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Pirated XP Pro Question

F

flamingsnoman

Member
hi, i'm probably going to get flamed for this post in some way or another but i have a question--and am hoping some kind person would answer it for me.

i'm running on an Asus p4p800 MB and it supports usb 2.0, a feature that i'm going to need when my zen micro gets here next week 8) the problem is, my usb ports aren't running at hi-speed because of lack of drivers. after googling the topic, and looking around some forums, i found that i need XP SP1 or SP2. I tried running microsoft update and wound up with that error message saying my cd-key is invalid, and that i should contact microsoft. apparently the copy of xp pro that was installed on my computer was an illegal copy. it was installed at the time that i had my computer built with the help of my friend, who is now in college and i have lost contact with. i plan to go out and invest in a legal copy of xp pro and install it to resolve my issues, but i have a few inquiries regarding that plan:

1) will doing a repair installation of xp pro over my current OS eliminate my old cd-key in place of the new one?
2) will i be able to keep all my files, programs, settings as they are now? (i have a relatively secure PC; i run ad-aware and spybot S&D weekly, defrag monthly, and have pc-cillin as my antivirus. i'm highly opposed to reinstalling everything and stuff)
3) will an upgrade version of xp pro work or does it have to be a full blown xp pro OS?

thanks for your time/help in advance 8)

P.S. uh....i'm only 17 years old with only intermediate computer expertise, so "dumbing down" your computer diction might help too xD
 
okay, i understand the part where i call up a microsoft representative to change the cd-key, but:
1) why do i need to purchase another hard drive?
2) i don't have "activate windows" as an option in my system tools
 
You didn't have to make up that ridiculous story. Go buy a real copy of XP Pro and reinstall if you can't hack it. No whining.
 
Originally posted by: flamingsnoman
okay, i understand the part where i call up a microsoft representative to change the cd-key, but:
1) why do i need to purchase another hard drive?
2) i don't have "activate windows" as an option in my system tools
Click to expand...
OEM Windows has to be purchased with hardware. A hard drive could be useful. Whatever.

If you don't have "activate Windows" then I don't know why, since I can't claim any firsthand experience in pirated Windows versions. Maybe it's best to just do a fresh installation and get it over with, eh?

 
thank you for that piece of constructive advice compusaguy. i guess this is the flaming i expected. i'm sure your plan of action would work just perfect, but the remark on hacking it isn't something i would do. and keep in mind that i want to KEEP all my programs, files, etc. not do a complete overhaul just to get my usb ports to work.
 
Originally posted by: mechBgon
Originally posted by: flamingsnoman
okay, i understand the part where i call up a microsoft representative to change the cd-key, but:
1) why do i need to purchase another hard drive?
2) i don't have "activate windows" as an option in my system tools
Click to expand...
OEM Windows has to be purchased with hardware. A hard drive could be useful. Whatever.

If you don't have "activate Windows" then I don't know why, since I can't claim any firsthand experience in pirated Windows versions. Maybe it's best to just do a fresh installation and get it over with, eh?
Click to expand...

ah okay, i did not know that detail about it having to be purchased w/hardware. another drive for storage or maybe a raid setup might be useful...

as for the second part, i guess i can find the customer service number manually. hopefully the process doesn't require me to do anything on my computer at the same time (though i doubt it wouldn't).

thanks for your help!!
:thumbsup:😀

now all i need to do now is to save up the "capital" to do it 🙁
 
well you sure didn't mind using an illegal copy of windows until you needed to upgrade.

"gee officer, i didn't steal this car. the guy who stole it let me have it. i couldn't register it because they told me it's stolen. do you mind if I keep driving it until I buy a new car next month??? I'm saving up."
 
Originally posted by: compusaguy
You didn't have to make up that ridiculous story. Go buy a real copy of XP Pro and reinstall if you can't hack it. No whining.
Click to expand...

Thats the way to go.

 
It sounds like your "friend" installed a corporate edition and pirated key of Windows XP Pro. The pirated key was probably discovered by Microsoft and invalidated. Corporate installs don't need to be activated, which is why you haven't recieved errors before.

Because the OS you have installed right now is illegally acquired, I highly recommend you buy a legitimate copy of Windows XP Pro, backup your data, format the drive, and reinstall from scratch.
 
Personally I would just install Ubuntu and forget the whole Windows thing like a bad dream, but I am sure that you'll have some excuse why you can't do that.

Buy a OEM version of XP along with a new harddrive or something, install on that. Then plug your old HD into the computer and copy your stuff over. Then format it and use it for extra space.

Still probably be cheaper then buying a full retail version.
 
If the version you have did not have to be activated, it is likely a copy of the Volume License version. If you buy a new oem copy, the serial number will not work with it. Each of the 3 versions of xp (retail, oem, vla) have a different set of numbers for them, and they are not inter-changable.
 
Originally posted by: compusaguy
You didn't have to make up that ridiculous story. Go buy a real copy of XP Pro and reinstall if you can't hack it. No whining.
Click to expand...

