XP Not Accepting Product Key

Hi All
I have just done a reinstall on a friends laptop. He couldnt
find his version of Windows XP so i thought i would just use mine.The
problem i have is that when it comes time to type in the Product Key it
wont accept the Key that is stuck to the bottom of the laptop. The
laptops XP sticker say Windows XP Professional 1 - 2 CPU and my version
of XP is Professional so why wont it work.

Any help would be great

Thanks


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synthedic
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synthedic wrote:
> I have just done a reinstall on a friends laptop. He couldnt
> find his version of Windows XP so i thought i would just use
> mine.The problem i have is that when it comes time to type in the
> Product Key it wont accept the Key that is stuck to the bottom of
> the laptop. The laptops XP sticker say Windows XP Professional 1 -
> 2 CPU and my version of XP is Professional so why wont it work.
>
> Any help would be great

The CDs come in types as well as versions. Your friend with the
laptop/sticker has an OEM licensed type. Obviously your CD is not of that
type - so the product key on your friend's sticker will not work with your
type of CD (I assume Retail, Upgrade, MSDN, etc...)

You can use your CD with keys meant for the same type, you can use your
friend's product key with CDs of the same type. You can either install
using whatever method the laptop manufacturer originally gave your friend,
using your product key and changing it to your friend's product key
afterwards, by finding a generic OEM CD and using your friend's proper
product key or by changing the type of keys your CD will accept and burning
a new copy and using your friend's product key.

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Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
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Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience -
Windows Vista Enthusiast

---------------------------------------------------------------

"synthedic" <synthedic.3bi8fe@DoNotSpam.com> wrote in message news:synthedic.3bi8fe@DoNotSpam.com...

Hi All
I have just done a reinstall on a friends laptop. He couldnt
find his version of Windows XP so i thought i would just use mine.The
problem i have is that when it comes time to type in the Product Key it
wont accept the Key that is stuck to the bottom of the laptop. The
laptops XP sticker say Windows XP Professional 1 - 2 CPU and my version
of XP is Professional so why wont it work.

Any help would be great

Thanks


--
synthedic
------------------------------------------------------------------------
synthedic's Profile: http://forums.techarena.in/member.php?u=49496
View this thread: http://forums.techarena.in/showthread.php?t=991093

http://forums.techarena.in

synthedic wrote:
> Hi All
> I have just done a reinstall on a friends laptop. He couldnt
> find his version of Windows XP so i thought i would just use mine.The
> problem i have is that when it comes time to type in the Product Key it
> wont accept the Key that is stuck to the bottom of the laptop. The
> laptops XP sticker say Windows XP Professional 1 - 2 CPU and my version
> of XP is Professional so why wont it work.
>
> Any help would be great
>
> Thanks
>
>


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.

You could use an unbranded, generic OEM disk for the same WinXP edition
(Home vs. Pro) as that for which your friend has the license.


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Bruce Chambers

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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

Thanks Shenan Stanley for your reply it makes sense to me now. Would it
be a stupid question to ask if you can tell me how to change my copy(
which I believe is Retail XP Pro with service pack 2 ) to accept his
product key. Would i be right in saying turn it into an OEM version

Thanks Guys


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synthedic
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synthedic wrote:
> I have just done a reinstall on a friends laptop. He couldnt
> find his version of Windows XP so i thought i would just use
> mine.The problem i have is that when it comes time to type in the
> Product Key it wont accept the Key that is stuck to the bottom of
> the laptop. The laptops XP sticker say Windows XP Professional 1 -
> 2 CPU and my version of XP is Professional so why wont it work.
>
> Any help would be great

Shenan Stanley wrote:
> The CDs come in types as well as versions. Your friend with the
> laptop/sticker has an OEM licensed type. Obviously your CD is not
> of that type - so the product key on your friend's sticker will not
> work with your type of CD (I assume Retail, Upgrade, MSDN, etc...)
>
> You can use your CD with keys meant for the same type, you can use
> your friend's product key with CDs of the same type. You can
> either install using whatever method the laptop manufacturer
> originally gave your friend, using your product key and changing it
> to your friend's product key afterwards, by finding a generic OEM
> CD and using your friend's proper product key or by changing the
> type of keys your CD will accept and burning a new copy and using
> your friend's product key.

synthedic wrote:
> Thanks Shenan Stanley for your reply it makes sense to me now.
> Would it be a stupid question to ask if you can tell me how to
> change my copy( which I believe is Retail XP Pro with service pack
> 2 ) to accept his product key. Would i be right in saying turn it
> into an OEM version

You change the retail copy to a copy that will accept OEM product keys.
Google for "setupp.ini" - that is not a typo. I'll give you a head start:
http://www.thetechguide.com/howto/setuppini.html

or

You install the retail copy using your retail key and then you use the
Microsoft utility to change the product key to the one you have on t he
sticker. This utility from Microsoft...
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?Link...46&clcid=0x409

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
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How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html