I'm having a bit of a problem getting an installation of Windows XP Home to recognise my genuine key. The problem is I lost the CD, so thought I would use the disc with SP2 integrated to attempt the install. The problem is my key is apparently invalid. I'm guessing this is due to it being an original retail key and not an SP2 key. I have managed to get XP installed ( ) in the hope that at activation I could change the product key. Unfortunately this doesnt work either. Does anyone know if its possible to get the SP2 installation to validate the pre SP1 key? Otherwise Ill have to try and find a pre SP1 disc, which looks to be rather hard now Thanks
I don't think there's a difference between keys for the original release, SP1, and SP2. I've slipstreamed SP2 a dozen times and used the original key with no problems. However, if you downloaded your SP2 CD you may have gotten an educational or volume license CD, both of which will use a different CD key. Try to find a normal SP2 CD and it should accept your old key just fine.
AFAIK Win OEM, Win Upgrade amd Win Full have different key formats. If your lost Home came with the system it's probably OEM, borrow a copy of that to match your key. BTW, you're allowed to make a backup in case the original gets lost or damaged.
yeah, your upgrade and OEM and retail keys are all different, and normally do not work with each other. you can either try getting a new SP1 cd, or call MS, and they should be able to give you a new key once you verify that you have a legitimate key where did you get your key from if you lost the disk? my guess is that its something off the side of your computer, or something to that effect, which would be an OEM key, and the disk that you got is a retail key. there are ways to get past this, but they are borderline illegal, and you shouldnt have to get into that because you have a perfectly legal key, just not the right disk. Call MS
