Re: new motherboard installation without original xp cd

Bruce,

I just used the link that Bob K. provided re obtaining my product key and
found that I have a 'volume' license. Here's what keyfinder says about my
license: "OPEN [Volume License Key] media Key". Does this mean I do not
have a 'retail' license? Does this mean to perform an 'upgrade' re my future
new mb/cpu/ram I will need to get access to the same type of 'volume license'
xp installation cd?

My product ID is 20 digits and does not contain the letters "OEM". My Cd
Key is a series of 25 letters/numbers (in 5 groups of 5).

Jim

"JFK" wrote:

Bruce,

Thanks for your help. My Product ID is all numerical [no 'OEM' reference]
so I guess I have a retail version.

A post subsequent to yours seems certain that an OEM cd cannot be used to
perform an 'upgrade' install - that makes sense to me from what I've read,
since the OEM software apparently recognizes a new motherboard as an
'upgrade' that the OEM license does not allow.

Oh well.

Jim

"Bruce Chambers" wrote:

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.


--

Bruce Chambers

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Relevant Pages

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