Installing WinXP

[Bateluer]

A friend wants to me to help him format his older laptop, which he lost all the disks for. The system does have a sticker with an XP Home CD key on it, so he does have a legal license.

Can I simply use one of my Pro CDs and the Home key, or should I find a Home CD somewhere?

 

[CalvinHobbes]

I'm pretty sure you need a home CD for a home key. It may even be that he has a key for the OEM version which may not work with the retail home CD. I've seen some weird stuff when trying to re-install on Dell's using the keys they have.

 

[nerp]

A Pro disc won't accept a home key. Heck, a post-SP2 home key won't even work on a pre sp2 home disc!

 

[DrGreen2007]

Why would an XP Pro CD install XP Home?

you need the correct type and version CD towork with the COA

xp home oem = xp home oem cd
xp home upgrade = xp home upgrade cd
xp home retail = xp home retail


You probably need an XP home oem type cd

 

[RebateMonger]

Call the laptop maker and see if you can get the proper disks. Dell will normally give them to you for free if you ask nicely. It's EASILY worth $30 or so to have the correct disks.

Worst case, you can buy legal XP Pro OEM for $140 or so nowdays from legitimate sources like Newegg.com. Sometimes for less.

 

[John]

1) He may have a recovery partition, so if it's intact you can use that instead
2) Try to acquire (borrow from a friend) an XP Home OEM cd
3) You can purchase Dell branded XP Home discs off eBay for $15. The legality of this is in the grey zone since the Dell cd has an embedded "royalty" key. You won't be prompted for a key during install, but it will fail to activate on a non-Dell. If you use a keychanger to input the home PID on the laptop after windows is installed it will activate and now you're legal.

 

[Bateluer]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: John
3) You can purchase Dell branded XP Home discs off eBay for $15. The legality of this is in the grey zone since the Dell cd has an embedded "royalty" key. You won't be prompted for a key during install, but it will fail to activate on a non-Dell. If you use a keychanger to input the home PID on the laptop after windows is installed it will activate and now you're legal.</end quote></div>

There was no recovery partition, I looked.

I do have an OEM Dell XP Home CD though that I just realized I had. Unfortunately, when the friend dropped off his notebook, he neglected to include the AC adapter with it. I wasn't willing to press on with the task until he gives me the AC adapter. I don't think even a full notebook battery is going to be sufficient to reinstall XP from scratch, including all the updates and driver installations.

Edit - My mistake, its a Dell XP Pro CD, and its CD key is in use at the moment. I'm sure I can get a boot leg of XP that will work with his CD key.