Re: Invalid Product Key for Windows XP Pro, referred to newsgroup by MS Rep

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From: Carey Frisch [MVP] (mrxp2004_at_nospamyahoo.com)
Date: 02/20/04 

Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2004 11:47:38 -0600

Unless you are attempting to install Windows XP on a different, empty partition,
you should not be selecting "New Installation". An OEM version of Windows XP
cannot upgrade over an existing Windows installation....it must be installed on
a clean, reformatted partition. If you wish to "Upgrade" over Windows 2000,
then you'll need the "retail upgrade version" of Windows XP Professional.

Clean Install Windows XP
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

[Courtesy of MS-MVP Michael Stevens]

You stated that you "purchased Windows XP Professional with the systems".
If that is the case, the correct 25-character Product Key should be found on a
sticker somewhere on the computer case. That Product Key will only work
with the Windows XP CD the computer shipped with. It will not work with
any other installation CD. If you do not have the CD, contact the manufacturer
of the computer and request a replacement. 

-- 
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Be Smart!  Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"case314159" <pchan@biolase.com> wrote in message:
 news:1322501c3f7d5$820b76f0$a101280a@phx.gbl...
| Hello,
| 
| Goal Summary:
| We are trying to install Windows XP Professional (New 
| Installation (Advanced)) on several OEM systems that are 
| currently running Windows 2000.  Though we did purchase 
| Windows XP Professional with the systems, we installed our 
| retail version of Windows 2000 at that time.
| 
| Installation Synopsis:
| We began the Windows XP Professional new installation.  
| When prompted for the Product Key, the original XP Product 
| Key on the Microsoft sticker of authenticity returned an 
| error message, "The Product ID which you entered is 
| invalid.  Please try again."
| 
| We spoke with a Microsoft customer representative and gave 
| them my name, our phone number, and the original product 
| key.  The rep verified that our Product Key was indeed OEM 
| and gave us three other Windows XP Professional product 
| keys to try (two OEM and one retail).  All the additional 
| product keys failed with the same error message.
| 
| The Microsoft customer representative told us that they 
| are only allowed to generate three product keys a day and 
| that we should call back the following day to attempt 
| three more keys.
| 
| The following day, we spoke to a different rep and gave 
| them the same information.  Unfortunately, they did not 
| give us three more product keys to try.  Instead, we were 
| given two options.  1) Post in the newgroups and a 
| solution will be provided within 24 hours.  2) Pay $35 to 
| have Microsoft assess the problem.  We were told by the 
| Microsoft customer representative that the invalid Product 
| Key is not a Microsoft problem.  They told us to call the 
| OEM to resolve the issue.
| 
| Conclusion:
| To save everyone from the grief we experienced, let us 
| just say we had to make multiple calls and were told we 
| should purchase the retail version of Windows XP 
| Professional to resolve the issue.  So instead of opting 
| to spend more money on a product that is not currently 
| working or running on our systems, we hope someone here 
| can provide us with a proper solution.
| 
| Note, Microsoft will not generate an incident number for 
| us.  They have our name and phone number, however a track 
| history is not being kept according to the representative, 
| though one can be generated.

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