WinXP CD Key

[ea35720]

Cross posted.

I just got my new Dell (with windows XP home) and downloaded some
software from MS.

I had to verify that I was using a legal version of windows by
supplying the Product Key (from the sticker on the side of the tower).

It worked fine.

But when I ran the "magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder"
http://www.magicaljellybean.com/
it gave me the CD key.

And it was different from the product key.

Is this correct or did Dell pull the old hokey-dokey?

(a new winXP user.)

 

[R. McCarty]

Dell uses a "Master" Image that is cloned to all exact models.

That Product Key is the factory imaging Key, the one on your
machine is your personal OEM Key associated with your XP
license.

 

[Malke]

Cross posted.

I just got my new Dell (with windows XP home) and downloaded some
software from MS.

I had to verify that I was using a legal version of windows by
supplying the Product Key (from the sticker on the side of the tower).

It worked fine.

But when I ran the "magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder"
http://www.magicaljellybean.com/
it gave me the CD key.

And it was different from the product key.

Is this correct or did Dell pull the old hokey-dokey?

(a new winXP user.)

The product key that you see in an OEM machine like yours from Dell will
be different because OEM machines are imaged. The sticker on the case
is the correct product key for your XP installation. Do not lose it.

Malke

 

[Dave Peterson]

Thank you both.

Cross posted.

I just got my new Dell (with windows XP home) and downloaded some
software from MS.

I had to verify that I was using a legal version of windows by
supplying the Product Key (from the sticker on the side of the tower).

It worked fine.

But when I ran the "magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder"
http://www.magicaljellybean.com/
it gave me the CD key.

And it was different from the product key.

Is this correct or did Dell pull the old hokey-dokey?

(a new winXP user.)

 

[William P.N. Smith]

I had to verify that I was using a legal version of windows by
supplying the Product Key (from the sticker on the side of the tower).

http://www.magicaljellybean.com/
it gave me the CD key.

Dell (is allowed to) put One True Key on every {machine,model,line}
they build, as long as they put the sticker on the side with a valid
license key. They don't have to match, it's OK.

[Note that people used to sell the key sticker off the side of their
machines, as it could be used to license another machine, but M$ is
disabling (activation by) those keys as of April 1 in order to close
that loophole. It's not clear which one they care about in their
forthcoming verification push, but I figure we'll burn that bridge
when we come to it.]

Wonder how long it'll be before they start requiring a hardware token,
given that costs of that kind of thing are dropping to near zero...

 

[Dave Peterson]

Thank you, too.

(I just wish they would have made those letters/numbers a bit larger!)

I had to verify that I was using a legal version of windows by
supplying the Product Key (from the sticker on the side of the tower).

http://www.magicaljellybean.com/
it gave me the CD key.

Dell (is allowed to) put One True Key on every {machine,model,line}
they build, as long as they put the sticker on the side with a valid
license key. They don't have to match, it's OK.

[Note that people used to sell the key sticker off the side of their
machines, as it could be used to license another machine, but M$ is
disabling (activation by) those keys as of April 1 in order to close
that loophole. It's not clear which one they care about in their
forthcoming verification push, but I figure we'll burn that bridge
when we come to it.]

Wonder how long it'll be before they start requiring a hardware token,
given that costs of that kind of thing are dropping to near zero...

 

[Brian]

Dell (is allowed to) put One True Key on every {machine,model,line}
they build, as long as they put the sticker on the side with a valid
license key. They don't have to match, it's OK.

[Note that people used to sell the key sticker off the side of their
machines, as it could be used to license another machine, but M$ is
disabling (activation by) those keys as of April 1 in order to close
that loophole. It's not clear which one they care about in their
forthcoming verification push, but I figure we'll burn that bridge
when we come to it.]

Wonder how long it'll be before they start requiring a hardware token,
given that costs of that kind of thing are dropping to near zero...

If owning the dongle became synonomous with owning the use of the software,
why not?

I don't think Microsoft would go for it. It makes the license concrete.
Customers would wonder why they can't take a Dell USB dongle and plug it
into an HP system. And people would wonder why they can't take the dongle
from home to work. Or laptop to desktop.

A lot of software vendors allow this type of licensing already. It's
very grounded and makes a lot of common sense. And I like it for the
most part myself.

But for Microsoft, not so good. You might as well put a search light
on them. It'll jeopardize their OEM sales (which are very hard numbers)
in order to round up them pirrrrrates (which are laughably overestimates
"lost" sales numbers).

