Product Key Not Working When Reformat?
Aug 17, 2007
I have a copy of Windows XP that was meant for only one computer use at a time. I reformatted my computer a few months ago and when I had tried to install XP again with my discs, it had told me the product key could not be activated because it had already been used. I was able to use a friend's, but now I plan to reformat again and I wish to use my own key. I was wondering what I should do because I've been told that I should be able to use my own product key when I reformat my computer.
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Apr 21, 2009
My Friend got an old laptop, it has a XP Product Key on the bottom of it. But he didn't have a XP CD. So I let him use mine CD. But the key didn't work. So we tryed 2 more copies of XP CDs, still no luck. we ended up just installing Windows 7 Beta so he could have a temporary solution. (And he wanted to try it out). Any ways I am getting really annoyed, to have a license key and not be able to use it. Any suggestions? Oyeah is there a way to know if a key is going to work with a CD with out having to waste 15-20 minuets for the CD to load all of the files. Spending hours putting XP CD in and typing 25 charters only to get "The Key you ended is invalid" got really boring.
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Jan 4, 2006
I reinstalled windows xp and used the product key on the sticker at the bottom of the laptop but it is saying CD key you entered is not valid. Who do I need to call and what information do I need to know?
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Aug 16, 2009
so after finally getting a massive virus off of my sister's computer i've had to re-install everything, msn, anti-virus stuff etc. but now i have two problems that i can't seem to find the answer for anywhere! first, windows (xp home edition) keeps asking me to activate it everytime i log on, i click on the bubble and follow the steps, i go onto "activate through the internet" and then "no don't register just get activated", i put in the product key that's on the side of her desktop and it says it's invalid, so i tried a keyfinder and it came up with a different one, so i entered that in instead and that didn't work either. it may be relevant to mention that the operating system cd might be from my parent's laptop or my sister's computer, i could only find one so i used that. any help on this would be greatly appreciated.
secondly the sound card driver isnt working i don't think. the log on music works but there's no icon on the bottom of the screen with the picture of a speaker. i go on the internet and click a random Internet video and that doesn't have any sound. there's nothing wrong with the speakers (because i unplugged them and put them into my laptop and they work fine).
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Aug 29, 2009
I was cleaning my laptop by reinstalling Windows XP Pro.I reformated first as it was FAT32 and I wanted NTSC next time.When I tried to reinstall Windows XP Pro from the CD it went into set up mode and was all OK until I got to the product key - for some reason it no longer works. So I can't reinstall XP Pro and it is stuck in the set up loop. No idea why the key won't work.I do also have a Vista Home CD and key but the system is stuck in the setup loop so I don't seem to be able to install that either. I've put the CD and tried to boot it but no joy.
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Feb 20, 2007
Hey guys, first off I'd like to say I'm not a very smart computer person (I'm not a dumb one but don't understand a lot of the more complex stuff) and I'm mainly trying to help my brother figure something out.
I used Windows Pro for awhile but started having a problem with my sound settings (mic stopped working and since I'm a Counter-Strike player I kind of needed it back for CAL :P) so we decided after trying a new sound card, etc, etc that it was the settings (well, my brother decided that after checking on it, appearently something was reveresed for some reason?), anyways we went to install Windows Home and all went well on the installing it from the CD part, but once it got into the configuring part or whatever it kept freezing at the "Install Network" part. So after trying that about 20 times we started using the Pro version to see if it would work.... same thing. So now I'm back trying to get the Home version to work (basically just going through the motions that my bro told me to do) and it keeps freezing there
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Apr 22, 2008
Alright, so i'm in the process of reformatting my computer, a process I've gone through many times on many computers, however, my latest setup, being my first hand-built computer, is having an issue when it comes to powering the keyboard when the computer starts up.My plan is to reformat the main hardrive, there are no separate partitions, however the two methods I've attempted have not worked. In startup, adjust the bios to boot from disk rather than HD with the windows Cd inserted, this I have done with no change, I've removed every other option than to boot from CD, it shouldnt even be going to the HD but it does. Press ANY key to Boot from Disc, this option appears shortly after the Del to enter setup page, and counts down before normally running windows. However the keyboard is unresponsive at this point, so I cant choose the option I want to.
