Re: Incorrect Product Key


"Pete" <pfgoergen@xxxxxx> wrote in message news:ScsLi.118$bV2.33@xxxxxxxxxxx
I am trying to help my cousin who has an illegitimate WinXP Home SP2
installation. I purchased an OEM WinXP Home SP2 CD, and was originally
going to do a repair install to preserve settings and apps. The repair
option when booting from the CD does not appear (despite a few recommended
changes /registry tweaks).

So I subsequently discovered I could change the Product Key by rendering
the current key invalid through another registry change and reactivating
Windows. Seemed simple enough, but when I launched the Product Activation
Wizard and selected to Change Product Key, I get "Incorrect Product Key".
I've tried it a couple of times and I'm quite sure I entered the key on
the label with the new disk.

Is this an issue with the OEM CD vendor, or have I done something to cause
this?

Thanks

Keys are specific to the version of XP you use. A key for a OEM version of
XP will only work if the XP on your friends computer is also OEM.


.

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: Invalid Product Key for Windows XP Pro, referred to newsgroup by MS Rep
    ... That does check out to be an OEM Windows XP Professional Full product (not ... | Subject: Re: Invalid Product Key for Windows XP Pro, ... Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4910.0300 ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.setup_deployment)
  • Re: Invalid Product Key for Windows XP Pro, referred to newsgroup by MS Rep
    ... We are using an OEM CD of Windows XP Professional, ... OEM series that we have. ... when we try the original OEM product key with ... > What installation CDare you using? ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.setup_deployment)
  • Re: Windows update causes pc to restart
    ... > use windows updates the pc restarts or crashes and goes to the "blue ... What activation does is attempt to enforce the license agreement that the OS can only be installed on one system at a time (and for OEM versions cannot be transferred to a different computer). ... To find what that is, if the installation is bootable, run one of these utililties. ... To reinstall the OS without that provided CD, you could try a generic OEM XP installation CD that is the same type, that is Home or Pro and the same language version, as the product key that is on the sticker attached to the computer case. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: OEM Quagmire
    ... One cannot use a "Retail Product Key" with an "OEM" CD ... Your friend can return his XP Pro version to Microsoft ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.setup_deployment)