Install XP from one CD but activate with license key from another?

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I've just helped a friend recover from a disaster involving the HDD on his
notebook PC. It had Win-XP-Home pre-installed but he can no longer find his
recovery CD. I've asked him to buy a new retail copy of
Win-XP-Pro-Academic-Upgrade but am not waiting for him to do this before
installing Win-XP-Pro-Academic-Upgrade from the same media that his Desktop
PC used. I have not attempted to activate this second installation.

I have read that you may purchase additional license keys to use with the
one OS installation media. That may be an option, also.

My question:
Can I install from one Win-XP-Professional-Upgrade-Academic CD and then
later activate using the license key from a newly purchased
Win-XP-Professional-Upgrade-Academic product?

I know from experience that I can't activate an XP-Pro installation using an
XP-Pro-Home license key, so I wonder if I also need to be careful about
whether the 2nd product license key is for
a) Academic or Regular?
b) Upgrade or Full?
 
Qestion; I have this pc compaq Persario that was originally a windows 98. I
recently up graded it to windows xp home edition sp2 I must have a virus or
something now it freezes on the part when you first turn the pc on that
windows xp loading screen freezes what do I do.?
 
Can I install from one Win-XP-Professional-Upgrade-Academic CD and then
later activate using the license key from a newly purchased
Win-XP-Professional-Upgrade-Academic product?
Click to expand...

I don't know if it's possible to purchase just a license for the Academic
version or not. Regardless, we usually recommend buying the package (CD and
license key) since there is really no great savings on buying an extra XP
key only with the other versions.

Also am not familiar with the XP Academic license terms. As long as there
isn't anything "weird" about them, you should be fine. You can check the
EULA on the desktop PC to be sure: Start> Run> winver will bring up a
version screen that *should* have a link to the EULA. If not, just search
for the relevant txt file.

As far as installing from one CD and using a different number - as long as
the "types" match you can do this.

Example of a match: Installed from media with an OEM version of XP home
/validated with any OEM home license key.

Post XP SP2, the first screen for activation has a place where you can
change the license key from the one you used to do the install to the one
that you want to use to validate.

PS: You plan on using an upgrade version. Setup for the upgrade package
will expect to see proof of a Windows version that qualifies for the
upgrade right. If no Windows is installed, you will be prompted to insert
the CD for Windows-a-qualifying-version. A check will be made, and if
"passed" the setup directions on the screen will have you re-insert the XP
CD to continue installation.

Note that most customized OEM CDs do not work for that upgrade check. Many
of these disks just have one great big file (or a small handful of files)
that lay an image down instead of actually installing anything.
Consequently, XP setup cannot "see" the Windows files that it looks for to
validate.

The OEM CDs that will work - you can plainly see the Windows setup files
(almost identical to what's on a retail CD) when examining the CD in
Explorer.
 
Qestion; I have this pc compaq Persario that was originally a windows 98. I
recently up graded it to windows xp home edition sp2 I must have a virus or
something now it freezes on the part when you first turn the pc on that
windows xp loading screen freezes what do I do.?
Click to expand...

Phil, you need to repost your question to a different thread. It's not
polite to "piggyback" on a thread and by doing so you run the risk of your
question not getting any attention.

Post again - starting your own thread. Include some details about the
problem other than "it freezes." For instance, any recent changes on the
laptop (drivers, hardware or software)? Any other problems that have been
lurking around that may be contributing to the problem? Any particular
reason that you think you have a virus other than freezing?

General suggestion: Try starting the laptop plugged in - not on battery
power. If able to access Windows, check your hard drive space. The Compaq's
hard drive was probably pretty small since it started with Win98. If you're
lucky, this may be something as simple as "being out of space" and doing
some housekeeping.
 
My friend was given a copy of a Windows XP Home Edition (with SP2) install
disk and told to use the CD-Key as printed on the Genuine Windows sticker
affixed to the bottom of his Toshiba laptop.

That method certainly worked and the product activation went without a hitch.

We abandoned the XP Pro installation.

Many thanks!
 
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