Product key and licensing....

[Network67]

I mentioned in an earlier post that I would be working on a friends computer, and one of things Iwould like to do is backup and wipe the HD and reinstall Win XP. One question I had, they did not receive an official version of XP Pro with their system, but they do have the Microsoft sticker on the case with the product key. I have an official version of XP Pro Service pack 2. Can I install my version of XP with their heir product key ?

[RicheemxX]

You might need an OEM version of XP for the key to work correctly. From what I recall XP keys, retail or oem couldn't be interchanged.

[Network67]

Hmm.. That's what I was thinking.

[stroyal]

Yep, an OEM sticker, needs an OEM disk.

[JPMiller]

Untrue, (at least in MY experience)...
Ive used multiple versions of the install disk to install using an OEM serial...
I had a pallet of Emachines that were refurbished and used several different retail and OEM disks to reinstall using the OEM stickers attached to the cases...
It wont matter that the disk is OEM or Retail, it will merely be whatever the version of serial is entered...

IF you have an OEM disk that has a proprietary setup, (there ARE some out there...) then you can always use NLite to redo the setup, and update to SP3...

In your case you should be able to install using the retail disk and simply enter the OEM from the sticker during the install, otherwise you can always enter the retail serial and not connect to the internet to validate it, use the MS key changer, and then it will take the OEM serial... (I did run into that a few times as well)

[stroyal]

Interesting, I guess the only time I tried it was a retail sticker, and an OEM disk. That didn't work, as I remember. Something I got out of the dump.

[JPMiller]

Thats more often the issue with a proprietary OEM disk that is "messed" with by the OEM...
In his case a retail disk works just fine with an OEM serial.
In most cases simply rewriting the disk with NLite and updating the SP version will make it work.

[Network67]

Thanks for that info JP ..... It is an OEM disk that I have.