Will existing key activate any XP disc?

  • Thread starter Thread starter John Latter
  • Start date Start date
J

John Latter

Hi,

My hard drive needs replacing & as the manufacturer stuck XP Home on
the end of the drive I thought that I would get a stand alone XP disc.

Will I be able to use my existing key on any XP Home disc? (I'm
looking at stuff on ebay)

Thanks in advance,

--

John Latter

Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism (based on an extension to homeostasis) linking Stationary-Phase Mutations to the Baldwin Effect.
http://members.aol.com/jorolat/TEM.html

'Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Discussion Egroup
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evomech
 
John Latter said:
Hi,

My hard drive needs replacing & as the manufacturer stuck XP Home on
the end of the drive I thought that I would get a stand alone XP disc.

Will I be able to use my existing key on any XP Home disc? (I'm
looking at stuff on ebay)
Click to expand...

No not necessarily.
And if you are buying a legitimate product from eBay it MUST come with its
own Activation Key. If they do not provide the original media and its key
then it is not a legitimate transfer of license/sale.
see
http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/default.mspx

--

Regards,

Mike
--
Mike Brannigan [Microsoft]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights

Please note I cannot respond to e-mailed questions, please use these
newsgroups
 
No not necessarily.
And if you are buying a legitimate product from eBay it MUST come with its
own Activation Key. If they do not provide the original media and its key
then it is not a legitimate transfer of license/sale.
see
http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/default.mspx

--

Regards,

Mike
Click to expand...

Thanks Mike - I know what to look for now!

While I'm here could you help me with this please?

The link below is for an ebay item selling XP+Key but was originally
for a Dell computer:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=41887&item=7162831139&rd=1

This other link is also for XP+Key:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=41887&item=7162744818&rd=1

but it says "MICROSOFT WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO ACTIVATE A DELL BRANDED
DISK FROM MARCH 2005 (As sold by other ebay sellers)"

If I buy a disc from ebay should I make sure that it hasn't got any
brand names on it?

Thanks,
--

John Latter

Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism (based on an extension to homeostasis) linking Stationary-Phase Mutations to the Baldwin Effect.
http://members.aol.com/jorolat/TEM.html

'Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Discussion Egroup
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evomech
 
The first item is the resale of an OEM supplied copy - as this is a Dell
supplied with a new Dell PC OEM edition it may not be resold and may only be
transferred as part of the sale fo the new Dell PC.
If they made the picture bigger you could see on the left that this is "only
for distribution with a new Dell PC"

The second item is a normal generic OEM CD and should be OK if genuine.

--

Regards,

Mike
--
Mike Brannigan [Microsoft]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights

Please note I cannot respond to e-mailed questions, please use these
newsgroups
 
The first item is the resale of an OEM supplied copy - as this is a Dell
supplied with a new Dell PC OEM edition it may not be resold and may only be
transferred as part of the sale fo the new Dell PC.
If they made the picture bigger you could see on the left that this is "only
for distribution with a new Dell PC"

The second item is a normal generic OEM CD and should be OK if genuine.

--

Regards,

Mike
Click to expand...

Thankyou very much indeed Mike!

--

John Latter

Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism (based on an extension to homeostasis) linking Stationary-Phase Mutations to the Baldwin Effect.
http://members.aol.com/jorolat/TEM.html

'Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Discussion Egroup
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evomech
 
John Latter said:
Thankyou very much indeed Mike!
Click to expand...

Your Wellcome.

--

Regards,

Mike
--
Mike Brannigan [Microsoft]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights

Please note I cannot respond to e-mailed questions, please use these
newsgroups
 
John said:
Hi,

My hard drive needs replacing & as the manufacturer stuck XP Home on
the end of the drive I thought that I would get a stand alone XP disc.

Will I be able to use my existing key on any XP Home disc? (I'm
looking at stuff on ebay)

Thanks in advance,
Click to expand...


