invalid product key when upgrading from XP home to XP professional

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  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

We purchased a new pc with XP home edition installed, then purchased the
upgrade to XP professional edition. When we try to install the new version,
we're getting an ivalid product key message.
I'm sure we're typing the product key code in correctly, not mistaking any
letters or numbers, and the caps lock is off, the pc has norton internet
security as well, and that has been disabled, as has the windows personal
firewall.
We bought both the pc and software from compusa, both are new, never tried
to use it on another machine, etc.
Any ideas?
 
Just a quick check, are you using the key from the home or Pro CD?
Are you positive you're not typing 0's - zeros as O - ohs or flipflop.

Windows XP Professional Upgrade Center
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/upgrading/default.mspx

Quick Upgrade to Windows XP
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/getstarted/installquick.mspx

--

Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Shell/User }
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://basconotw.mvps.org/

Suggested posting do's/don'ts: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
 
Thanks for answering! I'm using the Pro product key, there aren't any zeroes
or Ohs in it, and the 6 and G are very different looking too.
I'll check out the links you posted.
Did I read somewhere correctly (there are so many places to go and so many
different things to read), that you can't install the XP upgrade if you're
already in XP? But you stick the CD in, the autorun starts, and it sure
looks like it should work, and having an invalid product key would be a
pretty silly way to tell you that you weren't doing something right!
 
What type of computer are you trying to upgrade ?? Perhaps it's an OEM
version, and can't be upgraded with a retail version.

MD
 
XP Home can be upgraded to Pro.
Upgrading from Previous Versions of Windows
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/upgrading/matrix.mspx

Is the Invalid Key message anything like:
<quote>
The Product Key used to install Windows is invalid. Please contact your system administrator or retailer immediately to obtain a valid Product Key. You may also contact Microsoft Corporation's Anti-Piracy Team by emailing (e-mail address removed) if you think you have purchased pirated Microsoft software. Please be assured that any personal information you send to the Microsoft Anti-Piracy Team will be kept in strict confidence.
</quote>
If so see:
You receive a "The product key used to install Windows is invalid" error message
http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb;en-us;326904&spid=1173&sid=678

Also see:
Troubleshooting invalid CD key error message during Windows XP setup
http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb;en-us;310637&spid=1173&sid=678


--

Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Shell/User }
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://basconotw.mvps.org/

Suggested posting do's/don'ts: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
 
There is no reason an OEM Home version cannot be upgraded with a Retail Pro
Upgrade disk.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
 
I did go through and disable all the norton stuff, and tried again. Norton
came installed on the pc, with no installation disks. If I uninstall it, can
I reinstall later?
I'm going back and forth with Microsoft, and they're not very helpful, first
they tell me to go to the knowledge base dealing with pirated software, then
they told me to contact the maker of the pc. This isn't an issue with the
original software, it's doing the upgrade.
Sheesh! for the $$$ we spent on the upgrade, it shouldn't be this difficult!
thanks for responding!
 
Hi,

If no application recovery disks were supplied, then you are probably not
going to be able to reinstall the Norton software (to me that would be a
good thing, but we each have our preferences). Norton is well-known to cause
issues such as this, which is why I would recommend uninstalling it prior to
the upgrade.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
 
well, that's not good news!


Rick "Nutcase" Rogers said:
Hi,

If no application recovery disks were supplied, then you are probably not
going to be able to reinstall the Norton software (to me that would be a
good thing, but we each have our preferences). Norton is well-known to cause
issues such as this, which is why I would recommend uninstalling it prior to
the upgrade.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
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