Windows XP Reinstall

GreenNotM

Here is some info ( a bit of light reading ) on the activation process http://www.licenturion.com/xp/

Your PC sticker should be a COA Certificate of Authenticity with a 25 character "number" or alt the CD Product Key. This is then made into a 20-digit product ID based on the CD Key and the Windows version. To this is added an 8 digit hardware ID based upon the various bits of hardware in your system ( see article )

When MS gets this 28 digit code - it validates the 20 digit product code as being legit - ie COA and Windows Version match (OEM, retail pre SP1, SP1, SP2 etc .. ) and not one on their list of know pirates versions :eek: .

Unfortunately if the COA does not match the windows version the op at the call center in India will not give you a 42 digit Confirmation ID....... - I tried but not even using legit but non matching OEM CD's and COA. (lesson always keep ur CD's safe or just keep them :rotfl: )

Hopefully your original system builder will have a backup copy or same version of the CD you need. If not look at copying the partition from your old disk to the new disk and cleaning windows that way. If you have hardware RAID, mirror the disks and then break the mirror and reset master slave setting or edit boot.ini to point to the new disk.

here is info about myths of activation ...

intel

GreenNotM wrote:

When MS gets this 28 digit code - it validates the 20 digit product code as being legit - ie COA and Windows Version (OEM, retail pre SP1, SP1, SP2 etc .. ) and not one it list of know pirates versions :eek: . Unfortunately if the COA does not match the windows version the op at the call center in India will not give you a 42 digit Confirmation ID....... I tried not even using OEM CD's and COA. (lesson always keep ur CD's safe or just keep them :rotfl: )[/URL]

Unless I was phoning Microsoft In a dream after drinking heavily
the night before :rolleyes: thats what happened...

But I wasnt and they will hand out a new Activation key so the above is incorrect.

GreenNotM

intel wrote:

Unless I was phoning Microsoft In a dream after drinking heavily
the night before :rolleyes: thats what happened...

But I wasnt and they will hand out a new Activation key so the above is incorrect.

I was trying with a HP OEM CD on a no name laptop OEM COA sticker all of it legit software - the owner had just thrown away all the disks before flying back from Singapore (with his new cheap laptop) and then a few months later decided that he liked Windows 98 :eek: But then not much of his hardware work with 98 so he wanted to go back ... but as 98 don't read NTFS - he reformated to FAT32... during the 98 install ...

If all the versions match (COA & Windows CD version ) then you can happily re-activate MS software. I have and know many ppl that do.. Was just responding to the OP questions

maybe a hypen will clear my post up - ty Intel for the proof reading

intel

GreenNotM wrote:

I was trying with a HP OEM CD on a no name laptop OEM COA sticker all of it legit software - the owner had just thrown away all the disks before flying back from Singapore (with his new cheap laptop) and then a few months later decided that he liked Windows 98 :eek: But then not much of his hardware work with 98 so he wanted to go back ... but as 98 don't read NTFS - he reformated to FAT32... during the 98 install ...

If all the versions match (COA & Windows CD version ) then you can happily re-activate MS software. I have and know many ppl that do.. Was just responding to the OP questions

maybe a hypen will clear my post up - ty Intel for the proof reading

Good job you said proof and not !!!!!! :mad: :rotfl:

oasis13

OK, IM confused now!

So, will my serial number work with a different CD? And must the CD be OEM, or would the RETAIL version work?

Thanks for all the help so far!

GreenNotM

read the microsoft links on post #22 - computer says no.

If coa is oem - cd has to be oem and the same version of windows and variety - don't try to intergrate the sp2 into your source cd -BUT If you have a copy of the cd files can you create a new CD ?

As Intel warned - beware the cracked software as it may carry malware etc..

As the validation only takes 20 seconds on line - and the MS database must carry all the numbers of the activated copies of XP ( must be in the thousands by now :rotfl: ) It is fair to assume that MS only looks at the most "popular" pirated valid numbers during the activation process not the odd duplicates. A more complete checking will happen when you run the update process - a few changes in the hardware ID are permissable ... not that I am suggesting anything ....

XP will tell you instantly if the COA is not right for the CD - give it a go ... :beer: