Re: new motherboard installation without original xp cd

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JFK wrote:
AE, thanks for trying to answer the question but I do not think your answer is correct. Can someone else please advise.



Andrew posts the correct advice only by accident. He usually limits himself to meaningless gibberish, but, every once in a while, as in this case, he deliberately posts the incorrect advice.


I have read hundreds of threads regarding the ability to 'replace a motherboard' on an XP system, with the main issue involving the fact that an OEM version of XP is not transferable to a 'new system' [which is defined by MS as upgrading a motherboard], but a retail version is transferable to a new system. There is a ton of info in these forums, and links to 'how-to' web sites regarding the repair install procedure. The repair install can be done and that is not my question.

My problem is that I have a retail XP system [I think],....


What's the Product ID say? If it is all numerical, it's retail; if it contains the letters "OEM," that should be self-explanatory. The Product *ID* is created during the installation process and is prominently displayed on the opening panel window resulting from right-clicking the Computer icon and selecting "Properties" from the context menu.


but no installation cd's. So I want to know if I should plunk down ~ $100 for an OEM version so I can do the required 'repair install' when I upgrade my motherboard; because I do not want to spend ~ $300 that the retail XP version is selling for.


You could use an OEM license to replace the current retail installation, but I don't know if an OEM CD can be used to repair a retail installation.


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Bruce Chambers

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Relevant Pages

  • Re: Repair Install
    ... The keys are not on the CD, but they are specific to the TYPE of media, meaning you cannot use an OEM key with retail media, if you try a repair install using your retail media with the OEM key from the Compaq, it will tell you the key is not valid. ... install cd I use as long as I key in the appropriate Product Key? ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: oem
    ... >I have a retail ver. ... > would like to get away from oem. ... You should be able to do a repair install with the new key and software, ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: moving harddisk to another computer
    ... retail, not OEM, market, you can do a repair install using ... The reason I said a retail market version of XP is that if ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: Please Help! XP corrupted registry
    ... OEM version, the other a Retail. ... you cannot use a different Windows XP CD ... >> How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)
  • Re: Repair Install and Product Activation
    ... That laptop was our first XP ... That's the way an OEM pre-install is supposed to work, ... require activation when used to repair install on the original computer. ... the BIOS is flashed to an unauthorized update, ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.setup_deployment)