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Sep 19, 2009
I have tried Googling, but the results are either for Vista - I'm using XP - or they're for the opposite of what I'm looking for. I was going to try it backwards, but no one ever explained HOW so I'm lost.since I reformated my puter 2 months ago, my files will no longer arrange in my folders. If I delete something, a gap appears and stays. If I add a file to the folder, the file sits on top of the other files and stays there - covering the other files.Before I reformated, whenever I deleted or added files, they'd automatically move in to fill in the gaps or move to accommodate the new files.I know I can change the setting in each individual folder, but I have a LOT of folders and would like to have this apply to ALL of them at once. I know this has to be possible since my puter automatically did it BEFORE I reformated.
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Mar 1, 2007
I'll try to keep this short! It started with a trojan that got out of control, but someone had put an unlicenced version of XP on our system, so we never had SP2 which was not ideal. Once the system hung indefinitely, I reinstalled XP (licensed) in a separate directory and backed up all the user data ready to just wipe the slate clean as I'd read bad things about having the same OS on one partition.
Now I bit the bullet and did a "format c:" in the command line, then booted to the licenced XP Pro disc and tried to install... it said I already had a NTFS structure in place, but then failed to copy any files to it, and now fails to see the hard disk at all during install ("cannot find hard disk"). I think I need to hit f6 during the XP installation and throw some files from the A drive, but where do I get them? I have a motherboard CD that has no useful features unless your OS is active, and the website doesn't lead me very far. It is a Shuttle MK35N SktA VIA-KM266, 266FSB USB2 MicoATX (DDR) - if that means anything to anyone?! I think BIOS sees it on startup, but doesn't connect to it. There's a bit of text top left with a model number, anyway...
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Sep 1, 2009
I am really hoping that one or a few of you can help me with my issue. Back in June, I reinstalled Windows XP Professional on my computer. Previously, the PC kept freezing, saying Windows Explorer error, etc. Unable to do any work at all on my computer without it freezing, I reinstalled Windows. Problems solved. Except now, since then, I have had no sound at all coming from my speakers! I am missing the audio drivers, I think. Finally, yesterday, I downloaded Realtec AC 97... and now I can hear things opened on Quicktime from the internet, but cannot hear any sounds from websites or other programs I have on my computer. The little speaker control, that is usually displayed permanently in the right hand corner of the Windows toolbar, doesn't show up. I still have Volume Control on my computer...but of course cannot hear anything.Does anyone have any ideas of what I can do? I've tried unplugging the speakers and then plugging them back in to no avail. I don't think I have the installation CD for the speakers anymore, as I got them a few years ago. But if I did have them, is that how the drivers would be reinstalled?
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Feb 3, 2007
My son moved out of town and now wants his copy of Windows XP Pro that he left behind. I have two copies that are idententical except for the product keys. Is there somewhere in Windows that would tell me which copy to send and which to keep? will he be able to reuse this disk to put on a new HD in a new computer? Can he put his old HD in a new computer?
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Jan 4, 2006
Whats the difference between a FAST reformat and a SLOW reformat when I reinstall WIN XP Home? I got a damned WinFixer ad ware crap program that keeps reappearing after I re install windows XP and did a FAST reformat. Wouldnt that wipe out that Ad -Ware?
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Sep 1, 2007
there is a GENUINE XP PROFESSIONAL CD with it's case. But neither the case nor the CD has the product key on it. So I am not able to install it on my new HD. Is there any way to install this XP PROFESSIONAL without the product key or get the product key somehow?
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Jul 25, 2010
I lost mine and I need one to install XP. Very urgent that I complete this soon!
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Jul 24, 2005
Can someone please help me out if possible and let me know how i can find out the product key.
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Oct 30, 2008
I need to reinstall windows on my computer. I have windows xp pro right now, but I lost the cd. I have the cd key and my friends xp home cd. Will my product key work with if I install his copy of xp home?
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Nov 4, 2009
working on a dell dimension 4600 with the product key reading "Windows XP Professional 1-2CPU" i am re-installing widows xp pro on there and its saying the product key is not valid.
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Jul 27, 2005
As you all know the new updat eis here as we all thought it would be I have a client with a license key which is not original I have now purchased a copy for her but how do i change the product key to a new one
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Jan 9, 2006
am trying to reformat a Dell Dimension on Windows XP Home, and have never had a problem like this, don't know what I am missing, the machine was purchased with XP home on it, and there is a reinstall disk. When you do the reformatt when it comes back up and runs through the process it does not ask for the product key? It reformats and when machine is supposedly all set up and ready to go half the information such as ethernet card, audio drivers etc is not there. If you are doing a complete reinstall should it not ask for the product key??? This really has me puzzled, I have reformatted 3 times, and am not coming up with the proper setup.
