Need Windows XP Disc

[vwsung18t]

I got a bunch of old computers from work but they gave them to me without hard drives or restore discs. I have hard drives. i tried to install with windows xp home service pack 2 discs but the license keys on the computers don't work. Could the keys be too old for SP2? So do I need a pre-Service Pack disc? Where can I get one? I even looked on torrent trackers and couldn't find a non-service pack xp disc.

 

[Itchrelief]

You are probably already way ahead of me on this, but maybe you need to find an OEM Windows disk?

 

[Billb2]

There's confusion here.......

The keys (from the old computers) are tied to the disk(s) that were used to originally install their OSs, not to the computers themselves.

If you want to use your disk you have to use your key.

If it worked the way you think, all keys would work on all disks, and MS would go belly up.

 

[vwsung18t]

so there is no way to use the keys on the computers to install windows without the original discs?

 

[RebateMonger]

If the license keys are on a Microsoft sticker (called a "Certificate of Authenticity" or COA), then the keys are OEM. If the PCs are Dells, HPs, Gateway and such, you'd be best served by a Dell, HP, etc. factory XP Install CD. If they are no-name brands, then you'd be best off with a "generic" XP Install CD. Both need to match the type of XP that was installed by the factory and is called out on the sticker (Home, Pro, MCE).

Retail- or Volume-License-version- Install disks won't work with the OEM Keys on those PCs.

 

[Billb2]

Originally posted by: vwsung18t
so there is no way to use the keys on the computers to install windows without the original discs?

Well, as RateMonger said, they don't have to physically be the same disk, just the same manufacturer's OEM disk.