XP Pro installed, XP Home license

[C. G.]

I bought a used laptop (On Ebay) The laptop has XP Pro installed, but the COA
is XP Home.
The seller has assured me that it is OK to use a home license with PRO, and
that it installs just fine that way. I asked him for his source on this, and
he wrote to me:

"My source is my friends they working in computers since long time. and we
did many times with the Home to Pro product key without any problem.
I do not think this could be a problem for the machine. even a new windows
vista you can install in this machine with same product key. Thats what I
know."

Now, I haven't tried that, and I re-installed Home using the COA on the
laptop (It appears to be legitimate). But I'm wondering... will XP Pro
install with a Home key? and will Vista really install using that key too?

I informed the seller that it's probably illegal to do that even if it
works.I having much trouble believing that it does work, since even on a
re-install of XP I often need to call Microsoft to get it validated.

Should I report this somehow, or should I just let it go?

 

[David B.]

The seller is an idiot. A home license does not entitle you to Pro, nor will
Pro install using a Home license key, you likely have a pirated copy of Pro
on the laptop.

 

[Xandros]

Product Keys are version specific. Therefore an XP Home version key will not
satisfy the request from XP Pro. In fact a Retail XP version key will not
satisfy an OEM version. And there is no way that an XP key will satisfy a
Vista request. The seller's "friends" are wrong.

You can report the issue to (e-mail address removed) . You'll receive an
automated thank you for your effort.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I bought a used laptop (On Ebay) The laptop has XP Pro installed, but the COA
is XP Home.
The seller has assured me that it is OK to use a home license with PRO, and
that it installs just fine that way.

The seller either doesn't know what he's talking about, or is
deliberately lying to you--probably the latter. Not only is it not OK,
but it won't work at all.

 

[Don Schmidt]

You have already been advised that a ProductKey for Home will not work for
Pro.

If you are interested in the ProductKey that is associated with your
installed Pro version, run Belarc Advisor and it will display it for you.

You can get Belarc Advisor at

http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

 

[C. G.]

Thank you all for your informative replies. I have already removed the Pro
from the computer. It appeared to be a Dell recovery install (there were Dell
apps and drivers, not a Dell computer).

I heard from the seller after I told him it was illegal, and he answered:
"Are you sure? I never heard about this. what I know is product key must be
used for the same machine". Which is strange, because (and I wasn't
surprised) the key on the Pro was not the Home key.

I don't know that it will help much to report to piracy although I will
probably do that. It may help somewhat to report this in the Ebay feedback.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I bought a used laptop (On Ebay) The laptop has XP Pro installed, but the COA
is XP Home.
The seller has assured me that it is OK to use a home license with PRO, and
that it installs just fine that way. I asked him for his source on this, and
he wrote to me:

"My source is my friends they working in computers since long time. and we
did many times with the Home to Pro product key without any problem.
I do not think this could be a problem for the machine. even a new windows
vista you can install in this machine with same product key. Thats what I
know."

He's lying. Either demand a legitimate WinXP Pro license, or return
the laptop and get your money back. And don't forget to report this
low-life scammer to eBay.

Now, I haven't tried that, and I re-installed Home using the COA on the
laptop (It appears to be legitimate).

You're lucky.

But I'm wondering... will XP Pro
install with a Home key? and will Vista really install using that key too?

No, of course not! Product Keys are bound to the specific type and
language of CD/license (OEM, Volume, retail, full, or Upgrade) 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 upgrade's Product Key cannot be used with
a full version CD, 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 be
mixed & matched.

I informed the seller that it's probably illegal to do that even if it
works.I having much trouble believing that it does work, since even on a
re-install of XP I often need to call Microsoft to get it validated.

Should I report this somehow, or should I just let it go?

Either demand a legitimate WinXP Pro license, or return the laptop and
get your money back. And don't forget to report this low-life scammer
to eBay.

Getting a legitimate license of any kind from eBay is something of a
crap shoot. One should be very careful buying any software on eBay,
as eBay makes no prior effort to ensure that such sales are legitimate.
The problems stem from two completely different sources, but have the
same results: the buyer gets ripped off. A great many people don't fully
understand the terms of the license they own, and don't understand that
they cannot legitimately resell it, and - worse still - there are a
great many sellers who do know that they're selling bogus licenses. eBay
reacts only when someone files a complaint, and then all that really
happens, especially in the case of the many deliberate fraudsters, is
the seller of the pirated software returns using a different alias, to
continue selling illegitimate licenses.


--

Bruce Chambers

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