I don't think you'll see hardware locks for a while. But who knows.

 

[Woody]

not a problem , wish they would . you'd see a mass migration to linux and
finally people would see there really is an alternative to windows . not to
mention forcing software developers to port all their apps to linux and mac
..

i installed suse linux pro on my laptop and while its not quite ready for
the average consumer , i couldnt be happier ;-)

 

[William P.N. Smith]

I don't think you'll see hardware locks for a while. But who knows.

I think we're more likely to get sucked back into the Trusted
Computing thang, where you don't own your computer or any of the data
on it, all in the name of protecting us from malware. [Yeah, cold
dead fingers and all that...]

Wouldn't do for M$ to write decent software in the first place. I
can't think of an exploit to WinDoze that wasn't due to their not
bothering to check parameters.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Cross posted.

I just got my new Dell (with windows XP home) and downloaded some
software from MS.

I had to verify that I was using a legal version of windows by
supplying the Product Key (from the sticker on the side of the tower).

It worked fine.

But when I ran the "magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder"
http://www.magicaljellybean.com/
it gave me the CD key.

And it was different from the product key.

Is this correct or did Dell pull the old hokey-dokey?

(a new winXP user.)

Because you have a factory-installed OEM license, and haven't since
reinstalled the OS, the revealed Product Key is that of the drive image
used at the factory and not your specific Product Key; therefore, it
probably cannot be -- and definitely should not be -- used for a
re-installation.


--

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

 

[Chuckles The Scary Clown]

Because you have a factory-installed OEM license, and haven't since
reinstalled the OS, the revealed Product Key is that of the drive image
used at the factory and not your specific Product Key; therefore, it
probably cannot be -- and definitely should not be -- used for a
re-installation.

Isn't it known as a VLK (volume licensing key)?

The product key revealed by Everest on this Dell, for example, is the very
same as the one on dozens of Dell's in my place of work.

Each machine, however, obviously has a unique COA on the side of the
machine.

Leaving aside the licensing issues, I wonder what *would* happen if you
tried to enter the Dell VLK (for example, when trying to install a Dell copy
of Windows onto a non-Dell machine).

 

[Jim Macklin]

No correct. A volume license key is sold to a company, such
as General Motors, so they can use the same license on a
1,000 computers.

What Bruce was saying is that when a company such as Dell or
HP or eMachine assembles a computer the create a "factory
default installation" and then copy that to the hard drive
before it is even installed in the computer, using rack
mounted drives so all the dozens or hundreds of computers
built have the same installed product key which is accepted
by the BIOS and returned by a scan by EVEREST, Bel Arc or
any of the other software scanners. But the COA is the
individual license PK for that machine and works with the
supplied CD.


--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.


message
|
message
| | >
| > Because you have a factory-installed OEM license, and
haven't since
| > reinstalled the OS, the revealed Product Key is that of
the drive image
| > used at the factory and not your specific Product Key;
therefore, it
| > probably cannot be -- and definitely should not be --
used for a
| > re-installation.
| >
|
| Isn't it known as a VLK (volume licensing key)?
|
| The product key revealed by Everest on this Dell, for
example, is the very
| same as the one on dozens of Dell's in my place of work.
|
| Each machine, however, obviously has a unique COA on the
side of the
| machine.
|
| Leaving aside the licensing issues, I wonder what *would*
happen if you
| tried to enter the Dell VLK (for example, when trying to
install a Dell copy
| of Windows onto a non-Dell machine).
|
|

 

[William P.N. Smith]

Leaving aside the licensing issues, I wonder what *would* happen if you
tried to enter the Dell [key] (for example, when trying to install a Dell copy
of Windows onto a non-Dell machine).

Dunno, but I'd have to imagine it's been done. Maybe M$ won't
authorize that key over the net, so you'd never pass the authorization
step. Factory built or owner rebuilt machines (using the recovery
disks) don't need authorization...

 

[Sparky]

I had to verify that I was using a legal version of windows by
supplying the Product Key (from the sticker on the side of the tower).

http://www.magicaljellybean.com/
it gave me the CD key.

Dell (is allowed to) put One True Key on every {machine,model,line}
they build, as long as they put the sticker on the side with a valid
license key. They don't have to match, it's OK.

[Note that people used to sell the key sticker off the side of their
machines, as it could be used to license another machine, but M$ is
disabling (activation by) those keys as of April 1 in order to close
that loophole. It's not clear which one they care about in their
forthcoming verification push, but I figure we'll burn that bridge
when we come to it.]

