XP license

[Bandier]

My mother-in-law got a computer that has a boot leg version of XP
Professional on it. Two questions: I have an unused license for XP Home,
will this work for it to get the operating system legit? If so, where I do
enter the valid license number?

 

[Xandros]

You will not be able to simply substitute an XP Home license with an XP Pro
version. Nor will you be able to install the XP Home version over top of the
current XP Pro setup. Your options are to either purchase a legitimate XP
Pro license or to do a fresh install of XP Home using your XP Home
legitimate license.

 

[Alias]

My mother-in-law got a computer that has a boot leg version of XP
Professional on it. Two questions: I have an unused license for XP Home,
will this work for it to get the operating system legit? If so, where I do
enter the valid license number?

Your only recourse is to do a clean install of your XP Home. Home
version product keys won't work with XP Professional. How do you know
that the version of XP Pro that she has is bootleg?

Alias

 

[Bandier]

Validation notifications pop up telling her the copy she has may be
counterfeit.

 

[Daave]

In that case, it is more accurate to say that your mother-in-law *may*
have a counterfeit version of XP. Big difference!

 

[VanguardLH]

My mother-in-law got a computer that has a boot leg version of XP
Professional on it. Two questions: I have an unused license for XP Home,
will this work for it to get the operating system legit? If so, where I do
enter the valid license number?

Uh huh, "got" it from somewhere unspecified, sure. She would know where
she got that copy of Windows. Sounds like she bought a computer where
the seller mislead her as to it including a copy of Windows; i.e., she
bought hardware that included a polluted hard drive.

Save her data files somewhere else and do a fresh install of your unused
copy of Windows XP Home Edition. You enter the product key for the
Windows XP HE when you install the Windows XP HE using the sticker or
COA that came with Windows XP HE. You don't use the product for Windows
XP HE to make Windows XP Pro functional because you don't have a product
key for Windows XP Pro.

 

[Alias]

Validation notifications pop up telling her the copy she has may be
counterfeit.

As the Windows Genuine Advantage tool sometimes flags legit copies as
pirated, I wouldn't trust that. Does she have an XP Pro CD? How did she
obtain this copy of XP Pro?

Alias

 

[John]

My mother-in-law got a computer that has a boot leg version of XP
Professional on it.

Are you absolutely sure it is a pirated copy of XP Pro? There have been
issues with WGA (Windows Genuine Advantage) validation. You might want to
check with her how she got the computer and operating systems.

Two questions: I have an unused license for XP Home,
will this work for it to get the operating system legit?

I'd say yes with a few conditions:
- XP Home must be retail version
- You must wipe out current XP Pro installation and install XP Home

You can't use OEM license (OS that comes with computer purchase) on other
systems even if the original PC is dead. OEM license lives and dies with the
PC.

If so, where I do
enter the valid license number?

When you install XP Home on her PC.

 

[Alias]

Are you absolutely sure it is a pirated copy of XP Pro? There have been
issues with WGA (Windows Genuine Advantage) validation. You might want to
check with her how she got the computer and operating systems.


I'd say yes with a few conditions:
- XP Home must be retail version

Or a generic OEM.

Alias

 

[John]

Or a generic OEM.

I'm not familiar with generic OEM. What is that?

 

[Bandier]

I'm aware of the boot-leg status as it was made known by the friend who set
it up once the validation message showed up. Apparently the XP number was a
Corporate Licensing number that, should not have been exploited. Now trying
to fix it.

 

[Alias]

I'm not familiar with generic OEM. What is that?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116511

Alias

 

[Bruce Chambers]

My mother-in-law got a computer that has a boot leg version of XP
Professional on it. Two questions: I have an unused license for XP Home,
will this work for it to get the operating system legit? If so, where I do
enter the valid license number?

You can't assign a WinXP Home Product Key to a WinXP Pro installation.
Product Keys are bound to the specific type and language of CD/license
(OEM, Volume, retail, or full) with which they are purchased. For
example, a WinXP Home OEM Product Key won't work for any retail version
of WinXP Home, or for any version of WinXP Pro, and vice versa. An OEM
Product Key will not work to install a retail product. An Italian
Product Key will not work with an English CD. Bottom line: Product Keys
and CD/license types cannot usually (it's been reported that the Product
Key for a full license will work with an Upgrade CD) be mixed & matched.

The only way to change from WinXP Pro to WinXP Home is to format the
hard drive and start over. There is no supported downgrade path or
technique.

After backing up any data you wish to transfer to the new OS
installation, simply boot from the WinXP Home installation CD. You'll
be offered the opportunity to delete, create, and format partitions as
part of the installation process. (You may need to re-arrange the order
of boot devices in the PC's BIOS to boot from the CD.)

HOW TO Install Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;316941

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

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

Then the backed up data can be restored and applications
re-installed from their original installation media.



--

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

 

[Gregg Hill]

If your desire is to be legal, keep XP Pro, and do it the least painful way,
then go to http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/ and click on Validate Windows.
If it fails, you should be offered the chance to purchase an XP Pro license
for $149, after which MS emails you a new key and a link to download the
program to change the current installation key to a legal one.

If I were in your shoes, I'd validate Office as well. If it, too, is bogus,
then you're probably better off buying a new computer with legal OEM
versions of both.

One person commented that a "generic OEM" could be purchased. While
technically true, it is against the Microsoft license. Per the license, it
is only for a legitimate "System Builder" to use, and must be sold with a
new computer to be legal.

Gregg Hill

 

[Alias]

One person commented that a "generic OEM" could be purchased. While
technically true, it is against the Microsoft license. Per the license, it
is only for a legitimate "System Builder" to use, and must be sold with a
new computer to be legal.

Gregg Hill

Unadulterated BULLSHIT. If you build your own computer you are a LEGAL
systems builder and have to support the OEM install yourself. New Egg
sells generic OEMs without a computer and you think that Microsoft
doesn't know that!?

As far as legit is concerned. get back to me when Microsoft grows the
balls to take one single person to court for breaching the EULA and the
court has deemed the sleazy document to be legit. Until then, please
don't spread misinformation that can only cost the newbies who post here
about this issue MONEY.

Alias