Have The Product Key But No Disc.


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Ok like the thing says i have the product key for XP home and it is SP1 I believe. is there a way I can use this for installing windows then reactivating? I bought this computer from a friend's parents but they didn't have any of the CD's for it. It's a Compaq Presario 6433US. Right now I'm using my OEM SP2 disc from my main PC but I can only use it for 30 days at a time and I don't want to reinstall every month. An y help would be appreciated thanks.

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I mean can there be a new disc made or something. at a local shop for SP2 installs the guy doesn't even take the disc out of the plastic. he uses a disc he has for every computer. He uses the product key he gets with each disc and activates it. I think only builders and reapir shops (his is both) get this kinda disc. I think if i were to get him to do this crap for me it'd cost almost as much as buying an OEM or Upgrade disc, unless i can get him to let me do it my self for like 20 bucks.

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if you have an xp home oem disk, you should be able to use that. I have done it many times. To activate it, I usually have to talk to a live operater at microsoft. They never give me any hassle.

edit added later//

To clarify what I said above. I use the key from the customers computer, along with my home xp2 cd(purchased from newegg). After the install is finished, I activate it. It usually fails, at which point I am directed to call microsoft to activate. I tell the operater I am reinstailling windows, then they give me the activation code to enter into my comuter. Since I am reinstalling windows with the product key originally asighned to that computer, they never give me any hassle when reactivating.

Edited by shanenin
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I think if i were to get him to do this crap for me it'd cost almost as much as buying an OEM or Upgrade disc

I charge people a small amount, just $35 to reinstall windows. I have used my XP hp home oem sp2 disk to do about 5 reinstalls. So far it has worked with every key I have tried.

I just purchased an xp professional disk to use for customers that need xp pro reinstalled. In all honesty, I just need the disk, but I got a licence also.

Edited by shanenin
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go to compaq and get the orginal cds for it will cost you about 30 or so

Neighbor just got the disc and it was $10.00 and they paid the mail charges. Probably have about $1.00 invested including the postage. You just have to let them know what PC you have.

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well i think the computer originally SP1 and the only disc I have is SP2 oh and the disc he uses isn't just a regualr disc it's one where he doesn't have to call microsoft. he said mine though he probably would though.

shanenin, when you say it fails does it say invalid Product Key cause I actually tried using this one's. Just when i tried activate it said that though it is still letting me use the computer for the 30 day period. Do you think that microsoft will let me use this SP1 key with my SP2 disc?

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the product key has alsways worked for me. I think since most computers come with an OEM version of xp, my OEM disk from newegg is compatible(has not failed yet). I have also used my OEM sp2 disk with old computers that originally came with sp1. I dont think it matters, because it is still the same varsion of the OS.

As to activation. I used this procedure on my laptop, I don't even think(I am not 100% certain) I had to call in to activate, it just worked. Most of my customers computers needed to be activated by calling microsoft, no big deal. All of my customers had sp1, but I did use an sp2 oem cd to reinstall.

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Product key WILL WORK with XP (unlike 2000 Pro and maybe ME - I can't remember)

are you saying the product key on a computer with an ME OEM sticker may not work with a different ME cd?

I'm guessing, I remember for sure that 2000 Pro has to work with the CD and I'm assuming ME was the same too

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ok I called microsoft (in frickin INDIA) and they said I couldn't do it. I explained I have the original product key but not the original disc but that I had the copy i was using installed on another computer. even with having a different key they said I couldn't do it. i was told by others that I could, ya'll and a te guy at the local shop. I hate microsoft so much.

Edited by Honda_Boy
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nevermind called them one more time said I owned the Liscensce for both and had the product key. She asked for the product key then the brand and model of the computer and she gave me the code and it worked and now I am on my merry way

YIPPEE :D

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yeah the first person said i would have to buy a new copy but my mom convinced me to call again and cause i could get someone else who give me an answer and i did and explained myself a little better to someone who obviously understood the situation better anyway. She siad it was okay to use a different disk and asked what version was it, i told her it was the OEM version I bought for the system I built. She said okay and asked for the manufacturer and the model name and i told her, she gave me the code. It worked, no more activation alerts. I'm really lovin this little comp now. Now that I have Windows activated and a GeForce FX5700 Ultra this little booger rocks for a bedroom computer.

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