changing XP key

  • Thread starter Thread starter RB
  • Start date Start date
R

RB

I saw some software that advertised it would find and change
the keys for WinXP.
I can understand why one might would want to find their XP
key. But why would one need to change the key ?
 
Say you need to rebuild your system, and have no media to do so (you forgot
to make the resture disks from the on-disk files)

Your buddy has a copy of the same version of Windows XP (home, pro,
whatever) that your PC came with. You have a licence on the sticker on the
side of the PC. But the installation from his disk doesn't recognize your
product key. This could be caused by varying market channel (OEM vs retail
or volume licencse).

So you install with his key(which is generally a no-no), then use the
product key changing program to reset the machine to your legitimate key.

Here's MS's tool for doing so.
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/selfhelp/PKUInstructions.aspx

This would also be used if you create a master setup disk and clone it to
several PCs, then set them to their individual product keys.



I saw some software that advertised it would find and change
the keys for WinXP.
I can understand why one might would want to find their XP
key. But why would one need to change the key ?
 
vmanes said:
Say you need to rebuild your system, and have no media to do so (you
forgot
to make the resture disks from the on-disk files)

Your buddy has a copy of the same version of Windows XP (home, pro,
whatever) that your PC came with. You have a licence on the sticker on
the
side of the PC. But the installation from his disk doesn't recognize your
product key. This could be caused by varying market channel (OEM vs
retail
or volume licencse).

So you install with his key(which is generally a no-no), then use the
product key changing program to reset the machine to your legitimate key.

Here's MS's tool for doing so.
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/selfhelp/PKUInstructions.aspx

This would also be used if you create a master setup disk and clone it to
several PCs, then set them to their individual product keys.
Click to expand...

In your example your saying that my product key can't be used with my
buddies XP install disk because my license is OEM and his disk is XP Retail
and if I used this tool from microsoft it will allow me to input my OEM
product key on a Retail installation??? Sure doesn't sound like something
MS would sanction.
 
RB said:
I saw some software that advertised it would find and change
the keys for WinXP.
I can understand why one might would want to find their XP
key. But why would one need to change the key ?
Click to expand...
Say you need to rebuild your system, and have no media to do so
(you forgot to make the resture disks from the on-disk files)

Your buddy has a copy of the same version of Windows XP (home, pro,
whatever) that your PC came with. You have a licence on the
sticker on the side of the PC. But the installation from his disk
doesn't recognize your product key. This could be caused by
varying market channel (OEM vs retail or volume licencse).

So you install with his key(which is generally a no-no), then use
the product key changing program to reset the machine to your
legitimate key.
Here's MS's tool for doing so.
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/selfhelp/PKUInstructions.aspx

This would also be used if you create a master setup disk and clone
it to several PCs, then set them to their individual product keys.
Click to expand...
In your example your saying that my product key can't be used with
my buddies XP install disk because my license is OEM and his disk
is XP Retail and if I used this tool from microsoft it will allow
me to input my OEM product key on a Retail installation??? Sure
doesn't sound like something MS would sanction.
Click to expand...

Will work.

You could also change the setupp.ini file on the retail CD (and create a new
cd) so it accepted OEM product keys and use your OEM key while installing.

In the end - you are using your license. That's what makes it 'right'.
 
Shenan Stanley said:
Will work.

You could also change the setupp.ini file on the retail CD (and create a
new cd) so it accepted OEM product keys and use your OEM key while
installing.

In the end - you are using your license. That's what makes it 'right'.
Click to expand...

Thanks Shenan, good info.
 
That must be very new, because I bought a computer off a friend who never
gave me the cd, so I ran my original cd on the newer computer, only to be
told by microsoft that I wasn't allowed to do that. I had to pay 100 for the
new key.
 
When you bought the computer , your "friend" should have given you the
cd as well . ( Unless there is a hidden recovery partition )
 
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