What ridiculous story? He posted exactly what you just told him to go do, he is buying a legit copy and is trying to avoid reinstalling if he can. WTF is wrong with you?
 
Originally posted by: malak
Originally posted by: compusaguy
You didn't have to make up that ridiculous story. Go buy a real copy of XP Pro and reinstall if you can't hack it. No whining.
Click to expand...

What ridiculous story? He posted exactly what you just told him to go do, he is buying a legit copy and is trying to avoid reinstalling if he can. WTF is wrong with you?
Click to expand...

No $hit - the kid is being candid and honest. What do you, compUSAguy, have to do with Microsoft? You think you're helping America by flaming a kid?

By the way, with that name you have you shouldn't flame anybody; CompUSA owes millions of us $$$$$ from rebate coupons that they stole from deceived customers.. http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=878871&page=7
 
Originally posted by: compusaguy
well you sure didn't mind using an illegal copy of windows until you needed to upgrade.

"gee officer, i didn't steal this car. the guy who stole it let me have it. i couldn't register it because they told me it's stolen. do you mind if I keep driving it until I buy a new car next month??? I'm saving up."
Click to expand...

What a hypocrite...

Originally posted by: compusaguy
Bad motherboard. Take it out and sell it to some chump quick before it dies. When he comes back to you complaining about how it randomly restarts, tell them they must have damaged it during installation.
Click to expand...
Thread

I believe "compusaguy" is just a kid himself. He is posting a lot of bad information in GH. :disgust:
 
What a hypocrite...

Originally posted by: compusaguy
Bad motherboard. Take it out and sell it to some chump quick before it dies. When he comes back to you complaining about how it randomly restarts, tell them they must have damaged it during installation.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Wow. Can we just add compusaguy to the Bad Traders list in advance? :|
 
I'd help this guy if I could, but unfortunately I don't think you can change the Windows Product ID (different from the cd key), so I think you have to reinstall. And you can't use keys from different types of XP for others, like a Retail key won't work on an OEM copy, and so I'd think a Retail / OEM key won't work on a Corp edition (isn't that what the FCKGW version is, or was it actually hacked to bypass activation?). And the check SP1 does is against the Product ID, not the cd key.

And come on, atleast he's honest in his request for help. Always gets me when I see new people elsewhere using the same tired excuses when wanting usb2 or >127gig support on XP w/o service packs, saying "tried the service packs once, gave me so many crashes I'm never trying them again" or even better when they say they "wanted to prove a friend wrong." It can be worded in a thousand different ways, but there is only one true reason why someone does not want to update to atleast SP1.

Plus I suppose it gets to me even more when I see people who have free copies provided by their university thinking they're so high & mighty ripping on others who get their free copy from the internet.
 
You geeks have absolutely no sense of humor. I actually feel sorry for you. But it's okay, because I absolutely hate 99.9999% of all geeks. Does that make me believe this shiite story this person made up about him not knowing that you need to pay for a Windows OS on your custon built computer? Hell no. Any moron would know that!
 
If you buy the OEM copy of XP Pro and choose to do a repair installation, (boot from cd and follow on screen instructions) that should overwrite the pirated version but still retain all your programs and settings.
You would then need to activate the copy afterwards, but would be using your new serial key and that shouldn't be a problem.

I've never had the need to try this (Corp to OEM repair), so I'm not 100% sure it'd work, but I can't see any reason it wouldn't and it would be worth trying that route before totally formatting and starting again.
 
Originally posted by: compusaguy
You geeks have absolutely no sense of humor. I actually feel sorry for you. But it's okay, because I absolutely hate 99.9999% of all geeks. Does that make me believe this shiite story this person made up about him not knowing that you need to pay for a Windows OS on your custon built computer? Hell no. Any moron would know that!
Click to expand...

Anyone who would say 99.9999 PER CENT IS A FUKIN' GEEEEEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You feel sorry for yourself?

Not to mention fully flammable. HAHAHAHAHA.
 
MS might actually be inclined to be helpful, if you get in touch with them. They strongly dislike pirates, obviously, but they have actually been pretty enthusiastic about getting people who've been slipped pirated versions by other parties(e.g. system assemblers trying increase margins by going grey-market) under one pretext or another running legal. Of course, if you are actually a pirate, don't draw attention to yourself.
 
Originally posted by: charles555
Originally posted by: compusaguy
You geeks have absolutely no sense of humor. I actually feel sorry for you. But it's okay, because I absolutely hate 99.9999% of all geeks. Does that make me believe this shiite story this person made up about him not knowing that you need to pay for a Windows OS on your custon built computer? Hell no. Any moron would know that!
Click to expand...

Anyone who would say 99.9999 PER CENT IS A FUKIN' GEEEEEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You feel sorry for yourself?

Not to mention fully flammable. HAHAHAHAHA.
Click to expand...


Plus the guy is posting in a Web forum that is dedicated to discussing Operating Systems.

It seems pretty obvious that if your not a computer geek, you wouldn't be here. Unless your just looking for help from computer geeks, which Compusaguy is most definately not.
 
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