (retail versions), on a
sticker to apply to the case (OEM versions) or on a sheet of paper (Volume
License Agreement versions, which are sold in multiples of five).

Again, you've been had. I would suggest that you contact the seller, and
if you can't get satisfaction, consider other options, which include legal
action.

HTH
-pk



<snip>

 

[Gordon]

You have been taken for a kipper mate.

Eh?

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I had a Windows 98 2nd edition and wanted to upgrade to Windows
home edition. So, I bought a new hard drive and replaced the old
one and bought a Windows XP home edition CD (not an upgrade) on
ebay without a product key, with the understanding that the product
key on my computer would work. Well it did not work. So, I got
the product key off the CD and that didn't work. What can I do?

Sorry you got taken for the sap.
Complain about the user on eBay and see what paths you can take there.
Beyond that - consider it a lesson learned and g get yourself a valid copy
of Windows XP with a valid product key.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I had a Windows 98 2nd edition and wanted to upgrade to Windows home edition.
So, I bought a new hard drive and replaced the old one and bought a Windows
XP home edition CD (not an upgrade) on ebay without a product key, with the
understanding that the product key on my computer would work.

How could you possibly have thought that a Win98 Product Key would work
for WinXP?

Well it did
not work.

No, of course not.

So, I got the product key off the CD....

The Windows 25-character Product Key is not on the installation CD
in any way, shape, or form.

and that didn't work. What
can I do? Thanks.

Chalk this experience up as an expensive lesson and go buy a legitimate
license for WinXP Home Upgrade.


--

Bruce Chambers

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[Vanguard]

I received a geniune Holographic authenticate CD and extracted the
product
key off the disc and still get a not valid message.

There is no product key stored anywhere on the install CD. The install
CD is the same one that everyone else gets (for the type of CD: retail
or OEM). If you bought a Microsoft-branded OEM CD a week ago and I
bought mine a couple months ago, they have the same files on them. The
product key is nowhere on the CD. The product key will be on a sticker
on the CD sleeve, on a sticker that you are supposed to mount on the
computer, or perhaps in a CD wallet. It's not on the CD as a file or
value to get extracted.

Product code = Identifies the *product* on the CD or already installed.
Product key = Nowhere on the CD. Find the sticker for it. This is
used during the install.

The product key and product code work together; i.e., the product key
works with a specific product code (i.e., the key is used to validate a
particular product).

If you didn't get a separate sticker somewhere in the package then you
didn't get the product key.