OEM XP reinstall issues

  • Thread starter Thread starter bob urz
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bob urz

I have a IBM A50 P4 3GHZ machine that the hard drive died.
replaced the hard drive and formatted a new one.

DOn't have the original XP IBM disk anymore, but downloaded a
new XP image with SP3 slipstreamed on it.

Tried to use the code on the COA on the side of the machine,
but it does not accept that code.

How do i make this machine reinstall with its original COA?
Preferably with all updates on the disk.

Are there differences between OEM and retail XP disks that would
prevent this? If so, how do you tell the difference and find
a image of a XP OEM disk?

bob
 
The OEM Windows XP product key affixed to the IBM PC
is only valid with an OEM Windows XP CD. It will not
work with a "retail" Windows XP CD which is probably what
you "downloaded".

How to Replace Lost, Broken, or Missing Microsoft Software or Hardware
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326246/en-gb

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience -
Windows Vista Enthusiast

---------------------------------------------------------------

I have a IBM A50 P4 3GHZ machine that the hard drive died.
replaced the hard drive and formatted a new one.

DOn't have the original XP IBM disk anymore, but downloaded a
new XP image with SP3 slipstreamed on it.

Tried to use the code on the COA on the side of the machine,
but it does not accept that code.

How do i make this machine reinstall with its original COA?
Preferably with all updates on the disk.

Are there differences between OEM and retail XP disks that would
prevent this? If so, how do you tell the difference and find
a image of a XP OEM disk?

bob
 
Carey said:
The OEM Windows XP product key affixed to the IBM PC
is only valid with an OEM Windows XP CD. It will not
work with a "retail" Windows XP CD which is probably what
you "downloaded".

How to Replace Lost, Broken, or Missing Microsoft Software or Hardware
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326246/en-gb
Click to expand...
After doing some research, there seems to be two OEM windows versions.
regular OEM and BIOS locked OEM. So will a regular OEM XP disk work with
a bios locked IBM and IBM COA from a bios locked machine?

bob
 
Yes it will, the "BIOS locked" would be on the CD's that originally shipped
with the laptop and would be pre activated. The laptop itself has nothing to
do with the BIOS lock your talking about, just the original OEM OS that IBM
provided.
 
I too have a similar problem; I need to do a reinstall on my desktop PC but
do not have the OEM disk, I do however have an OEM disk for my laptop. Can I
use the laptop OEM disk to do the reinstall on my desktop? Which product key
should I use, desktop or laptop?
 
If your Laptop OEM cd is a generic edition, eg not labled Dell
reinstallation or similar, then you may be able to use it with your desktop
key, certainly not the laptop key, but in all probability its bios locked to
the laptop.
Are you sure you dont have a hidden restoration partition on your Desktop -
visit the manufacturers site & see what means of recovering your origonal as
supplied system is avilable, they are obliged to provide a means of
recovering to as supplied state.
 
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