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Jan 4, 2006
Anyone have a generic XP product key I might be able to use? ....
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Jun 22, 2006
I was trying to in win xp on the computer, however, the product key did not work. So, I am trying cancel the setup, but the win xp is keep trying to set up. I was trying to upgrade my xp from xp media center to xp pro. how can I stop the setup?
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Nov 13, 2006
The sellers I've been talking to tell me that the little sticker they include with the case is the product code necessary to use XP Pro. Is this the actual product key that I use when installing XP pro? I realize that Microsoft is now using an online product registration for XP, and I'm ok with that, since I'm buying the license with the machine.
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Sep 5, 2005
I've just been round to help my neighbour with her laptop... she's 80 (Bless!) Anyway, when booting up a message appears to say that before windows can log on the product (XP Home) needs to be activated. No problem, so I press OK. But then, in the Product Activation window it says, This product has already been activated, press OK. Which I do but then it shuts down. It's just a continual circle that I can't seem to get out of. By the way, it boots up okay in safe Mode.
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Dec 8, 2006
My father-in-law has an HP PC, and he'd got the obligatory HP restore CD. I would prefer to install a clean version of XP Home SP2, rather than the image on the restore disk. (The restore disk will dictate partitions, doesn't have any service packs pre-loaded, plus lots of other resource-hogging software we don't want.)My question, is can I make a note of the current HP XP product key, reforamt and re-install using a new retail XP Home SP2 disk, and then simply change the product key before activation to reflect the orginal HP product key so as not to waste a new retail XP Home license on the already-licensed HP machine?
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Jan 9, 2007
Well, I want to go to the registry to find my 25 digit CD Key for windows. I understand there are programs for it, and I have used them. Im just wondering if anyone knows where it is in the registry... and yes I do understand it will be encoded, probably in hexadecimal.
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Jul 18, 2005
I have been reading alot about changin WinXP product key but have had problems with OEM machines. The best way to do it is as followed. Make a search in Windows/System32 folder for WPA. You should come up with a few files. Now you want to cut/paste the next two files to a new folder: wpa.dbl wpabaln.exe
Once these files have been removed from the system32 folder you want to activate your copy by doing the following. Click on Start then Run and enter the following line: %systemroot%system32oobemsoobe.exe /a Then click on Activate by phone and hit the Change Product Key. You should now be able to change an OEM Product Key to another one.
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Oct 19, 2008
I am installing XP Pro on to a machine. I am using a SP3 CD (as that is what I have). When I am asked to put the key in it says "Product ID you entered is invalid". Is this because it is a SP3 cd and not the original OEM disk? Also, it isn't giving me any option to call in.
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Sep 12, 2007
I format my HDD and now when I going to install Win XP Pro, I find out that I lose the key product.
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Jun 19, 2005
I have a used copy of XP upgrade and would like to know if it is being used before installing it. Is there a MS site one can go to and put in product key to see if it is already in use?
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Jan 29, 2009
Getting right to it I have a Dell Dimension 4300 that I am fixing up for my daughter adding memory and a larger hard drive. It has Win Xp home installed on it and I have gotten the CD Key # off of it using an extractor. Now my question is because I do not have the upgrade CD (which came with it) for reinstalling it can I use my other (legal) XP upgrade cd to reistall it, using the Key # retrieved from the Dell to verify it with MS for upgrades/downloads, etc. or will I have to use the CD key # which came with my disc.
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Mar 3, 2006
I have to reinstall my XP Pro OS on my work PC. The XP CD for that is fairly old and only has SP1. I recently got a laptop with XP Pro SP2. Can I Install the OS using the laptop XP CD that has SP2 and type in the product Key for the older XP machine so I don't have to spend hours updating the SP1 install to SP2. I've done this with MS Office in the past when the silver coating on the CD got scraped off and I just installed with an Office CD from another machine and used the Product Key from the broken CD license. These are DELL machines if that makes any difference. The last time I reinstalled the laptop OS using the CD, I can't remember typing in the product key and I don't want to have any issues with licensing and activation.
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