Wonder how long it'll be before they start requiring a hardware token,
given that costs of that kind of thing are dropping to near zero...

"hardware token" = dongle?? Nor familiar with the term.

 

[William P.N. Smith]

"hardware token" = dongle?? Nor familiar with the term.

Yeah, a physical thing you connect to the machine that's difficult to
clone that will allow the software to run. They used to commonly
attach to parallel ports, though USB is pretty common now, as USB
interfaces are ubiquitous, cheap, and well-supported by the OS, and
the production costs of USB hardware is nearly zero.

 

[HillBillyBuddhist]

|
| Leaving aside the licensing issues, I wonder what *would* happen if you
| tried to enter the Dell VLK (for example, when trying to install a Dell
copy
| of Windows onto a non-Dell machine).
|

FWIW I recently tried using the key in the system (as found by Everest)
during the "Product validation" step while downloading Photo Story 3. It
returned an "invalid key" error. Entering the one off the sticker went
through fine. I imagine the same would happen trying to use it during an
installation.

 

[Ira Potell]

When I was beta testing XP this issue came up and you can't install on
another PC. it is tied to to thr serial number of the PC it was installed
on.. Onr license--one machine. It is quite secure on this issue.

--
Best wishes,
Ira
: : |
: | Leaving aside the licensing issues, I wonder what *would* happen if you
: | tried to enter the Dell VLK (for example, when trying to install a Dell
: copy
: | of Windows onto a non-Dell machine).
: |
:
: FWIW I recently tried using the key in the system (as found by Everest)
: during the "Product validation" step while downloading Photo Story 3. It
: returned an "invalid key" error. Entering the one off the sticker went
: through fine. I imagine the same would happen trying to use it during an
: installation.
:
: --
: D
:
: Remove shoes to E-mail.
:
:

 

[Donald L McDaniel]

FWIW I recently tried using the key in the system (as found by
Everest) during the "Product validation" step while downloading Photo
Story 3. It returned an "invalid key" error. Entering the one off the
sticker went through fine. I imagine the same would happen trying to
use it during an installation.

While your Dell OEM CD key may have worked for installation on a non-Dell
machine, you will have problems when you try to activate the non-Dell
installation. Microsoft has recently disabled Internet activation of OEM
keys on the major 20 OEM system builders. You will have to make a telephone
call to attempt to activate this illegal installation.

You will have a problem convincing an Activation contact person that you
have installed the OEM key from a Dell computer on the same Dell computer,
when what you have done is attempt to transfer a Dell-specific Windows
license to a non-Dell machine, which is a big no-no in Microsoft's eyes.
Unless of course, you want to lie through your teeth.

This is the reason you had no problems using the Dell key on a non-Dell
machine:
1) The original key you tried to use, which failed, was the key used to
install the Dell image which was mass-installed on thousands of similar Dell
machines. This key was tied to the BIOS of your Dell. When you tried to
use it, of course it failed, since your non-Dell machine did not have a Dell
BIOS.
2) The second key you tried to use, which succeeded, was a Generic Product
Key provided with the Dell OEM disc(which is actually a generic OEM disk).

 

[Olaf Zaplinski]

While your Dell OEM CD key may have worked for installation on a non-Dell
machine, you will have problems when you try to activate the non-Dell
installation.

And now one funny thing: my HP OEM XP runs fine on my Dimension 4400.
And that is exactly what I as a consumer would expect. When the original
system has died, you get another one at Ebay and reinstall everything.

OK, activation with one mouseclick did not work, so I had to call them
last week. But they did not ask any questions, they even did not want to
know my name. I guess that now my HP OEM license is bound to this Dell
machine, but it's ok.

Olaf

 

[Donald L McDaniel]

And now one funny thing: my HP OEM XP runs fine on my Dimension 4400.
And that is exactly what I as a consumer would expect. When the
original system has died, you get another one at Ebay and reinstall
everything.
OK, activation with one mouseclick did not work, so I had to call them
last week. But they did not ask any questions, they even did not want
to know my name. I guess that now my HP OEM license is bound to this
Dell machine, but it's ok.

Olaf

From what I understand, your HP OEM license can only be used with the
original HP machine it was provided with. It is not supposed to be
transferred to another machine. This is exactly what the Microsoft is
trying to put a stop to with its recent change in the activation procedure.