Maybe, maybe not. Product Keys are bound to the specific type and
language of CD/license (OEM, Volume, retail, full, or Upgrade) with
which they are purchased. For example, a WinXP Home OEM Product Key
won't work for any retail version of WinXP Home, or for any version of
WinXP Pro, and vice versa. An upgrade's Product Key cannot be used with
a full version CD, and vice versa. An OEM Product Key will not work to
install a retail product. An Italian Product Key will not work with an
English CD. Bottom line: Product Keys and CD types cannot be mixed &
matched.

If you can get a generic OEM CD, your existing Product Key should work.
However, be aware that anyone selling any WinXP installation CD
(retail or OEM) _without_ a valid Product Key is doing so illegally.
Anyone offering such a product cannot be trusted. Be very careful
buying any software on eBay, as eBay makes no prior effort to ensure
that such sales are legitimate; they react only when someone files a
complaint. (And then all that really happens is the seller of the
pirated software returns using a different alias, to continue selling
illegitimate licenses.)

--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH
 
John said:
On Tue, 14 Jun 2005 08:43:00 +0100, "Mike Brannigan [MSFT]"
Click to expand...
Thanks Mike - I know what to look for now!

While I'm here could you help me with this please?

The link below is for an ebay item selling XP+Key but was originally
for a Dell computer:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=41887&item=7162831139&rd=1

This other link is also for XP+Key:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=41887&item=7162744818&rd=1

but it says "MICROSOFT WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO ACTIVATE A DELL BRANDED
DISK FROM MARCH 2005 (As sold by other ebay sellers)"

If I buy a disc from ebay should I make sure that it hasn't got any
brand names on it?

Thanks,
Click to expand...


Those are not legitimate sales, unless they include the Dell computer
to which those license are permanently bound.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH
 
Bruce said:
John said:
On Tue, 14 Jun 2005 08:43:00 +0100, "Mike Brannigan [MSFT]"
Click to expand...
Thanks Mike - I know what to look for now!

While I'm here could you help me with this please?

The link below is for an ebay item selling XP+Key but was originally
for a Dell computer:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=41887&item=7162831139&rd=1


This other link is also for XP+Key:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=41887&item=7162744818&rd=1


but it says "MICROSOFT WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO ACTIVATE A DELL BRANDED
DISK FROM MARCH 2005 (As sold by other ebay sellers)"

If I buy a disc from ebay should I make sure that it hasn't got any
brand names on it?

Thanks,
Click to expand...



Those are not legitimate sales, unless they include the Dell
computer to which those license are permanently bound.
Click to expand...

Correction: The second list does look like it's legitimate.

--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH
 
Maybe, maybe not. Product Keys are bound to the specific type and
language of CD/license (OEM, Volume, retail, full, or Upgrade) with
which they are purchased. For example, a WinXP Home OEM Product Key
won't work for any retail version of WinXP Home, or for any version of
WinXP Pro, and vice versa. An upgrade's Product Key cannot be used with
a full version CD, and vice versa. An OEM Product Key will not work to
install a retail product. An Italian Product Key will not work with an
English CD. Bottom line: Product Keys and CD types cannot be mixed &
matched.

If you can get a generic OEM CD, your existing Product Key should work.
However, be aware that anyone selling any WinXP installation CD
(retail or OEM) _without_ a valid Product Key is doing so illegally.
Anyone offering such a product cannot be trusted. Be very careful
buying any software on eBay, as eBay makes no prior effort to ensure
that such sales are legitimate; they react only when someone files a
complaint. (And then all that really happens is the seller of the
pirated software returns using a different alias, to continue selling
illegitimate licenses.)
Click to expand...

Thankyou for the info & advice Bruce, its much appreciated!

--

John Latter

Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism (based on an extension to homeostasis) linking Stationary-Phase Mutations to the Baldwin Effect.
http://members.aol.com/jorolat/TEM.html

'Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Discussion Egroup
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evomech
 
John said:
Thankyou for the info & advice Bruce, its much appreciated!
Click to expand...

You're welcome.

--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH
 
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