Guest Mike Posted September 12, 2007 Posted September 12, 2007 I had posted earlier about being given a computer that wouldn't boot, couldn't do a repair install & appeared that the Windows directory was wiped clean. I had purchased an OEM copy of XP Home & a new HD (from a reputable source!) & intended to put the disk in another computer, copy what was left & reinstall on the new drive. When I started computer that the old drive was mounted in, checkdisk started at boot up, giving a bunch of messages about corrupt attributes & repairing them I let it run it's course & the contents of the windows directory was back to normal. Put drive back in old computer, booted up & everything looked fine & then message about validation failure, saying it had a volume product key that had been blocked. It is currently running XP Pro, but has an XP Home OEM sticker on the back of the box! To make a long story short, can I go buy an OEM version of XP Pro & use that new product key to validate it? I am trying to avoid wiping out & re-installing! Thanks in advance- -- The intelligent man wins his battles with pointed words. I'm sorry -- I meant sticks. Pointed sticks.
Guest Mark F. Posted September 12, 2007 Posted September 12, 2007 Re: What to do? "Mike" <mikey117@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:e5hKXPQ9HHA.4612@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl... >I had posted earlier about being given a computer that wouldn't boot, >couldn't do a repair install & appeared that the Windows directory was >wiped clean. > I had purchased an OEM copy of XP Home & a new HD (from a reputable > source!) & intended to put the disk in another computer, copy what was > left & reinstall on the new drive. > When I started computer that the old drive was mounted in, checkdisk > started at boot up, giving a bunch of messages about corrupt attributes & > repairing them > I let it run it's course & the contents of the windows directory was back > to normal. > Put drive back in old computer, booted up & everything looked fine & then > message about validation failure, saying it had a volume product key that > had been blocked. It is currently running XP Pro, but has an XP Home OEM > sticker on the back of the box! > To make a long story short, can I go buy an OEM version of XP Pro & use > that new product key to validate it? > I am trying to avoid wiping out & re-installing! > Thanks in advance- > -- If you buy a new copy of XP you can register the license via the wizard only if you install using the CD. Otherwise the product key will be different. The validation is based on the machine's hardware configuration. So if you make major changes the MAC addresses won't be the same and the Windows Product Validation thinks that the installation is on a different computer. You can register your _current_ XP copy via telephone. Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Activate Windows. There is a phone number on the wizard page that you call to activate your copy. Mark
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