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Thread ID: 124593 2012-05-05 23:06:00 Windows XP Home Edition Product Key not Working mark1978 (13845) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
1273769 2012-05-05 23:06:00 Hi..
I have a legitimate Windows XP Home Edition 2002 CD. It WAS attached to an old PC Company computer which has been LONG gone!
Anyway, I found that disc this morning and I am trying to install it on a laptop. The serial key does not work when I type it in... :-(
Anyone knows what am doing wrong?
mark1978 (13845)
1273770 2012-05-05 23:15:00 It would have been tied to the PC co PC. If that CD came with it Speedy Gonzales (78)
1273771 2012-05-05 23:19:00 Its a genuine CD.. I just don't get it why it would not work..
Does anyone know the phone number to Microsoft for activating windows?
mark1978 (13845)
1273772 2012-05-05 23:51:00 Its because the one youre trying to install it on isnt the original pc it was installed on Speedy Gonzales (78)
1273773 2012-05-06 00:02:00 Im pretty sure when the product key is entered once on a pc it cant be used again unless you call microsoft and tell them its a fault. stratex5 (16685)
1273774 2012-05-06 00:12:00 www.microsoft.com

Look under "Transfer Of License"

You can only reuse a full/retail version, and then only on one machine at a time (must be removed from the original machine).

I think "volume" licensing allows you to use the same disc for as many installs/licenses as you've paid for.
feersumendjinn (64)
1273775 2012-05-06 01:06:00 as others have pointed out its tied to the original PC. But all that aside, usually the PC Company CD's were XP with no SP's or SP1 often the COA wont work unless you have the correct version of XP, meaning pre SP1. Sometimes when I have had to reinstall old PC Company PC's had to find a original PC company CD I have here. wainuitech (129)
1273776 2012-05-06 02:30:00 It would have been tied to the PC co PC. If that CD came with it

Pretty sure the PC company PC's used to come with a standard XP OEM cd with no DMI smarts so don't think that would be the case.
Alex B (15479)
1273777 2012-05-06 03:21:00 Pretty sure the PC company PC's used to come with a standard XP OEM cd with no DMI smarts so don't think that would be the case.
What they did was take a standard OEM XP CD, reburn to a blank CD,rebrand it with the PC Company logo and name, call it a "Recovery CD".

It wasn't actually a recovery CD at all in the true sense of the word, as it doesn't have any specific drivers for the hardware, only the ones that come Preloaded from Microsoft. In their "packaging" they would have a separate motherboard CD and any other drivers for the hardware you brought.

The CD / COA was OEM so legally it is still tied to the original PC that was brought.
wainuitech (129)
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