win xp stickers

[Purrrfect]

So I have some old laptops (mine and a few from ebay for a project of mine) and they all have those winxp coa stickers. How can I use them? The only winxp cd i have is a bootleg from way back when it came out.

[SephYuyX]

Eh? Are you asking if you can use the serial on the stickers to install XP?
Theyll only work with the XP CD they came with originally.

[Viena]

Eh? Are you asking if you can use the serial on the stickers to install XP?
Theyll only work with the XP CD they came with originally.

Nope.

[SephYuyX]

Nope.

Ok, fine. Have fun trying to use those keys to activate XP. Technically you can only use those keys with certain kinds of XP CDs, not all of them. Also, you cant activate XP with them via online, you have to do it over the phone, and depending on how old the keys are, and other things, they wont activate it at all.

So first you have to find an XP CD that will work with those keys to get through the install (or you can bypass that part if you know how), and then you have to activate it via some guy from India assuming he likes you.

[solsirt]

you can use them whenever... just call it in over the phone.

you'll be at an automated prompt that will ask you if you've recently replaced a harddrive... say yes, and it'll give you the key.

[Kohan]

As the others mentioned, you can use them again and it's relatively easy. They will most likely list the exact version they're applicable to on the stickers themselves. If you can't get them to work, you can call Microsoft and it isn't difficult to get them functioning again.

[Spekkio]

this is not necessarially true. i repaired an E-machine PC once and it wanted me to reactivate windows cause i had to gut it replacing the motherboard and such. it wants to dial in via phone line to activate and not having a single line phone to my office, that wasn't an option and it wouldn't give me an option to activate it by phone or LAN connection. wanted to dial a modem bank only. so i said screw you, shut the thing down, pulled the modem card and laughed as i didn't figure it would have any choice but to give me a number or let me activate online. NOPE! just a blank activate windows screen if i pull the modem. lovely. so i look up microsoft's activation line, the automated system refuses my numbers, and the live people tell me i have to call emachines tech support to activate it. gee. thanks a lot. dial the number, they want me to pay 20 bucks a call or something. i hang up, dial back to msft. on the phone getting the runaround for over an hour and come up empty handed. i eventually give up, find a fax line, hook into that, and unbelievably their modem bank still was online and i was able to activate it. and software manufacturers wonder why games with DRM on them are pirated more. hmm... do i want a broomstick up my ass every time i change out my speakers on my PC for the privelage of paying for software or would i rather pirate it? honestly, paying for it and then using a pirate version sounds more palatable than using the legit version. hate DRM crap...

[Izzy]

Ok, fine. Have fun trying to use those keys to activate XP. Technically you can only use those keys with certain kinds of XP CDs, not all of them. Also, you cant activate XP with them via online, you have to do it over the phone, and depending on how old the keys are, and other things, they wont activate it at all.

So first you have to find an XP CD that will work with those keys to get through the install (or you can bypass that part if you know how), and then you have to activate it via some guy from India assuming he likes you.

No.

They will activate online. The only thing is you must use an OEM copy of WindowsXP. You're most likely going to have to pirate it unless you have your original copies. I've been using OEM cd keys off the computers at work/school/wherever I can find them, for the longest time now.

[Viena]

From what I know you don't even need an OEM copy to activate windows with those labeled keys.

Basically, it works like this. The machine is sold with the key label and a pre-activated oem version of xp, which is also usually included in the discs.

The key has not been used to activate it, and if you reinstall it on the original machine with the included cds you won't need to even type it, as the oem copy will check if the machine is from the manufacturer that was intended to be (HP/Dell/etc) and become activated automatically in that case, if not, the oem cds will ask for a key.

You should be able to use the key once anywhere with any windows cd that maches the label (Home or Pro) and activate online, regardless if it was the original machine or not.

Basically (legal and moral issues aside), you could go to a store, check the label from an exposed machine, write down the key and use it in a matching windows version at home.

[Isiolia]

My experience with them is that you can use the serial number fine if you use it with an OEM copy from that particular manufacturer of the correct version.

I've had them definitely -not- work with corporate license copies at least, and OEM copies from other manufacturers or generic OEM copies.

I've also seen people have varying results with calling stuff in.

[Purrrfect]

Well I'll have to see if I still have a Dell oem pro disc then. Thanks guys.