Help with install of xp

[whitevanman]

Just fitted a new hard drive to my old laptop (first attempt at this sort of thing) and started to install windows xp
But the product code that came with the original disc won't work.
Any ideas or am I stuffed.
This was going to be a little project to play around with but has suddenly become important as my main computer has just given me the blue screen of death

 

[chphoto]

Is that serial number currently active and registered on another machine?

 

[Box Brownie]

Just thinking out loud!

What make and model is the laptop? The reason I ask is maybe if like the Dells they never used to have "original OS" media and would have a recovery disk and/or a hidden partition of the HDD for such recoveries.

Is it possible that this manufacturer (whoever that is) has hard coded the BIOS such that by changing the HDD it sees that as a major change and then can therefore 'halt' the installation process???

As for whether the serial is registered and that is stopping the process well that pre supposes it is "phoning home" at that point in this particular installation step???

 

[Raj_p]

It dont matter if the serial is registered else where, it wont be checked during the install process.

It will dectet that its a fake or copy when an update is done.

Double check that the xp install you are doing is the exact one for the serial... eg, xp home cd, so the serial is for xp home.

if the serial is xp pro and the cd is xp home, it wont work.

 

[whitevanman]

It dont matter if the serial is registered else where, it wont be checked during the install process.

It will dectet that its a fake or copy when an update is done.

Double check that the xp install you are doing is the exact one for the serial... eg, xp home cd, so the serial is for xp home.

if the serial is xp pro and the cd is xp home, it wont work.

Thanks for that
Checked and code was for pro from laptop and cd is xp home from desk top
Found correct code
Thanks
Graham

 

[realspeed]

In the past having purchased a new computer I contacted Microsoft and told them about using a different computer and they allowed the old serial number to be reactivated from their end onto my new computer. They are very helpful as I guess it is a common request.


GREAT TIP

Download Belarc Advisor and it interrogates your computer and you can do a printout. In the printout you will find ALL serial codes and loads more for everything that is on your computer 100% safe. Not the actual files

Realspeed