Page 1 of 1

Questions , need to do a fresh XP install

Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 12:56 am
by KHPower
I have a Xp Pro computer that needs a reformat and a fresh install , however , I do not have the copy of Xp pro that was installed on the computer but I know it was a retail copy. I do however have a copy of Xp pro that I used on another computer and was wondering if I could use that one to do a clean install on the computer that I plan to reformat? The only problem is I dont have the Product activation for the computer I am planning on reformatting.

Where can I find the number I need when it asks for my product key? And before I go any further , can I use my copy of XP pro for another computer considering they are both running Xp pro but from different discs?

Any help on this would be great and hopefully I explained what I am doing well enough

Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 7:00 am
by KachiWachi
Everest can show you the Product ID and the Product Key.

AFAIK, you can use any CD...but the Product Key(s) *should* be different (piracy, licensing, etc...).

Of course, if you have uninstalled the OS on your original machine because you upgraded to a new one, you should have no trouble using the original (read: currently available) key. :wink:

Thanks.

Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 6:22 pm
by Jim
Actually both myself and Roger at Uptown have had our little problems with "Activation". XP allows you to activate on an HDD that does not have the XP boot track flag exactly 5 times. Therefore if you "Low Level" format your HDD 5 times, you have exhausted your online activation privileges, and thereafter must phone Microsoft in order to activate.

Vist allows you to activate only 3 times when the MS flag is not present on the boot track.

I have said this before; but I will say it again. When XP or Vista is installed for the first time on a hard drive, It puts a flag on the boot track. If you use a normal format to wipe your drive, that flag will survive, and be there when you reinstall your OS. When the OS is reinstalled, it checks for that flag, and if the flag is not there, your user Key install count gets incremented by 1 install at MS when you go online to activate. Once your user key activation count hits 5, (for XP), or 3, (for Vista), you can no longer activate the easy way online. This is one of MS's antipiracy measures. Instead, you have to phone them and convince them that you are not installing the same user key on multiple machines, before they will give you a one time usage activation code.